2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 18

Tennessee Titans (7-9) at Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8)

Saturday, January 7, 8:15 PM ET

Here it is — the AFC South championship. Who could have dreamed just a few weeks ago that we would be in this position?

Oh, that’s right. We dreamed it. We’ve spoken it into existence week by week here in these NFL picks and it all comes down to this. Are we actually going to get Doug Pederson, Trevor Lawrence, and the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2022-23 NFL postseason?

It would be glorious fun.

With all due respect to Mike Vrabel and the Titans, their presence in the playoffs would be boring bordering on uninteresting, and unwatchable. The Titans have been very bad in the second half of the 2022 NFL season, and this is just not a playoff team right now. The Jaguars, on the other hand, have played like a playoff team in the second half of the season.

Trevor Lawrence has been white-hot. The Jaguars’ skill players have been stepping up and making some clutch plays. They’ve allowed just six total points in their last two games.

They have won four straight and five of the six games they’ve played coming out of the bye week.

If the Jaguars can find a way to win this game, they will win the AFC South and will add a ton of intrigue into the playoff picture in the AFC. Who would want to play the team that’s won five straight going into the postseason?

Again, with all due respect to the Titans, everyone outside of Titan fans wants to see what Trevor Lawrence can do with a playoff opportunity. The Jaguars have one game left to take care of business and their fate is in their hands.

Besides, who are the Titans going to trot out at QB for this game? It would be horrendous for the NFL if the Titans reach the postseason instead of Jacksonville at this point.

Prediction: Jaguars win 27-17