Tennessee Titans and Will Levis lose to Jaguars after drive ends late

A stunning gaffe by star receiver Calvin Ridley doomed the Tennessee Titans at the end of an ugly game against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Titans couldn’t survive a nap against their rival Jaguars, losing 10-6 at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. Two of the NFL’s worst teams spent three quarters trading punts and labored runs instead of explosive plays, but the Jaguars figured things out in the fourth quarter with two long drives that resulted in 10 points.

The loss officially eliminated the Titans (3-10) from playoff contention.

Titans quarterback Will Levis injured his shoulder in the second half after sending his throwing arm to the locker room at halftime. Levis and the Titans got the ball back and were behind for the first time with six minutes left. Nine plays and 59 yards later, the Titans’ offense prepared for a third-and-5 from the Jaguars’ 11-yard line. Levis took a shot at Ridley in the flats and had a chance to convert for a first down, but Ridley’s momentum carried him out of bounds short of the yardage for the gain rather than reset the sticks. Ridley appeared to make no move to turn forward to extend the drive, setting up a fourth-and-3 with 1:15 left in the game that Levis just out of the reach of receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for the Titans threw. second turnover on downs in the red zone of the afternoon.

A short three-and-out by the Jaguars gave the Titans one last chance to win the game, starting from their own 40-yard line with 49 seconds left and a timeout. Four passes from Levis failed to end the threat and boos rained down from the few remaining fans who stayed until the end.

Levis finished his day 19 of 32 for 168 yards. Running back Tony Pollard broke the 100-yard mark for the third time this season

With three starters out due to injuries, the Titans defense intercepted Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones twice. One of those interceptions was logged by cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who made his first appearance since September after being placed on injured reserve following the Titans’ Week 3 game.

Will Levi’s injury be déjà vu?

Strange circumstances led to a near disaster at the end of the half. As the clock expired, the Jaguars were well within field goal range, but an offensive pass interference penalty put them out of range and forced them to pass. Titans linebacker Otis Reese IV intercepted the attempt and gave the ball back to the Titans with a tick to the left almost in the middle of the field.

So the Titans sent Levis and the offense out for one last attempt. But rookie left tackle JC Latham allowed Jaguars edge defender Josh Hines-Allen to rush past and bury Levis in the turf, causing the quarterback to land on his throwing shoulder. Levis has already missed three games this season with a shoulder injury, so fans at Nissan Stadium were rightly concerned when he hobbled into the tunnel at halftime with that shoulder while being inspected by athletic trainers.

Levis returned to lead the Titans’ offense in the third quarter. On his first series he seemed a little hesitant to throw the ball downfield, but on the next possession he seemed more comfortable moving the ball vertically and pushing the Titans to a field goal.

Offensive malaise

The Titans immediately set the tone, starting the game with eight straight carries. But despite averaging 4.6 yards per play in the methodical 11-play period to start the game, the Titans settled for a 46-yard field goal on fourth-and-2 from the 27-yard line Jacksonville happy.

This step set the tone, as did the running march. The Titans also turned the ball over on downs after scoring five attempts inside the Jacksonville 5-yard line in the second quarter, although there was a touchdown that was negated by a holding penalty. And late in the third quarter, the Titans settled for another field goal, this time chipping in from the Jacksonville 21-yard line with the red zone in sight.

Levis’ injury likely contributed to the slow offensive day. But things didn’t go so well in the first half either. And this was a game against a Jacksonville team that ranked last in the NFL in total defense and pass defense entering Sunday. The Titans’ inability to put up big numbers against one of the league’s bottom teams represents a step backwards for a unit that had shown signs of growth.

The defense put it together…until it couldn’t

Linebackers Kenneth Murray II and Jerome Baker were sidelined due to injuries. So does nickel cornerback Roger McCreary. Add to that existing injuries to linebacker Jack Gibbens, safety Quandre Diggs and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, and the Titans had the makings of a JV squad that plays defense, especially outside of the top four.

The unit held its own and forced two turnovers and a few three-pointers after halftime. But the fourth quarter was a disaster as the Jaguars scored a 14-play, 65-yard drive and a seven-play, 81-yard drive for 10 points.

This is the fifth time the Titans defense has allowed double-digit points in the fourth quarter this season.

What’s next?

The Titans return to action next Sunday at Nissan Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team Titans coach Brian Callahan worked for until he was hired by the Titans in January.

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