Jaguars are AFC South champions after defeating Titans, 20-16

The Jaguars clinch the No. 4 seed in the AFC.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are AFC South champions. The Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans by a final score of 20-16, winning the division and earning a playoff spot.

The Jaguars finish the 2022 regular season with a record of 9-8 and will host a playoff game in the Wild Card round next weekend. The Titans finish the season at 7-10. This is Jacksonville’s first division title since the 2017 season, and just the second time in franchise history the Jaguars have won the AFC South.

The game got off to a slow start in terms of scoring. The teams traded punts on the game’s first two possessions.

The Titans found the scoreboard late in the first quarter, however. A 17-play, 51-yard drive was capped off by a 51-yard field goal by kicker Randy Bullock, which gave Tennessee an early 3-0 lead.

The Jaguars showed promise on the team’s next drive, marching 41 yards on 11 plays and driving deep into Tennessee’s territory, but eventually turning the ball over.

Jacksonville was at Tennessee’s 22-yard line when quarterback Trevor Lawrence attempted to pitch the ball to wide receiver Jamal Agnew on a reverse, but the pitch was too high and bounced off of Agnew’s hands and then onto the field. The Titans recovered the ball and took over possession.

The turnover would lead to a touchdown for the Titans. A seven-play, 69-yard drive was capped off by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Joshua Dobbs to tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo.

The score put Tennessee up 10-0 with 5:32 remaining in the first half, but the Jaguars would quickly answer.

On the kickoff following Tennessee’s touchdown, Agnew set Jacksonville up nicely, returning the ball 54 yards up to the 50-yard line.

Six plays later, the Jaguars would find the end zone for the first time on Saturday night. Lawrence hit wide receiver Christian Kirk for a 25-yard touchdown. The Jaguars trimmed Tennessee’s lead to just three points at 10-7 with 2:36 remaining before halftime.

The Titans answered back, though, moving 50 yards in 11 plays before the break. Tennessee added a 39-yard field goal from Bullock to take a 13-7 lead into halftime.

The Jaguars received the ball to begin the second half and would get on the scoreboard once again. The Jaguars drove 64 yards in 12 plays, but eventually settled for a 26-yard field goal from kicker Riley Patterson after Lawrence missed a wide open wide receiver, Zay Jones, in the end zone. The score was 13-10 in the Titans’ favor at that point.

The Titans responded with yet another field goal, this time a 41-yarder from Bullock, to extend its lead back to six points. Tennessee led 16-10 with 6:02 left to play in the third quarter.

The Jaguars went just five plays before punting on the team’s next drive, but Jacksonville’s defense would step up. On a third-and-17 play, Dobbs threw an interception to Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell, who returned it 29 yards and set Jacksonville up deep into Tennessee’s territory.

Jacksonville took over at Tennessee’s 25-yard line, but could only muster seven yards on three plays. Patterson knocked through a 36-yard field goal to make the score 16-13 with 14:49 left to play in the fourth quarter.

The next four possessions of the game — two for the Jaguars and two for the Titans — resulted in four punts. Later in the final quarter, the Titans took the ball over with 8:06 left to play and the lead. Nine plays later, disaster happened for Tennessee.

Jacksonville safety Rayshawn Jenkins strip-sacked Dobbs, and the ball was picked up by outside linebacker Josh Allen and returned for a touchdown. The play was reviewed to see if Dobbs’ arm was moving forward prior to the ball coming out, but the call was confirmed.

Improbably, the Jaguars took a 20-16 lead with 2:51 remaining on the clock.

Dobbs and the Titans could not score, eventually turning the ball over on downs. Lawrence and the Jaguars kneeled out the clock and took home the AFC South Division crown.

Jacksonville will host either the Baltimore Ravens or Los Angeles Chargers — two teams the Jaguars have already defeated once this season — at TIAA Bank Field in the Wild Card round next weekend. Jacksonville’s playoff opponent, game date and TV channel will be figured out after the results of Sunday’s games are final.