The Jacksonville Jaguars have a lot to play for heading into their Week 18 matchup against the Tennessee Titans. It is a rematch from the regular season finale last season, which had the AFC South title on the line. It is a similar reward on the table this season, but for only one of the teams.
At 9-7, the Jaguars need a win over the Titans to win the division title two years in a row. Already eliminated from playoff contention, Tennessee will be looking to play the role of spoiler. Should they be successful, the winner of the Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans matchup would take home the division crown.
It is imperative that the Jaguars win this game and take home the division as they don’t want to get caught up in the Wild Card race. The Cleveland Browns already locked down one Wild Card spot and whoever losses between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins already has 10 wins, so they will remain ahead of Jacksonville as well.
NFL News & Rumors: Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard, Jacksonville Jaguars Updates
The Pittsburgh Steelers, with a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, would also reach the 10-win plateau and jump the Jaguars with a loss. Losing to the Titans would be a major detriment, but it sounds like they could be going into the game short-handed.
In the opinion of Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence is trending toward not playing despite getting in two limited practices this week. Lawrence is dealing with multiple ailments, including shoulder and finger injuries, which caused him to miss Week 17 vs. the Carolina Panthers.
“It does seem like where Trevor Lawrence is at right now is throwing a little bit and trying to feel better. Which really is not a great place to be when you’re talking about Thursday before what is essentially a playoff game, need to win. … The fact that Trevor Lawrence is not participating fully, the fact that he’s still trying to throw and see how he is, to me, just kind of reading the tea leaves here, it doesn’t seem like he’s in a great position to play,” said Rapoport.
The game against the Panthers was the first that Lawrence missed in his career. He has shown to be a very tough player, as he played earlier this season after spraining his ankle so badly he needed to be helped off the field and back into the locker room. That goes to show just how bad these injuries are that they kept Lawrence sidelined for one game and potentially two.
NFL News & Rumors: Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Beathard, Jacksonville Jaguars Updates
Should the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft not be able to suit up, the Jaguars will turn to C.J. Beathard. He has been solid in place of Lawrence this season, completing 40-of-53 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown without a turnover.
With a playoff berth on the line, the Jaguars will need more of that production from Beathard on Sunday afternoon against the Titans should he get the start.
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