Titans humiliated by the Jaguars, 25-3, in disappointing outing

After showing some signs of life in recent weeks, the Tennessee Titans reverted to their early-season form and were no match for the Jacksonville Jaguars, who dominated the Titans, 25-3, in Week 13 action at Nissan Stadium.

Tennessee started strong on both offense and defense, notching a three-and-out and following it with a solid field goal drive to stake them to an early lead. Unfortunately, everything went downhill from there, and the game spiraled into a rout.

Cam Ward struggled with his accuracy in this one, but he also got little help from his teammates, which held the offense back all afternoon. Tennessee was abysmal on third down after the first drive and could not sustain anything on offense all afternoon. It was a rough game, and may have been worse than the score indicates.

Final Score: Jaguars 25 - Titans 3

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Final

Titans

3

0

0

0

3

Jaguars

7

11

7

0

25

Keys to the Game

• Third down efficiency: To say that the Titans were terrible on third downs would be an understatement. The team finished the game going 2-for-12 on third downs. Between poor play execution, penalties, and bad offensive line play, Tennessee was doomed.

• Penalties: This game was a flagfest, and while both teams committed multiple penalties (23 combined), Tennessee was worse. The Titans finished the game with 13 penalties for 98 yards, with most of those coming at inopportune times, costing them both momentum and points.

• Wide receiver production: Tennessee got almost no production from their wideouts on Sunday, with only Van Jeffererson recording over one reception during the game. Elic Ayomanor, Chimere Dike, and James Proche together were able to match that number, which is not good for your top wide receivers. Tennessee must find a clear alpha wide receiver during the offseason to help Cam Ward in his development.

• Undisciplined play: While penalties are a good measuring stick for the discipline of an NFL franchise, the performance on the field during the game can also be an indicator. In this case, the Titans had too many drops, unsportsmanlike penalties, and an overall lack of urgency. They even watched safety Mike Brown get ejected in the fourth quarter in an after-the-whistle scrum along the sideline. The team did not play well on Sunday in any facet, and there was no attention to detail in any phase.

It was over when...

Wide receiver Chimere Dike fumbled a first-quarter kickoff after a Jaguars touchdown, setting them up for a quick-strike touchdown that would turn what was a 3-0 Titans lead into a 15-3 deficit in a span of 64 seconds.

Players of the Game

• DT Jeffery Simmons: In a game where the defense struggled, Simmons came to play. He finished with six total tackles (two solo) and one sack, but was in the backfield, pressuring Trevor Lawrence all game.

• S Kevin Winston Jr.: Even with veteran Xavier Woods returning to action, Winston remained in the starting lineup and continued to make plays. The rookie safety was not only a force, making eight total tackles (five solo), but he also recorded his first NFL sack in the first quarter.

• LB Cedric Gray: Gray continues to be a leader on defense, he led the Titans in tackles with nine (seven solo), but was active in pass defense and in the backfield.

Injuries

Fan-favorite wide receiver Xavier Restrepo suffered an apparent ankle injury late in the fourth quarter and was carted off the field after a reception. While no update was immediately available, interim head coach Mike McCoy will likely update it following the game.

What's next?

Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy will meet with reporters on Monday afternoon to wrap up the week and set the stage for Week 14. Select players will be made available after McCoy.

Tennessee will return to practice on Wednesday ahead of a Week 13 game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, December 7, at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Kickoff is 12:00 p.m. CST.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans humiliated by the Jaguars 25-3 in Week 13