Evan Engram surpassed the 100 catch mark to help the Jaguars snap a four-game losing streak. The Jaguars closed their 2023 home schedule with a 26-0 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on January 1, 2024 at 5:17 pm
The Jaguars will face the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, the final week of the season, needing a win to clinch the AFC South.
Again.
Just like last year, the Jaguars must beat their top rival in the final game of the regular season to win the division and earn a playoff spot. Last year, the Jaguars won a thriller in Jacksonville. This year, they must earn a victory in Nashville.
The other two teams contending for the division title will face one another: The Houston Texans face the Colts in Indianapolis on Saturday night.
Unlike last year, there is a scenario where the Jaguars can lose and still make the playoffs. If the Jaguars lose to the Titans and the Ravens beat the Steelers and the Raiders beat the Broncos, the Jaguars would have the No. 7 seed in the AFC and would go on the road in the playoffs.
There are plenty of questions remaining this week. The biggest: “Will Trevor Lawrence play?”
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The Jaguars’ quarterback missed the New Year’s Eve game, the first time in his NFL career. C.J. Beathard guided the Jaguars to a 26-0 win over the Carolina Panthers in a game dominated by the Jaguars’ defense.
The Titans also have quarterback questions. Rookie Will Levis left Tennessee’s 26-3 loss to Houston with a foot injury. His availability is unknown. Titans’ Coach Mike Vrabel said they would assess Levis’ availability during the week.
Unlike last year, when the Jaguars came into the final weekend red-hot, they stumbled in the final month of this season. Before Sunday’s victory, the Jaguars had lost four straight games. The offense managed two touchdowns against Carolina. The defense dominated against the team with the worst record in the NFL this year. There are still plenty of questions to be answered.
In addition to Lawrence’s availability, we don’t know if and when players like Zay Jones and Christian Kirk will return. Jones could return to practice this week, while Kirk’s window to return to practice opens Wednesday. The Jaguars could use them both. The Jaguars also saw return man Jamal Agnew leave the game with a broken leg. He is done for the season. How will the Jaguars handle playing without Agnew’s impact in the return game?
Still, Sunday’s game included some milestones for the Jaguars. Linebacker Josh Allen broke Calais Campbell’s franchise record for sacks in a season. Allen now has 16.5 sacks this year. He stands half a sack behind NFL leaders T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson with one game to play.
Also on Sunday, Evan Engram became the eighth tight end in NFL history with 100 receptions in a season. In the process, he joined Jimmy Smith as the only Jaguar to catch at least 100 balls in a season.
One more note from Sunday’s game: Carolina linebacker Marquis Haynes, a former University Christian star, was carted off the field in the third quarter after making a tackle on a Beathard scramble. He flashed a thumbs up from the cart as he was taken from the field following an extended amount of time on the ground. He did not travel back to Charlotte with the team.
Lead image: Evan Engram surpasses the 100-catch mark to help the Jaguars snap a four-game losing streak with a 26-0 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
