Jacksonville Jaguars: Doug Marrone wants victory over Titans
By Larry Brake
Head coach Doug Marrone told the media that the Jacksonville Jaguars were playing to win in Week 17 against the rival Tennessee Titans.
There is nothing to gain or lose on Sunday for the Jacksonville Jaguars. They can only play the role of spoiler for the playoff hopes of the Tennessee Titans. Doug Marrone accepts that role. This is a must-win game for the Titans. Buffalo and the Los Angeles Chargers have identical 8-7 records with Tennessee. If all three lose, Tennessee is likely in since they are currently the sixth seed.
Marrone said, during a conference call, that Jacksonville is playing to win. Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com reports Marrone describing his approach:
"“Make no mistake about it so there’s not a lot of talk about it during the week: We’re going to play to win and we’re going to do everything possible to win this game, period,” Marrone said during a conference call. “I’m not even thinking about what happens beyond that. That’s the way we’re going to go about our business this week.”"
First of all, that ends any speculation about resting players. One might question this decision especially since there is the risk of losing a top player due to injury. Seems like Marrone would play reserves if the Jaguars have a huge lead.
To get the win, Jacksonville must dictate the tempo of the game. The Jaguars offensive line must control the line of scrimmage. In Week 2, Leonard Fournette rushed for only 40 yards on 14 carries. He did have a fourth quarter touchdown, but only after Tennessee led 30-3.
Blake Bortles must have a short memory. He had a bad game in San Francisco in Week 16. Bortles threw three interceptions, which included a pick-six. Whether the pick=six was his fault or not, he threw two more interceptions. Jacksonville needs the game manager, not the gunslinger version of Bortles.
Meanwhile, Calais Campbell and the front four have to unleash a heavy dose of pressure on Marcus Mariota. Jacksonville still leads the NFL with 52 sacks. Campbell has 14.5 sacks through 15 games.
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Of course, Jacksonville has to score touchdowns. Whether its on offense, defense, or special teams, settling for field goals come back to haunt teams. Since Tennessee will do whatever if can to win the game, Jacksonville has to find ways to score touchdowns. A great post-Christmas present from Marrone would be, another road win. Not just a win but a decisive one. How about this, “run it up (Doug), leave no doubt.”