Big Cat Country
The Jacksonville Jaguars welcome the Tennessee Titans to EverBank Stadium on Sunday in what is their final game of the 2025 regular season. With playoff seedings at stake, here’s some key battles to keep an eye out for:
Jacksonville has some health concerns heading into Week 18. Center Robert Hainsey, key to the turnaround of the offensive line, was unable to suit up against the Indianapolis Colts, meaning the Jaguars had to turn to seventh round rookie Jonah Monheim for the second time this season. If the Jags had already sealed the division title and the home playoff game that comes with it, I imagine we would have seen any starters with nagging injuries put on ice against the Titans. So deciding whether to roll with Hainsey to seal the deal or keep him fresh for the postseason is a tough decision for Liam Coen.
If Monheim starts, he’s got a hell of a job on his hands. It seems churlish to mention the Jaguars’ injuries compared to those on Tennessee’s defense, who have had to rob every other franchise’s practice squad just to be able to have 53 bodies on their roster. But defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is still there, and the two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler will be intent on signing off 2025 with a big performance. Despite the Titans’ tough year, Simmons has still dominated, racking up 65 tackles, 20 quarterback hits and 10 sacks through 14 games. Monheim has been better than you’d expect for a rookie taken with the 221st pick, but Simmons is a problem even Hainsey would have a tough time dealing with on Sunday.
Speaking of the aforementioned injuries on the Titans defense; the secondary that Jacksonville will be facing this weekend looks totally different to the one they faced just five weeks ago. Having already seen three starters depart or sent to IR earlier in the season, the back end of this unit has seen further attrition, with no less than five contributors getting injured in the last month. It’s caused interim head coach Mike McCoy and general manager Mike Borgonzi to be creative, looking for available experience around the league.
Having been waived by the Dallas Cowboys, Kaiir Elam was a convenient body available. Taken in the second round in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills, Elam has never lived up to expectations. And it’s a damning indictment of Tennessee’s depth that it looks like he’ll be CB1 against the Jags on Sunday, an opportunity for him to audition for a team to give him another shot in a pro career in danger of fading away.
Another man with something to prove is Brian Thomas, although the desperation for the second year wideout to find his rookie form is far from the situation Elam finds himself in. 658 yards and two touchdowns for the year isn’t catastrophic, but it is a significant step back...
