PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

December 06, 2018 at 1:12 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–RB David Fluellen is still out with a knee injury and has not played since the win over the New England Patriots.

–QB Marcus Mariota’s numbers are finally looking better. After Sunday’s game where he had a pair of touchdown passes (plus a costly pick-six), Mariota now has 11 TD pass for the year, compared to seven interceptions. One thing that is better, though, is that Mariota is completing 68.6 percent of his passes this season, which is a career best.

–WR Taywan Taylor, who missed three straight games with a foot injury, had a big day Sunday vs. the Jets with his first career 100-yard receiving game. Taylor caught a 55-yard pass and a 44-yard pass in the game.

–S Dane Cruikshank has not practiced this week and likely will not play again this week. Cruikshank possibly has had his left knee scoped, though the Titans have not confirmed that.

–CB Malcolm Butler enjoyed his best game as a Titan on Sunday, grabbing a game-sealing interception, and also making a key third-down stop on a running play that forced a Jets punt in the fourth quarter.

–CB Adoree’ Jackson, who left Monday night’s game with a knee injury, was listed as limited after Wednesday’ walk-through practice.

–G Quinton Spain was yanked from the starting lineup at halftime vs. the Jets and there is speculation that he will not return to the lineup this week vs. the Jaguars.

–C Ben Jones was shifted over to left guard after Quinton Spain was benched at halftime against the New York Jets. Jones said he played guard for three seasons when he was with the Houston Texans.

–C Corey Levin played pretty well when he was inserted into the lineup at halftime against the Jets. Levin, who also plays guard, could stay in the starting lineup at center for now.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: QB Marcus Mariota has had some of his best games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and some of those games have come on Thursday Night Football. Mariota had a memorable 87-yard touchdown run against Jacksonville in his rookie season in a Thursday night game.

GAME PLAN: The Titans know what the Jaguars defense is capable of, considering they shut out the Colts on Sunday. Tennessee must get ahead and not allow the Jaguars to find any momentum early the game. Chances are, if the Titans can gain the upper hand early, the 4-8 Jaguars won’t have a whole lot to play for on the road on a short week and out of contention. The Titans need to stay balanced on offense to keep the Jaguars defense off balance.

Defensively, the Titans need to confuse new Jaguars starter Cody Kessler, who led the Jags to a win in his first start, even though he and the offense managed only two field goals. The Jaguars probably won’t take many chances with Kessler, which means the Titans will have to stop Leonard Fournette and the running game in order to put the game in Kessler’s hands.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Titans CB Jalen Ramsey vs. Titans WR Corey Davis. Davis has been the Titans’ best big-play receiver, even though his production has been spotty at times. Ramsey, despite his boasts that haven’t come true this season, is still a top-flight cornerback completely capable of shutting down a team’s best receiver.

–Titans LB Rashaan Evans vs. Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette. Fournette is expected to play after missing time with a hamstring injury and then being suspended last week for his role in a fight vs the Bills. The former LSU running back should be quite familiar with Evans, who played linebacker at Alabama, and went against him several times in college. The Titans defense has to think stopping the run first and making Cody Kessler make plays in long yardage situations on third downs.

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