The Titans defense held off a late Jacksonville rally and backup passer Charlie Whitehurst did just enough to give Tennessee a 16-14 victory over the winless Jaguars. Here's what you need to know:
- The Titans are going nowhere fast with Charlie Whitehurst at the helm, but Jake Locker's backup did enough to manage the game against a floating Jaguars defense. Whitehurst remains uncomfortable against pressure and misses too many wide-open targets, but Jacksonville couldn't take advantage of this juicy matchup, allowing 370-plus yards for the sixth straight game.
- Take heart, Jaguars fans: You have a quarterback. Blake Bortles opened the game completing 11 of his first 12 passes to seven different targets. On an offense with five rookies, Bortles led the team in rushing and helped pile up 27 first downs. Bortles continues to push the ball downfield and take risks. His third-quarter pick to Blidi Wreh-Wilson -- which wasn't his fault -- was a killer, but Bortles nearly pulled off the stunner with a nine-play, 83-yard touchdown march that brought Jacksonville within two points with less than a minute to go.
- Jacksonville recovered the subsequent onside kick and drove its way to the Tennessee 37 with 12 seconds left. Instead of trying one more pass, though, coach Gus Bradley curiously opted to try a 55-yard field goal on third down. Josh Scobee's kick was blocked. Game over.
- With Toby Gerhart inactive, Jaguars running back Storm Johnson was an underwhelming presence on the ground with 21 rushes off 10 attempts. Titans rookie Bishop Sankey showed more promise for the Titans, shaking off an ugly first half for 61 yards off 18 totes.
- Jacksonville's first scoring drive was highlighted by a textbook example of why Bortles is here to stay. Facing second-and-10 in his own territory, the rookie stood in the pocket and took a massive hit while uncorking a pretty pass to Clay Harbor. Bortles isn't afraid to take a hit, which he did often against a Titans defense that piled up six sacks and seven quarterback hits.
- Delanie Walker remains the most reliable pass-catcher in Tennessee. The tight end came into the game leading the Titans in catches, yardage and touchdowns. His eight targets topped the squad on Sunday and would have doubled his 57 yards if Whitehurst were more accurate.
- For the Jaguars, nobody saw more targets than Cecil Shorts, who was thrown at an outrageous 16 times. He caught 10 for 103 yards.
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