Derrick Henry isn't above admitting to a little bit of vulnerability. Not after these past few months. Not after what he and his team have been through. Not with one game left. And not with everything that comes next.

After another loss Sunday, the only thing the Tennessee Titans (5-11) have to look forward to is a Week 18 date with the Jacksonville Jaguars, a chance to end this sour season on a sweeter note and head into what figures to be a busy, franchise-changing offseason with a little bit of positivity.

"It would definitely put a smile on everybody’s faces, not going to lie," Henry said. "To go out with a win, it’s going to be tough."

Jacksonville's going to be playing for a postseason berth. All the Titans have to play for is pride. This hasn't been the season the Titans envisioned. Henry said that himself. One win in Week 18 won't change that. But in a league as difficult as the NFL, there are no small victories.

The Titans have never gone 0-6 in a season against their AFC South opponents. Even the hapless 2014 and 2015 squads managed to take down the Jaguars once. In fact, no AFC South team has gone 0-6 in the division since the Texans did in 2005.

AFC South teams have earned the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft five times since then — with each team achieving the disreputable distinction at least once — yet no team has failed to win at least one game within the division as the Titans would with a Week 18 loss.

No one wants to make that kind of history. But more than that, this is a Titans team with more than its share of franchise cornerstones and significant contributors in the final years of their contracts. This could be Henry's last game at Nissan Stadium. Or quarterback Ryan Tannehill's. Or defensive end Denico Autry's. Or any of 11 other regular starters set to become free agents in March.

The offseason figures to be one that sets the Titans up for a new era. Even with a win, they are guaranteed a top-eight pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. General manager Ran Carthon will have the second-largest salary cap space to play with of any GM in the league. Tough decisions will abound about how to best build around quarterback Will Levis heading into his second year, and how to position the roster to be competitive in 2024 — and especially by 2027,8 when the new Nissan Stadium is slated to open.

After this week, so much focus is going to be on what's next. Henry's prime years, this fruitful era of Titans football that saw four playoff appearances in five seasons, two AFC South titles and an AFC Championship Game appearance — none of this got a proper send-off. The 2021 team whimpered out of the playoffs. The 2022 team collapsed down the stretch with Tannehill hurt. In 2023, Henry has struggled to produce, and Tannehill has been relegated primarily to a reserve role.

With Levis dealing with a foot injury, this game against the Jaguars could serve as Tannehill's and Henry's final hurrah. Maybe one or both are back in 2024, but nothing like that is guaranteed. All that is guaranteed is one last crack at slapping a smile on Henry's face, and all of his teammates' faces, too.

"Go back to work," Henry said when asked what the focus has to be ahead of Week 18. "Bring some energy. Just work hard throughout the week. Everybody try to make each other better. Do whatever we can to try to make it a win."

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, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Why Week 18 win vs. Jags wouldn't be meaningless for Tennessee Titans