The Under appeals to me for several reasons. One, I believe the Titans' defense will be better in the final 10 games of the season after its wretched start; there's just too talent on the field, and the coaching staff is very good. (One factor already working in Tennessee's favor: its run defense is solid, and Jaguars RB Maurice Jones-Drew was a relative nonfactor when the teams met back on Oct. 4.) Two, the secondary likely will have S Vincent Fuller (forearm) back in the lineup, and CB Cortland Finnegan (hamstring) might return, too. Even if Finnegan doesn't return, I don't see the Titans getting utterly shredded in coverage like they did before the bye. Three, this was a team that desperately needed a week off, and a week away from the game certainly couldn't have hurt the club's performance, given its form before the bye.
A sharper effort from Tennessee will go a long way toward making this a lower-scoring affair than the first matchup between the clubs, which Jacksonville won 37-17. Note that each of Jacksonville's four TD drives began on Tennessee's side of the field. Two were set up by poor special-teams coverage by Tennessee. Another was made possible by a Tennessee fumble, and the last came after the Jaguars recovered an onside kick with the Titans desperately trying to come back from a 13-point deficit.
Since divisional realignment in 2002, these teams have combined for 45 points or more in only four of their 15 matchups. I see a slow-paced, physical game in the second meeting of the season.
Wilkening's pick: Under 45
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