Sep 17, 2017; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith (81) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in front of Jacksonville Jaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny (51) during the second half of a football game at EverBank Field. Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — As Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Derrick Morgan celebrated a sack with teammates, all Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles could do was trudge toward the sideline following another wasted possession.
That’s something fans in Jacksonville have seen a lot of in recent seasons.
Using a powerful running game and opportunistic defense, the Titans overpowered the Jaguars in the second half and won 37-16 Sunday in front of a restless crowd of 61,709 at EverBank Field.
A week after a sluggish effort in a loss to Oakland, Tennessee (1-1) forced three turnovers and had many home fans booing in the third quarter and heading toward the exits early in the fourth quarter.
After a slow start, the Titans scored on their first five drives of the second half, including four straight touchdowns. The touchdowns were scored by running back Derrick Henry, tight ends Delanie Walker and Jonnu Smith and fullback Jalston Fowler.
The Titans led 6-3 at halftime, and a 26-yard Ryan Succop field goal made it 9-3 early in the second half.
Henry, who grew up in nearby Yulee, Fla., put the Titans ahead 16-3 in the third quarter with a powerful 17-yard run that saw him barrel over Jaguars safety Barry Church before powering past cornerback Jalen Ramsey to get into the end zone. Henry gained 92 yards on 14 carries.
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota was 15-of-27 passing for 215 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His 42-yard pass to Taywan Taylor set up Walker for a 1-yard scoring run that made it 23-3.
While the offense took over late, it was Tennessee’s defense that was the better group for most of the game, limiting a Jaguars (1-1) offense that looked improved during a win over Houston last week.
The Titans forced turnovers on three straight possessions spanning parts of the second and third quarters, including an interception by defensive back Curtis Riley on a pass that was deflected near the line of scrimmage and an interception by safety Da’Norris Searcy on a pass that was tipped by receiver Marqise Lee.
Morgan also chased down Bortles and stripped him from behind.
Bortles, who wasn’t sacked and did not have a turnover last week against the Texans, did not look sharp against the Titans. He finished 20 of 34 for 223 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions, clearly missing top receiver Allen Robinson, who is out for the season with a knee injury.
Ryan Succop converted field goals of 44, 41 and 26 for the Titans. Jason Myers, who missed a field goal and an extra point against the Texans, connected on his only try of 43 yards.
NOTES: The Jaguars joined Tampa Bay and Miami in wearing “ONE FLORIDA” helmet decals following the impact of Hurricane Irma. … Jaguars QB Blake Bortles’ interception in the second quarter snapped a three-game streak without one dating back to last season. … Titans RB DeMarco Murray had nine carries for 25 yards, his second straight game with fewer than 50 rushing yards to start the season. …Titans QB Marcus Mariota was sacked once by Jaguars LB Myles Jack but was otherwise elusive, extending plays with his legs on several occasions. … The Jaguars were flagged 10 times for 99 yards.
