The Jacksonville Jaguars started slow against the Tennessee Titans, then blew the doors off their AFC South rival in a 36-22 win.
It was the first win for the Jaguars in Nashville since 2013 and it kept slim postseason dreams alive for the team with four weeks left in the season.
There wasn’t much for Jaguars fans not to like about the win, except for maybe the defense’s slow start. But it settled in and Jacksonville dominated a significant stretch Sunday.
In the words of Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, “we got our ass kicked.”
Here are four Jaguars players who stood out most in the win, and one who didn’t:
Stud - QB Trevor Lawrence
Lawrence’s spot in this column is becoming repetitive given the way he’s playing right now, but Sunday he took his play to another level.
It didn’t have the late-game heroics that he pulled off against the Baltimore Ravens, but his game against the Titans was his most complete and best performance as a pro.
In addition to his career-high passing yardage and fourth career three-touchdown performance, Lawrence also added a rushing touchdown that included a stiff arm of a Titans linebacker.
It’s incredible to think that Lawrence wasn’t 100 percent healthy Sunday, and it’s fun to think what Calvin Ridley could be in the Jaguars offense in 2023 and beyond.
Stud - TE Evan Engram
Engram had a little bit of a slow start with zero receptions on his first three targets of the day. Then he went full T-800 and dominated every Tennessee defender in his way.
His yardage and touchdown totals were both career highs, and they set franchise records for a Jaguars tight end.
Three Jacksonville tight ends — Engram, Dan Arnold, and Chris Manhertz — are set to become free agents in the offseason, so the team will have to choose between bringing one or two back, or overhauling the position in the offseason.
Engram made a pretty compelling case for being a long-term piece in the Jaguars offense.
Dud - RB Travis Etienne Jr.
For a while, it looked like Etienne was unstoppable. The explosive second-year back was ripping off chunk plays at will during a stretch of five straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.
That wasn’t the case at all against the Titans. Etienne was bottled up from start to finish, ending the day with 32 yards on 17 carries. That’s a paltry 1.9 yards per carry, well below his season average of 5.0 yards.
Of course, that’s indicative of a lot more than just Etienne’s performance. The Titans’ interior defensive line — led by Pro Bowler Jeffery Simmons — were creating problems in the run game.
If Jacksonville hopes to pull off wins against the Dallas Cowboys or New York Jets in the next couple weeks, it’ll need the run game to get back on track.
Stud - CB Tyson Campbell
When the Titans fell behind in the second half, the team couldn’t quite grind away with Derrick Henry like it always does against the Jaguars. It was instead up to Ryan Tannehill to lead Tennessee down the field for scores.
But one problem for Tennessee was that the left sideline was closed for business.
Nobody who lined up against Tyson Campbell got open. The three times Tannehill tested him in coverage, the second-year cornerback located the ball and knocked it away.
Campbell is the most valuable player the Jaguars have on defense right now, and he looks like a cornerstone that the team can build its secondary around.
Stud - OLB Travon Walker
It wasn’t exactly a stat-stuffing day for Walker, but it was the kind of performance that inspires optimism about his future.
There was his strip sack of Tannehill, a massive play that kept the Jaguars from falling into a big hole early in the game. But Walker was a problem for the Titans on more than just one play.
.@Jaguars @44Ytw #ArdenKey feeding other getting the offense jump started. Everyone can see the turnaround happening in #Duval #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/0uzENvejDS
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) December 12, 2022
The key to his much more productive day may be that Walker spent a lot more time with his hand on the ground Sunday. According to John Shipley of Jaguars Report, Walker spent more time against the Titans in a three-point stance than he has all season and he recorded a career-best 25 percent win rate.
It’s an encouraging sign about Walker’s future and offers hope that the Jaguars can eventually get the 21-year-old pass rusher to eventually reach his lofty potential.
