The Clash of the Titans!!!

Jets fans are far from ready to temper their expectations when Gang Green heads to Tennessee. The undefeated Titans have proven to have little if any weaknesses. Everyone has talked about their lack of WR talent or their lack of trust in Kerry Collins and all this team has done has continue to win.

The Jets are built for a very similar style of play. Both teams have big offensive lines to run the ball and are also built with Pro-Bowl caliber defensive lines to stop the run. Besides that, both coaches preach securing the ball and winning the turnover battle. This is where the QB’s come in. Kerry Collins has done a good job of making the smart decisions this year which is why the Titans will be in every game. Brett Favre on the other hand has shown flashes of brilliance and flashes of confusion.

Last week Favre was on top of his game, distributing the ball with precision while allowing Thomas Jones to pound the ball against the stout Patriots D. They will need a similar effort today to win this one. The Titans are huge up the middle and are only vulnerable on the edge. Unfortunately they lean their backers to the edge to make up for that weakness. Their secondary tackles well and they don’t get beat deep. So how do the Jets attack?

Mis-direction should be the name of the game for the Jets today. A swarming defense like the Titans can only be penetrated by capitalizing on their over pursuit. Counters, screen plays and some more Brad Smith is what the Jets will need to generate some offense. While I thought they needed to pound the ball against the Pats, I think they will need to out scheme the Titans in this one.

Defensively they will need to generate some pressure. Stopping the run is #1 of course against this team, but generating pressure has to be #2. They will need to dial up press coverage and take their chances in this one. Kerry Collins hasn’t been rattled this year, because none of their opponents have been able to stop the run with their base so they over commit other players to the run. The Jets rank 4th in the league against the run and have done a nice job of pressuring the QB. This will be a game that Revis, Lowery & Law will be on an island for most of the game and will need to win the match up and tackle well in space.

When the dust settles, this could propell our Jets into a stratosphere we haven’t seen since ’98. Expectations for the playoffs and beyond will skyrocket. This is a winnable game for the Jets and with the remaining schedule looking very favorable, this one could cement the Jets as a top team in the NFL…

My gut feeling is this game is a wash except for special teams where I feel the Jets have the biggest advantage. Final Score Jets 27, Titans 26.