The Jaguars have a chance to keep rolling in Week 10, and Sunday’s matchup with the Titans brings a fresh layer of intrigue after both teams reshaped their rosters at the trade deadline.
Jacksonville enters at 6-2 and riding consecutive blowout wins over the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee, meanwhile, is 1-7 but has shown some improvement lately. With the Jaguars trying to stack a third straight victory, the game could turn on a handful of individual battles that were altered - at least in part - by the moves each team made this week.
One of the biggest trenches duels features Jaguars left tackle Walker Little against Titans edge rusher Jacob Martin. Martin has been Tennessee’s top pass-rushing threat, piling up 6.5 sacks through eight games and posting a career-high three sacks against the Cincinnati Bengals. With defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons now in Chicago after a trade, the Titans will need even more from Martin to create pressure.
Little, though, has been steady since stepping in at left tackle for the injured Anton Harrison. He has started the last three games there and did not allow a pressure or a sack against Baltimore.
Liam Coen singled out Little’s growth Wednesday, pointing to his consistency and confidence since rejoining the starting lineup. If Little holds up again, Trevor Lawrence should have time to work against a Tennessee secondary that has taken a hit.
Lawrence has been sharp all season. Through eight games, he has thrown for 1,932 yards, 18 touchdowns and only four interceptions, and his 111.7 passer rating ranks second in the NFL.
Tennessee just dealt safety Amani Hooker to the Buffalo Bills, removing a defender who had five interceptions in eight games. The Titans still have Alontae Taylor and Kevin Winston Jr., but replacing Hooker’s production and experience is no small task.
The Jaguars may also try to lean on the run, where Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez Jr. give them different looks. Tuten leads Jacksonville with 521 rushing yards and four touchdowns, while Rodriguez has been the physical option in short-yardage spots. Tennessee’s front is thinner after the Simmons trade, and there are also linebacker questions with Cody Barton and rookie Anthony Hill Jr. missing Wednesday’s practice.
Jacksonville has its own injury concerns in that area. Tuten missed Wednesday with ankle and foot injuries, Rodriguez was limited by a hand issue, and offensive linemen Ezra Cleveland and Robert Hainsey were also limited. Those absences could shape how the Jaguars approach the game, especially if they want to control the clock and set up play-action for Lawrence.
The Titans’ ground game brings another major test, this one for two of Jacksonville’s newest additions. The Jaguars traded for defensive tackles Jordan Davis and DaVon Godchaux earlier this week after losing DaVon Hamilton to a season-ending injury, and both are expected to help a defense that already ranks first in the NFL against the run.
Their first real challenge could come against Tony Pollard, who has 595 rushing yards and six touchdowns and is coming off back-to-back 100-yard games. Against Cincinnati, he ran for 117 yards and two scores on 21 carries.
Tennessee’s offensive line also has a question mark, with starting guard Peter Skoronski missing Wednesday’s practice because of a hamstring issue. Right tackle JC Latham was a full participant despite a finger injury.
Another newcomer, safety Jessie Bates, could end up playing a major role if he’s on the field. Jacksonville acquired him from the Atlanta Falcons, adding a veteran playmaker to a defense that has already produced 15 takeaways.
Bates has 28 career interceptions, 74 passes defended and 14 forced fumbles, and this season with Atlanta he logged 60 tackles, one interception and three forced fumbles in nine games. His arrival matters for a Jaguars defense that ranks second in points allowed but has been less effective against the pass.
That puts Bates in line for a matchup with Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who just turned in one of the best outings of his young career. Ward threw for a career-high 304 yards and two touchdowns against Cincinnati, but he has also been uneven, with six touchdowns and five interceptions through eight games. Jacksonville will try to speed him up with a pass rush led by Josh Hines-Allen, while Bates, if he plays, could add another layer of danger on the back end.
The one unknown hanging over that matchup is how quickly Bates can settle into Anthony Campanile’s defense after joining the team earlier this week.
In Other News...
Jaguars Still Have One Roster Question That Could Define January
The Jaguars went into the trade deadline looking to shore up the middle of their defense, and they came away with help at defensive tackle and safety in Jordan Davis, Jessie Bates III and Davon Godchaux. Those moves gave Jacksonville more size and stability up front, while also signaling that the front office is still trying to build a defense that can hold up when the games get tighter in January.
Even with those additions, the biggest question hanging over the roster is still the pass rush, along with what comes next at safety. Bates and Antonio Johnson are both part of a future the Jaguars still have to sort through, and the club also made a clear choice to keep Brian Thomas Jr. rather than move him before the deadline. For a team trying to turn a busy deadline into a real playoff edge, the next roster decision may end up mattering just as much as the ones already made. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Went All In But One Doubt Still Follows Them
Jacksonville made one of the loudest moves of the 2026 NFL trade deadline, pushing multiple draft picks out the door to bring in Jessie Bates, Jordan Davis and Davon Godchaux. The payoff was immediate in the eyes of oddsmakers, who saw the Jaguars strengthen a defense that had already been trending upward and give themselves a better path into the playoff picture. Even with the price tag attached, the market treated Jacksonville as a clear winner.
Still, the betting attention around the Jaguars has not fully caught up to the football reality, and sportsbook officials say the public has been relatively quiet on them despite the splashy additions. Minnesotas deal for Kirk Cousins also shifted the Super Bowl board, but Jacksonvilles aggressive all-in approach is the one that has people recalculating what this roster can become. The question now is whether the upgraded defense can justify the gamble when the games start to matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Sent A Clear Message About This Teams Direction
The Jaguars spent the week making their intentions unmistakable, and the moves around the roster only sharpened the picture. Indianapolis locking up Adetomiwa Adebawore on a long extension was one more reminder of how aggressively teams are trying to stabilize the middle of their defensive fronts, while Jacksonville answered with a far louder swing of its own by bringing in Jordan Davis from Philadelphia for premium future draft capital.
James Gladstone also made it clear the Jaguars were not interested in dealing Brian Thomas Jr., even with outside expectations building around a possible move. Add in his comments about the teams offensive depth, and the message from Jacksonville is hard to miss: this is a front office willing to spend, hold, and reshuffle pieces with an eye on competing now, even if the exact shape of the roster is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]