2020 Dynasty/Fantasy Week 14 Game Analysis: Titans 31, Jaguars 10
I take notes during the live watch. I re-watch the game on tape looking for hidden clues to report on. Here are my notes/takes on what I saw and how it related to FF 2020. I write anywhere from 1,000-3,000+ words on each game, and I must move fast to get to all of them through the week…so, please forgive any typos/grammar.
This was the garden-variety beat down of the Jaguars you would expect to happen with a bad team purposefully starting Mike Glennon. The Jaguars almost scored first, but they had their FG attempt blocked and it was all downhill from there. 17-3 Titans at the half. 31-3 Titans mid-4th-quarter. 31-10 final.
I might have saved this game report to the very last one of the week, because it’s kinda useless for projecting ahead handling the Jags is not a big deal, but I wanted to explore/look at the change back to Gardner Minshew…and the impact that might have on FF-things, if any.
Why is Doug Marrone going back to Minshew now…why try to stop losing for Trevor Lawrence? I think they see the Jets’ chances to win a game the last few weeks went nowhere and now they play three playoff type teams to end the season…the Jets aren’t winning a game this year (even Week 17), so the Jags ain’t getting Trevor Lawrence.
*Although if NE is out of the playoff race, they might lose to NYJ Week 17, on purpose, so the Jets don’t get Trevor.
Jacksonville is more dangerous when Gardner Minshew is starting, and his only real shot at another win is probably Week 16 hosting Chicago. We still project Jacksonville to lose out and finish (1-15), a game behind (0-16) NYJ for the #1 overall draft pick in 2021.
Tennessee took care of business and jumps to (9-4), on their way to (11-5) most likely…and either the AFC South champs or a strong wild card.
Fantasy Player Notes…
-- So, Gardner Minshew (18-31 for 178 yards, 1 TD/0 INT) is back in…what does this mean for fantasy? Obviously, it helps all the WRs…except Mike Glennon’s favorite Collin Johnson. Minshew is better with Chark-Cole-Shenault.
Let’s look at each of them for the road ahead…
1) D.J. Chark (2-16-0/9) – for sure Minshew’s #1 look but there are several issues to worry about here. First, Chark has been nothing of late…total garbage for most of the last 8-9 weeks. However, most of his tail off has been with Luton-Glennon.
4.4 rec. (6.8 targets), 49.5 yards, 0.50 TDs per game Weeks 1-6 with Minshew…not great but not bad. Better in games with favorable matchup, total failure facing top CBs (HOU/Roby and LAC/Hayward).
Chark draws Marlon Humphrey or Jimmy Smith Week 15…so, I wouldn’t go there.
2) Keelan Cole (7-67-1/12)? I never know what Cole we’re getting…he’s either a WR1 or WR8 week-to-week. More not-WR1-2 weeks than is. He gets whichever Ravens CB is not covering Chark…but if Jimmy Smith is out for this game, maybe Cole has some hope for a week.
3) Laviska Shenault (6-49-0/11, 1-2-0) might draw Marcus Peters, and that’s the best BAL matchup to get (if Smith is playing). However, Shenault hasn’t been overly impressive. He’s been fine/solid-ish but nothing special. Under 50 yards receiving the past 6 games in-a-row. Not a lot of ‘wow’ watching him play.
I like all the Jags’ WRs better with Minshew, but Gardner’s jump back in comes right when they face the very stout Ravens secondary.
-- Quick Jags’ RB note…
Devine Ozigbo (4-30-0/4) got into the game late for some garbage-time/game-ending passing game work. Ozigbo definitely looks the part…looks like he’s been lifting his entire time on I.R. He looked quick and lean/muscular not bulky-muscular. He might get a few touches down the stretch just to relieve James Robinson.
I would say that Ozigbo is the for-sure handcuff for JRob the ROS, if that even matters.
-- The Titans’ TE situation is as messy and useless as the Colts TE trio…four TEs are rotating in-and-out for the Titans now.
Jonnu Smith (2-20-0/2) is still ‘the leader’/the starter, but he has been nothing for fantasy since like Week 4…yet, I still see him ranked in the top 15 TE week-to-week for analysts. He isn’t even in the top 25 right now.
Geoff Swaim (3-34-1/3) plays a lot and caught a TD pass here…but he’s nothing exciting for FF.
The Anthony Firkser (1-5-0/1) hype train has derailed…MyCole Pruitt plays more than Firkser. And for the record, Firkser looks terrible on tape lately too. No interest now or later with him.
-- I cannot figure out Corey Davis (3-34-0/3). This should have been a great spot for him, and yet he did little…nor was he targeted much.
One TD in his last 6 games.
3-11-3 for catches in a game the past three games.
I think his 11-182-1/12 game Week 13 vs. CLE has everyone jacked up but outside of that he’s been a WR3-4 since Week 9 (ignoring Week 13).
Good matchup with DET this week, but is it? Can Davis do anything with it?
-- Two IDP notes…
TEN SAF Armani Hooker (7 tackles, 1 TFL) got the start with Kenny Vaccaro out…and delivered a nice FF game. He should be starting over Vaccaro anyway. Hooker looks very solid/promising for IDP in the weeks/years to come.
JAX DE/OLB K’Lavon Chaisson (0 tackles, 3 QB hits) is starting to percolate a little, but the Jaguars aren’t pushing him into playing time for some reason. He’s a top draft pick but plays about half the snaps in games.
1.0 sacks this year…terrible.
2 QB hits total Weeks 1-12, but then 5 QB hits just the last two games…he’s starting to show signs.
And from watching him here…there were some moves he put on where he was unblockable, too quick/fast and spin moving away from blockers with ease. His time might be about to come.
-- The Titans-DST is untrusted by all, but they had a nice game here. As they should/can against the Jags with Mike Glennon. Before you write them off as lucky one week…they have Chase Daniel (not Stafford) this week. Might be another DST1 week for them.
Snap Counts of Interest:
40 = JRob
22 = Ogunbowale
06 = Ozigbo
41 = Jonnu
34 = Pruitt
32 = Swaim
16 = Firkser
