NFL: Gardner Minshew, Defense Lead Jaguars Past Titans
Gardner Minshew added to his growing legend, the defense was nearly flawless, and the Jacksonville Jaguars notched their first win of the 2019 NFL season with a 20-7 win over the Tennessee Titans at TIAA Bank Field on Sept. 19.
The rookie Minshew passed for 204 yards and two first-quarter touchdowns to James O’Shaughnessy and DJ Chark to stake the Jaguars (1-2) to a 14-0 lead that held until halftime.
Minshew directed third-quarter field goal drive to make it 17-0. After Derrick Henry rambled in from a yard out to draw Tennessee (1-2) within 17-7, Minshew led another scoring drive that ended with another Josh Lambo field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
The two touchdowns on 20-of-30 passing helped Minshew tally a QB rating of 108.20. Leonard Fournette (15 carries, 66 yards) led a Jacksonville rushing game that produced a rushing usage index of 22.0 vs. 45.5. The Jaguars produced a total OVER (Offensive Value and Efficiency Rating) of 81.875 to get the win.
Not to be overlooked, the Jaguars’ defensive was thoroughly dominant. With nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss, Jacksonville put up a total DVS (Defensive Value Score) index of 9.0, compared to 0.0 for the Titans.