Dec

23

Jets vs. Titans Preview

Posted by Michael Sciannamea

December 23, 2007 |

jets_logo3.jpgI haven’t paid much attention to the Jets this week as I, like most of us, have been hurriedly finishing up my holiday shopping as well as wrapping up some projects at work so I can take some time off this coming week and simply relax.

However, there is a game today, and it’s an important one–at least for the Titans. Simply put, the Titans have to win today to keep themselves alive in the AFC wildcard race–a loss would virtually eliminate them. They have the advantage of playing at home today, and the Jets are going to be facing a desperate team.

To make things tougher on the Jets, Laveranues Coles has been placed on injured reserve and will be out for the rest of the season, so the receiving corps is officially thinner than usual. It looks like Chad Pennington will get the start today since Kellen Clemens is still feeling the effects of last Sunday’s injury, but as usual Coach Mangini is being coy about the whole thing. At 3-11, there’s no need for your head coach to be playing mind games with anybody.

On defense, the Jets must (obviously) key on Titans quarterback Vince Young. Before this season I thought he would have a good year passing, but his stats (2223 yards, 9 TD, 16 INT) have been very surprising. However, he can and will make things happen, and the Titan offense totally revolves around him. Running back LenDale White is closing in on a 1,000-yard season, and he is the workhorse when it comes to carrying the ball. The Jets have not been good stopping the run all year, and if they have any hope on winning this game, they need to limit White’s and Young’s ability to move the ball on the ground.

Offensively, it all depends on who’s starting at quarterback. If it’s Pennington, look for the usual heavy dose of play-action short routes and dump-offs. If it’s Clemens, we may see some throws down the field, depending on whether his ribs and shoulder will allow him to put some heat on the ball. Thomas Jones also is closing in on 1,000 yards, so it’ll be nice to see him make it early on in the game, which will mean that the Jets are running the ball well. We should also look for a lot of touches by team MVP Leon Washington–this is the type of game where one big play by him could make all the difference.

I fully expect this to be a close game. The Titans need to win to stay alive, so I wouldn’t expect them to take too many chances on offense. The Jets should be able to move the ball through the air, but it all depends on who’s throwing the ball. It should be interesting…


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