NASHVILLE — Go ahead and forget the Tennessee Titans’ six-game losing streak, the franchise’s longest skid since Ken Whisenhunt was fired seven games into his second season as head coach in 2015.
For them, only one game matters now.
They can still win the AFC South Division for a third straight year and keep their season alive with a home playoff game. All they have to do is go to Jacksonville next weekend and beat the rival Jaguars in the regular-season finale despite falling to 7-9 with a 27-13 home loss Thursday night to the Dallas Cowboys.
“We’ve seen it happen in this league numerous times throughout the year, throughout this season, last season,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said Friday. “There’s only one game that matters, and that’s this one.”
With the Jaguars (7-8) having endured a five-game skid earlier this season — they enter Sunday’s road game against the Houston Texans on a three-game winning streak that started with a 36-22 victory at Tennessee — the AFC South will be won by the eighth team to make the playoffs despite a losing streak of five or more games in a season. Four of those teams wound up winning a playoff game.