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Jaguars–Titans rivalry

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Next meeting
  
2017

Jaguars–Titans rivalry

First meeting
  
September 3, 1995 Houston Oilers 10, Jacksonville Jaguars 3

Latest meeting
  
December 24, 2016 Jaguars 38, Titans 17

Meetings total
  
44 (including the playoffs)

All-time series
  
Titans lead 24–20 (including postseason)

Postseason results
  
Titans lead 1–0 January 23, 2000: Titans 33, Jaguars 14

The Jaguars–Titans rivalry is a professional American football rivalry between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans in the National Football League (NFL)'s AFC South division.

Contents

The first game of the rivalry was played on September 3, 1995, at EverBank Field (then Jacksonville Municipal Stadium) in Jacksonville, Florida. In the first regular season game for Jacksonville's new expansion franchise, the Titans, then known as the Houston Oilers, defeated the Jaguars 10–3. The rivalry intensified during the 1999–2000 postseason, when the 15–2 Jaguars, champions of the AFC Central division, hosted the newly named Titans, who were 15–3. The Titans erased a 14–10 halftime deficit to eventually win 33–14. The Titans then lost to the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV. In recent years, the rivalry featured two of the most productive running backs in the NFL: Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville and Chris Johnson of Tennessee. On December 22, 2013, Jones-Drew and Johnson faced each other one final time at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, where the Titans won over the Jaguars 20–16. As of the 2014 season, Jones-Drew plays for the Oakland Raiders while Johnson plays for the New York Jets. On December 18, 2014, the 2–12 Jaguars defeated the 2–12 Titans 21–13 on Thursday Night Football in Jacksonville. The Titans' and Jaguars' respective coaching staffs will face off in the Senior Bowl on January 24, 2015. Ken Whisenhunt's staff will coach the North while Gus Bradley's staff will direct the South.

History

In 1993, the NFL awarded expansion franchises to the cities of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida. The Charlotte franchise would become the Carolina Panthers of the NFC, and the Jacksonville franchise would become the Jacksonville Jaguars of the AFC. The Jaguars would compete in the Central division of the AFC along with the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Houston Oilers, and Pittsburgh Steelers. Since 1995, the Jaguars have played most of their home games at what was originally called Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on the site of the original Gator Bowl stadium. On September 3, 1995, the Jaguars played their first ever regular season game in Jacksonville against the Oilers, who had existed since the founding of the AFL in 1960. Houston receiver Haywood Jeffries caught the game's only touchdown in a 10-3 Oilers victory. Four weeks later, the clubs met again in Houston. In the fourth quarter, Desmond Howard caught a 15-yard pass from Mark Brunell to lift Jacksonville to a 17-16 win. Following the 1995 season, Oilers owner Bud Adams confirmed that his team would relocate to Nashville, Tennessee in time for the 1998 season. The result of this announcement was low attendance at the Houston Astrodome and the loss of many of the Oilers' radio affiliates. In another meeting in Jacksonville on September 8, 1996, Brunell threw the Jaguars' game-winning touchdown to Keenan McCardell to secure a 34-27 victory. Three months later in front of an Astrodome crowd of only 20,196, Steve McNair collected 308 passing yards as he led Houston to a 23-17 victory. New England defeated Jacksonville in the 1996 AFC Championship Game. A year earlier than originally expected, the Oilers left Houston and moved their home games to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis. The Jaguars held off a second half rally by the Oilers to win in Memphis 30-24 on November 2, 1997. Two weeks later in Jacksonville, the Jaguars swept the Oilers 17-9. By the 1998 season, the Oilers were playing their home games in Nashville at Vanderbilt Stadium. In Nashville on September 27, 1998, two fourth quarter field goals by Jacksonville kicker Mike Hollis lifted the Jaguars to a 27-22 victory, their fourth straight against the Oilers. The streak ended on December 13 in Jacksonville when Al Del Greco's 41-yard field goal lifted the Oilers to a 16-13 win. The Jaguars won the AFC Central title in 1998 but lost in the playoffs to the Jets. For the 1999 season, the Oilers changed their name to the Tennessee Titans and began playing their home games at their new stadium, Adelphia Coliseum. In Jacksonville on September 26, 1999, the Titans rallied from a 17-7 deficit to defeat the Jaguars 20-19. Three months later in Nashville the Titans dominated the Jaguars 41-14. Despite this result, Jacksonville won the AFC Central for a second consecutive season and finished the regular season with a 14-2 record, both losses to Tennessee. Jacksonville was the No. 1 seed in the AFC and had a first-round bye, but the No. 4 seed Tennessee, with a record of 13-3, hosted the Buffalo Bills in a wild card game. The Titans dramatically defeated the Bills 22-16 by means of the Music City Miracle play and travel to Indianapolis the following weekend where they defeated the Colts 19-16. Meanwhile, Jacksonville won its divisional round home game over the Miami Dolphins 62-7. On January 23, 2000, the Titans and Jaguars met for the third time in the 1999 season in Jacksonville for the AFC Championship Game. At halftime, the Jaguars led 14-10, but the Titans stormed back to win 33-14. For the first time since 1961, the franchise had won the AFL/AFC title. The Titans faced the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV in Atlanta, only to lose 23-16 in a game that came down to the final play.

Game results

Note: All game dates occur on Sunday unless indicated otherwise.
Source: Pro-Football-Reference.

References

Jaguars–Titans rivalry Wikipedia