NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Will Matthew Stafford play in Sunday’s Lions-Titans’ game?

Stafford left last week’s game against Green Bay in the fourth quarter with a rib injury in the fourth quarter.

The Lions were competitive and gave a lot of effort for their interim head coach, Darrell Bevell.

The toughest losing teams to play at the end of a season are the ones with an interim head coach. The energy, focus and effort are different than with a lame-duck coach.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jonnu Smith’s summer work in Florida with Ryan Tannehill provided cause for expectation.

And while Smith has been asked to block more and run fewer routes since injuries weakened the Titans at left tackle we’ve seen dividends there. Smith has scored seven touchdowns, leading a four-pack of tight ends who’s found the end zone 13 times, tied for most in the NFL with the Packers.

Photo: Alison McNabb/ Tennessee Titans

At the same time, Smith (601 snaps), Anthony Firkser (313), Geoff Swaim (283) and MyCole Pruitt (182) have done excellent work blocking and are big factors in Derrick Henry’s production. With 1,532 yards, Henry is on pace for a second consecutive rushing title. And Ryan Tannehill is taking just 1.5 sacks a game.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Packers game on Dec. 27 in Green Bay, Wisc. will be a big challenge, we know.

We’ll have to see what the Titans can do up there, and fans should hope too the Steelers find their bearings and can beat the Colts in Pittsburgh the same afternoon.

The Titans’ chief task in the remainder of the regular season is beating the teams they should beat: The Lions here Sunday and the Texans in Houston on Jan. 3.

Through four consecutive 9-7 seasons, the Titans did not wind up with records as good as they should have because of their failures to beat those sorts of teams.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – On Jan. 6, 2018, with an eight-year playoff drought over but rumors about his job security swirling, Mike Mularkey gathered his staff underneath Arrowhead Stadium before they headed out to the 25-degree wind chill awaiting them.

“I said, ‘Look, you guys all know what may happen if we don’t win this football game,’” Mularkey recalled. “’And if that happens, we’ll never be together like this again. I want to thank every one of you guys. I think there is a hidden agenda here. Nothing would make it greater than for us to throw a wrench into that hidden agenda and go beat the Chiefs.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans did what they needed to do against one of the worst teams in the NFL. controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and passing or running whenever they needed.

The only thing that could stop the Titans' run game was the clock ending the game.

The Titans’ offense did a great job of blocking up-front versus the Jaguars' heavy run-front looks.

At times, the Jaguars’ defense had eight or nine defenders in the box, but the Titans’ offensive line was still able to clear room for Henry.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jaguars have been playing some feisty football, threatening to hurt the Vikings, Browns, Texans and Packers.

The Titans weren’t having any of that at TIAA Bank Field, where they coasted to a 31-10 win over the Jacksonville, completing a season sweep of their AFC South brethren.

The result ensures the Titans match their win total from each of the last four seasons, with three remaining games to grow it.

“Overall, it was a good day,” Corey Davis said.

“We talked about it all week, just having a sense of urgency all day,” Kevin Byard said.

Still, beating the 2020 Jaguars on Dec. 13 served as no sort of measuring stick.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Corey Davis' great game against the Browns has spurred a lot of conversation.

His excellent season has well-exceeded expectations. That got me thinking about an 8-4 team that's had some questionable performers: Who else has exceeded expectations? Who's met them? And who's performed worse than expected.

Ben Jones: Photo by George Walker, Tennessean via pool.

So I've gone through the current depth chart adding a player to each unit, so we are three-wide and two-tight on offense and we've got nickel on defense,

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Jaguars are not a good football team sitting with a record of 1-11.

Here is a quick breakdown of the current state of the Jaguars roster.

They lack a quarterback for the future and even a functional starting quarterback for the present.

Gardner Minshew is not the future and it took the Jaguars’ front office a year and half to figure that out.

Veteran quarterback Mike Glennon has a record of 6-18 in his career.

Glennon has outstanding size, arm strength and very good quarterback mechanics, but he is better in a practice setting and workouts than actual gameplay.