Jaguars (1-0) at Titans (0-0)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: Titans by 11
Titans’ keys to victory: The passing attack thrived off play-action last season. QB Ryan Tannehill will give the ball to RB Derrick Henry and try to get it to WR A.J. Brown in space. On defense, the Titans have got to make things uncomfortable for QB Gardner Minshew with a consistent pass rush in order to force the young quarterback into mistakes. They can’t allow him to be bailed out by allowing chunk gains, both on the ground and through the air.
Jaguars’ keys to victory: The Jags offense runs through Gardner Minshew, but Jacksonville can make things much easier for their signal-caller by running for more than last week’s 91 yards. On defense, the Jags have to depend on their pass rush to get pressure without sending extra defenders or their defense will get picked apart. If nothing else, the Jags have got to keep the Titans’ offensive weapons in front of them.
Matchup to watch: Titans RT Dennis Kelly vs. Jaguars DE Josh Allen. The Jags’ pass rush must get consistent pressure on Tannehill. The Jags simply don’t have the talent in the secondary to cover Tennessee’s talented passcatchers for an extended amount of time. Look for the Jags to attack the Titans’ new starter at right tackle, Kelly, with their stud pass rusher, DE Josh Allen.
Who wins? The Jaguars are depleted on defense after letting a slew of talent go. Henry will continue his trend of dominating Jacksonville, and without enough pass rushers to make Tannehill uncomfortable, he’ll have a field day against the Jags defense.
Titans, 31-17