JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Any and all lingering doubt about whether the AFC South still ran through Nashville was extinguished Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans suffered their third straight loss and their fifth defeat in six games in a 34-14 beatdown by the Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3). They built a 27-0 lead and cruised for most of the second half, burying the Titans (3-7) even further into last place in the AFC South and extending the Titans' streak of nine straight road game losses dating to last season.

Neither rookie quarterback Will Levis nor veteran running back Derrick Henry could do anything to get the Titans' offense moving. Levis threw for 158 yards and two touchdowns, with one score coming on a reverse pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins that gained 43 of his yards. And Henry rushed 10 times for 38 yards, marking the first time he has been held below 40 yards in consecutive games since the start of the Titans' seven-game losing streak to end last season.

If the defense was any better, the difference was minimal. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 262 yards and two touchdowns and ran for two more. Receiver Calvin Ridley gashed the Titans for more than 100 yards and the Titans' only sack came on a play where Lawrence ran out of bounds instead of throwing the ball away.

The Titans have lost 14 of their past 17 games after beginning last season 7-3 and winning the AFC South the previous two years. Jacksonville, meanwhile, has won 12 of their past 17 and maintains the lead in the division for the second straight year.

In a snap

One of the few times the Titans' offense showed any promise Sunday came in the first quarter. They began their second drive with an 11-yard pass to Hopkins, followed by a 38-yard run by receiver Chris Moore on a reverse. But a botched shotgun snap from center Aaron Brewer off Levis' hands led to a turnover, ending the threat at the Jaguars' 38-yard line.

It was Brewer's second errant snap in as many possessions; an off-scheduled snap led to a run stopped for no gain on the Titans' second play.

Defense not doing itself any favors

Cornerback Roger McCreary has been one of the Titans' bright spots this season, but he extended two Jaguars first-half scoring drives with costly third-down pass interference penalties. His first, on a third-and-3 in the first quarter, kept a Jags drive going near midfield and led to an eventual touchdown.

His second, which allowed the Jaguars to convert a third-and-9 and led to a field goal, was a 27-yard penalty because McCreary didn't flip his head around in time to be viewed as making a play on the ball.

The Titans were able to hold the Jaguars to a field goal after the second pass interference penalty because of a third-down tackle for loss by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons in the red zone.

Speaking of Simmons

The Titans' All-Pro defense tackle scored the first touchdown of his career, catching a fourth-quarter pass from Levis. He broke free into the right flats and caught the ball through contact, becoming just the third player to catch an NFL touchdown from Levis.

What's next?

The Titans return to action Sunday at home against the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff is scheduled for noon and the game will be broadcast on FOX.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nickusss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans lose to Jaguars, drop ninth straight on road