Ah, the holiday season. It’s that special time of year, when we take stock of the year, count our blessings, and realize that sadly, we missed the fantasy football playoffs by a fraction of a point. Okay, maybe that was a personal aside but week fourteen in the NFL is more significant than my whiff on the PPR landscape. One of the only things more disappointing than my team’s play is the collective talent in the AFC South. Winning the AFC South is like celebrating passing eighth grade. No one cares but your parents and close friends.
We were treated to what the NFLPA declares a divisional rivalry between the Jaguars and Titans. The flash in the pan that was the Jacksonville awakening has passed. Now we’re back to the same question we asked for the past few years. How will Tennessee screw it up this year?
Sorry for your loss, Tennessee Titans. Your season is over!
One could argue that the Titans are one of the most promising professional teams to wear pastel colors. I couldn’t help watching this game as though it was an episode of Chopped on Food Network. Talented coaches are asked to cook up an amazing game plan with what clearly are the components of a roster that clearly don’t belong together. Prior to Sunday’s win, the last time Jacksonville won in Tennessee, was in 2013!
The former number-one overall pick took it to the Titans. He was able to slash them for a career game passing for three scores and running one in. What makes it more alarming is that Lawrence ripped the Titans’ defense with journeyman Evan Engram. It is insane to have imagined Engram would put up a stat line of 162 yards on 11 receptions and two touchdowns. Way to double up on your season total for touchdowns, Evan! Better late than never.
Tennessee was sloppy all day. That’s the nicest way to say it. King Henry put the ball on the floor twice. Tannehill said, hang in there buddy, lost a fumble of his own, and tossed an interception. See, that’s a good friend. You didn’t suck today, we sucked today!
This game, like most games against the Jaguars, was theirs to win. Vrabel’s crew jumped to the lead in the first quarter but then turnovers started stacking up. Jacksonville took those scoring opportunities and made the Titans pay. Seventeen of their twenty first-half points came off turnovers. One would think the halftime speech would wake the Titans up but nope, not this time. Tennessee kept the storyline going with drive sequences of punt, punt, fumble to open the second half. Pretty sure Tannehill’s audible call was, “make it stop!”
The epic postseason collapse and choke job of Tannehill has haunted him all year. It’s unfortunate he seems to be on the ropes as he processes one of the longest cases of the yips we’ve seen a quarterback have lately. At 7-6 and in ‘command’ of the division by two games, the Titans should win the division…because apparently, someone has to.
Let’s all brace for impact as the next first-round playoff loss buzzsaw comes right at Tennessee.
