NFL Game Picks Week 11: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
By Erik Lambert
Dec 18, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) throws a pass against the Tennessee Titans at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
It’s really difficult to find anything compelling about Thursday Night Football in week 11. Two teams in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans who, while featuring some promising young talent on the rise, are closer to fighting for the #1 overall pick in 2016 than they are a playoff spot.
Still, hope isn’t dead yet so this game will be very important to both teams. What do the NFL game picks foretell?
Backdrop:
The running theme for both the Titans and Jaguars is that they continue to find ways to lose despite being in a lot of close games. That speaks to their youth and inexperience at so many position. Tennessee is dealing with a coaching shift while Jacksonville just struggles to finish.
In the end it comes down to the quarterbacks. Blake Bortles has had some strong games this season but remains markedly inconsistent. He can be really bad early but starts making a lot of plays late. Marcus Mariota on the other hand seems to have overcome a tough stretch of the season and put up his second four touchdown performance without an interception. Unheard of for a rookie quarterback.
This game could come down to which of them plays better.
Matchup To Watch:
CB Coty Sensabaugh vs. WR Allen Robinson
The success that Bortles has enjoyed offensively this season has come from his connections with his wide receivers, most notably Allen Robinson who has 45 catches for 758 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He’s almost certain to be a regular target in this game.
Thus the Titans will want to counter by putting their best cornerback on him. That has been Coty Sensabaugh. He leads the team with two interceptions and has been their most consistent man in coverage. Quarterbacks have just an 85.6 passer rating when throwing in his drection. Whomever gets the better of this showdown does their team a huge favor.
Key Stat:
T.J. Yeldon has brought some life to the Jaguars ground game of late even though they still struggle as a team. He should be called upon here since the Titans defense has the most trouble stopping the run, allowing 112.3 yards per game. If there is an advantage to be had for Jacksonville, that is their best shot. Not exploiting it could lead to problems.
Prediction: Jaguars win 24-23
Two teams with such bad records playing on Thursday Night Football almost guarantees an ugly game. That means lots of turnovers and mistakes. It comes down to who makes the fewest. Give the advantage to Jacksonville in this regard. They have the more experienced quarterback and the home field advantage.