The Jaguars are headed to the playoffs in Trevor Lawrence‘s second season and in Doug Pederson’s first as the team’s head coach. They beat the Titans 20-16 with a gritty, physical team victory.
The Jaguars won their last five regular-season games, including a sweep of the Titans. They won the first meeting 36-22 in Nashville on Dec. 11. Jacksonville (9-8) is headed to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Titans lost their final seven games to fall to 7-10. They lost starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill to an ankle injury, prompting the signing of Joshua Dobbs on Dec. 21. Dobbs started the last two games, his first two career starts.
The Jaguars defense had four sacks and two takeaways, limited the Titans to only three points in the second half and scored the game-winning touchdown. Dobbs lost a fumble and threw an interception, which the Jaguars used for 10 points.
The Jaguars are the first team since the 2000 Panthers to pull off a fourth-quarter comeback without gaining a first down in the fourth quarter, per ESPN. Jacksonville had minus-1 yard in the fourth quarter.
Late in the third quarter, on a third-and-17 from their own 13, Dobbs underthrew a pass to Treylon Burks that Tyson Campbell intercepted and returned 29 yards to the Tennessee 25. (Officials missed a blindside block.) It led to a four-play, 7-yard drive with Riley Patterson kicking a 36-yard field goal to draw the Jaguars within 16-13.
With the Titans trying to run down the clock, Dobbs never saw Rayshawn Jenkins on a blitz. Jenkins hit Dobbs’ arm, forcing a fumble that Josh Allen picked up off the bounce and ran 37 yards to the end zone with 2:51 left. It was the Jaguars’ first lead and all they needed to win the game.
Dobbs got the Titans to the Jacksonville 47 before an 8-yard sack, a false start and two short completions that didn’t get Tennessee close to the line to gain.
Lawrence was 20-of-32 for 212 yards and a touchdown. He missed two would-be touchdowns on bad throws to Zay Jones and Christian Kirk, forcing the Jaguars to settle for field goals on those two possessions.
Kirk caught six passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.
Derrick Henry rushed for 109 yards on 30 carries but had a 30-yard run called back by a holding penalty.
Dobbs went 20-of-29 for 179 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Jaguars defensive lineman Travon Walker, the No. 1 overall pick, was a dominant force with four tackles, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hit.