The Jacksonville Jaguars are surging at just the right time. Behind a poised performance from quarterback Trevor Lawrence and a smothering defensive effort, the Jaguars cruised past the struggling Tennessee Titans 25–3 on Sunday, securing their third straight victory and strengthening their push toward an AFC playoff berth.
With the win, Jacksonville improved to 8–4, moving atop the AFC South after Indianapolis fell to 8–4 with a 20–16 loss to Houston. The Jaguars are now in prime position to chase their first division crown since 2022, with two crucial games remaining against the Colts.
Sunday’s win also marked another chapter in Jacksonville’s recent dominance of their division rivals. The Jaguars have now beaten the Titans six times in their last seven meetings, though players and coaches acknowledged there was still room for improvement despite the decisive final score.
Trevor Lawrence was efficient and effective, finishing with 229 passing yards and two touchdowns. He began heating up late in the first quarter when he connected with Jakobi Meyers on a 3-yard scoring pass to give Jacksonville a lead it would never relinquish.
Moments later, following a fumble forced and recovered by LeQuint Allen Jr. on a kickoff, Lawrence capitalized again. On just the third play of the ensuing drive, he fired a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brenton Strange. A penalty moved the ball closer on the conversion attempt, and Lawrence ran in the 2-point try himself to push the Jaguars ahead 15–3 early in the second quarter.
Meyers continued to establish chemistry with his new quarterback, finishing with six catches for 90 yards. This was also the first game Jacksonville had both Meyers and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. available after Thomas returned from a two-game absence due to an ankle injury—giving the passing attack its fullest look since the trade-deadline acquisition of Meyers from Las Vegas.
The Jaguars’ defense turned in another dominant afternoon despite missing key starters along the defensive line, including Travon Walker and Arik Armstead. Their absence did little to slow Jacksonville’s pressure packages, as the defense recorded three sacks against Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
Josh Hines-Allen was a standout, tallying two of those sacks, constantly collapsing the pocket and forcing rushed decisions from the rookie.
Jacksonville also recovered two fumbles, continuing a trend of timely defensive play that has fueled their three-game winning streak. Just weeks ago, they shut down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, and last week they sealed a victory with a clutch interception. Against Tennessee, the script hit familiar beats: pressure, turnovers, and controlled football.
For Tennessee, the misery deepened. The Titans fell to 1–11, losing their seventh straight game overall and their 11th consecutive home game, matching the franchise’s longest home losing streak since relocating to Tennessee. The last time they lost 11 in a row at Nissan Stadium came during a two-season stretch in 2014–15.
Fans booed early and often, and many vacated the stadium long before the final whistle.
Tennessee’s only points came on a 28-yard first-quarter field goal by Joey Slye, briefly giving the Titans a 3–0 lead before Jacksonville’s offense and defense took control.
Mistakes compounded the Titans’ struggles. Tennessee committed 10 penalties, including a costly roughing the passer foul on Arden Key that allowed Jacksonville to extend the half. On the untimed down that followed, kicker Cam Little knocked through a 45-yard field goal to put the Jaguars up 18–3 at halftime.
Jacksonville’s offense continued to find opportunities thanks to Tennessee miscues. Early in the third quarter, the Jaguars faced a near-impossible fourth-and-20 from their own 19, but punter Logan Cooke drew a roughing the punter penalty by Mike Brown to keep the drive alive. The Jaguars marched downfield, and Bhayshul Tuten punched in a 2-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 25–3 with 6:45 left in the quarter.
Tempers flared in the fourth, resulting in a scrum after a Jacksonville punt. Brown was ultimately ejected, and offsetting personal fouls were assessed to Brown, Julius Chestnut, Cooke, and long snapper Ross Matiscik.
Even Jacksonville was not immune to discipline issues, matching its season high with 13 penalties, though the lapses did not threaten the outcome.
Jaguars: Jacksonville returns home for a pivotal AFC South showdown against Indianapolis on December 7—a game that could go a long way in determining the division champion.
Titans: Tennessee will travel to Cleveland on December 7 as they continue searching for relief from what has become a historically difficult season.
With their offense finding rhythm and their defense making impact plays week after week, the Jaguars are trending upward at the most crucial stretch of the season—and their grip on the AFC South is growing stronger by the week.
