NASHVILLE – This isn’t the primary time the Tennessee Titans have been on this place.

5 years in the past, Mike Vrabel’s first as a head coach, the Titans wanted a win within the ultimate week of the common season to make the playoffs. They usually wanted a backup quarterback to assist them do it whereas their opponent had a No. 1 total draft choose working their offense.

The hope is that Josh Dobbs can measure up in opposition to Trevor Lawrence on Saturday in Jacksonville higher than Blaine Gabbert did in opposition to Andrew Luck in 2018.

“The sport and the magnitude of the sport with the whole lot round it, is what you dream of taking part in in NFL soccer,” Dobbs mentioned this week. “You need to play significant soccer, particularly in December and January. You need to play in these playoff video games, so that you need to be part of that.

“I’ve watched and been part of groups which have been part of that. To play in it, there’s quite a lot of pleasure round it.”

The Titans’ solely likelihood to make the playoffs is to defeat Jacksonville. That might create a tie for first place within the AFC South, and Tennessee would declare the tiebreaker by advantage of the higher division document.

Jacksonville has a little bit extra margin for error, albeit not a lot of 1. The Jaguars can nonetheless attain the postseason with a loss, however they would want three different groups (Miami, New England and Pittsburgh) to lose as nicely.

In that sense, this week’s matchup is completely different than the 2018 showdown between the Titans and Indianapolis Colts. Then, the one factor at stake for both staff was the ultimate AFC wild card spot after the Houston Texans had clinched the division title with a victory earlier within the day.

“Momentum, streaks, wins, losses, no matter, it doesn’t matter,” Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson mentioned. “You simply have a look at Tennessee, proper? They’re on this sport for a motive, and so they’re taking part in for a similar issues we’re taking part in for, and it’s a little bit bit completely different. It doesn’t actually matter.

“You come out Saturday night time, and also you’ve received to be able to go, and also you’ve received to play, and also you’ve received to play with vitality. You’ve received to play excitable. You’ve received to do your job and focus in on every play.”

Momentum positively is on the Jaguars’ facet this time. They’ve received 4 in a row and 6 of their final eight to shut what appeared like an insurmountable hole between them and the Titans. Jacksonville (8-8), in truth, comes into this contest one sport forward of Tennessee (7-9), which has misplaced six in a row.

In 2018, the Colts overcame a 1-5 begin and had received eight of 9 headed into the ultimate weekend of the season. The Titans had received 4 straight and 6 of eight as every tried, unsuccessfully, to run down the Texans.

“All of it simply actually simply comes right down to how we play this week,” Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel mentioned. “No matter we did final week, three weeks in the past, or no matter we did in opposition to Jacksonville you must … on this league it’s all about this sport, the way it unfolds, what transpires, the way you deal with the soccer, and how one can make the corrections.

“If we will do some issues a little bit bit higher, we are going to give ourselves an opportunity to go and win.”

Vrabel and his employees decided early within the week that Dobbs at quarterback rather than the injured Ryan Tannehill offers the Titans their greatest likelihood at victory.

Signed off Detroit’s observe squad on Dec. 17, he received the decision final week over rookie Malik Willis in opposition to the Dallas Cowboys. It was the primary begin for the sixth-year veteran, and the 39 passes he threw in that contest have been greater than twice as many as he had tried in his profession as much as that time.

To ship on this circumstance, due to this fact, looks as if a tall order. The problem is enhanced by the truth that Jacksonville’s quarterback is Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 total choose in 2021 who seemingly has come into his personal in latest weeks. His 368 passing yards final month in opposition to the Titans have been a career-high, and Jacksonville’s offense has scored greater than 30 factors in three of the final 4 video games.

5 years in the past, it was Gabbert in opposition to Luck, the No. 1 alternative six years earlier, as a result of Marcus Mariota sustained a season-ending harm every week earlier. Gabbert had a way more intensive NFL résumé, which included 47 profession begins for 4 completely different groups.

It was just about no contest. The Colts scored the primary 14 factors and stayed forward by at the least a landing all the way in which to a 33-17 victory. Luck was 24-35 passing for 285 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. Gabbert was 18-29 for 165 yards with one landing and two interceptions.

Dobbs received’t need to do all of it himself. The Titans’ offense is constructed round working again Derrick Henry, in any case.

The actual query, although, is whether or not Dobbs has achieved sufficient within the NFL and through his transient time with Tennessee to do what is required when there’s a lot at stake. He, for one, is able to discover out.

“Everybody’s journey to wherever they’re – your journey, my journey – you have got your goals, objectives, and aspirations, and I’ve mine,” Dobbs mentioned. “… You simply need to reside in your world, maximize your journey, the alternatives that come, and make the most of them. I am excited for this one this weekend.

“… It’s a large alternative. It begins there. I am grateful to be right here, be part of this staff, only for the way in which that the fellows have welcomed me in and allowed me to simply come and be myself. I am excited to guide this week. I do know it’s a massive sport. I have never been right here the complete 12 months, however any time you have got an opportunity to go to the playoffs, it’s a large alternative. I am excited for it.”