The Kirk-and-Spock uniforms that the Jaguars and Titans will wear for the second time are appropriate, given that the aftermath of Thursday’s game could be a remake of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan has made it clear that, after several years of bad football, he expects improvement this year. Earlier this week, he popped in to the team facility to get answers regarding the team’s unexpected struggles in 2016.
And so it’s reasonable to ask whether a prime-time loss on Thursday night in Nashville will result in Khan making a change at the coaching position. With the bye week gone, the mini-bye that comes after the annual short-week game is the next best opportunity to give an interim head coach extra time to adjust.
While Khan may indeed opt to stay the course for the balance of the season, PFT Planet has spoken loudly in response to the simple up-or-down question of whether Khan should make a change in the event of a loss. The primary in-house option is former Bills coach Doug Marrone, who currently serves as offensive line coach and assistant head coach.
For 2017, the most intriguing option would be former Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin, who led the team to a far more significant date with the Titans, nearly a generation ago. In 1999, the 14-2 Jaguars hosted the 13-3 Titans in the AFC title game, with Tennessee scoring the upset and nearly winning the Super Bowl.
The rivalry, which started in the AFC Central and migrated to the AFC South in 2002, has deteriorated into a punchline. Khan may soon decide to give at least one half of that twice-per-year series some pop.
The decision could come as soon as tonight.