1) Chris Johnson/Lendale White vs. NYJ Run Defense –

This weekend the league’s 7^th ranked rushing offense takes the field against the New York Jets. The Titans average 132.7 yards per game rushing the football. On the other hand, the NYJ are 4^th in the league against the run giving up only 81.3 yards per contest.

Although both running backs due damage, they are very different in style. Johnson is your speed back, who is also a threat in the passing game out of the backfield. White is your power back and short yardage, goal line threat.

The Titans’ running game makes their offense go. Kerry Collins although not great has been doing a great job this season for the Titans. With the lack of game breaking ability from their receiving corps, their running backs are the key cogs of their offense. Being able to stop the run will be instrumental if the Jets plan on leaving Tennessee with a win.

2) Nick Mangold vs. Albert Haynesworth / Kevin Mawae vs. Kris Jenkins

These are the match ups I am looking forward to more than any others. Games are won in the trenches, and these possibly can be two of the better battles we will see all season.

Nick Mangold has quietly been having a solid season. This is not an easy task facing Vince Wilfork and Albert Haynesworth in back to back weeks. Haynesworth is on pace for a huge season. He has 39 tackles, 7 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles so far after 10 games. Those are outstanding numbers for a defensive tackle. The Titans defense thrives off the big man pressuring the ball all game. Nick Mangold, Eat your Wheaties.

On the other hand, old friend Kevin Mawae is wearing the baby blue of the Titans.  He will be opposed by the NYJ defensive stud Kris Jenkins.  On the year Jenkins has 30 tackles and 3.5 sacks. He means more to this defense than just numbers. Will Mawae be able to shed Jenkins aside to open lanes for his running game?

3) Brett Favre vs. Continuing to Take Care of the Football –

The Tennessee Titans defense has taken advantage of opponents’ turnovers brilliantly so far this season. The Titans defense is 6^th in the league with giving up 186.7 yards per game in the passing attack. They are also 1^st in the league giving up only 13.1 points per game. Also, they are tied for 2^nd in the league having 15 interceptions.

Brett Favre on the season has thrown 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Over the past few weeks, Favre has been doing a much better job taking care of the football. He will have to continue this trend because the Titans’ love to capitalize on an opponents’ mistake.

4) Thomas Jones vs. Tennessee Run Defense –

A big part of the NYJ resurgence on offense has been because of Thomas Jones and the running game. The NYJ are 9^th in the league for rushing yards per game with 125.9 per contest. Our offense has been really clicking since Jones has taken flight the past couple weeks.

The Tennessee defense only allows 95.1 yards per game on the ground good enough for 10^th in the league. The Jets must continue to utilize the running game to support their passing game. It will be a much harder task running as effectively against this hard nosed, physical defense. Thomas Jones has to grind out tough yards all game to tire down that Tennessee front seven. Continuing to successfully having a balanced attack on offense will create another chance for a win for the NYJ.

Cheering for other teams’ misfortunes are the solace of losers?  With postseason byes and division titles on the line … get real. Each week, it’s a given that we Jets fans want our boys in green to win, but which other teams are worthy of our good thoughts?

Contributor Kirk Cassels takes a look around the league and let’s us know.  Give your opinions in the comments.

There’s been a plethora of questions this regarding the upcoming Jets (once the Titans) versus the Titans (once the Oilers) showdown. Should we force the game into Kerry Collins’ hands when on defense? Will Dustin Keller be a factor against a Titans defense that is weak in covering tight ends just one week removed from his spotlight game against the Pats? Should the Jets wear their throwback Titans jerseys as psychological warfare against the last remaining undefeated team?

These questions, focused on this second game in a row in which Gang Green can make a more than bold statement to the rest of the league, are of the utmost importance. But, ignore them or not, there are other games to play this week, and some will indeed play a factor in our role as the AFC East leader or potential wildcard contender.

Eagles (5-4-1) vs Ravens (6-4) Go Eagles!
One NFC East team destroyed Baltimore last week, and another can do it again this week. The Eagles have to be hungry for victory after a tie with Cincinnati, especially if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Let’s hope the green and white guys of the NFC take this one and kick the Ravens down a peg in their hunt for a wildcard spot.

Bills (5-5) vs Chiefs (1-9) Go Chiefs!
The Bills continue to slide down the pole, having lost their last four games and five of their last six. An extra loss, particularly to the lowly Chiefs, could significantly derail Buffalo’s hopes for the division or a wildcard spot once and for all. As much as Thigpen is on my opponent’s roster this week in a fantasy football game that will determine my chances at fantasy playoffs, I’d be fine with him lighting up the scoreboard against the Bills. The Jets come first.

Raiders (2-8) vs Broncos (6-4) Go Raiders!
Oakland almost did to the Dolphins last week what they did to us a few weeks prior, eke out a win that should not have been. Alas, it’s a new week against their division rival in Denver. From a scouting standpoint, the Raiders running game can add enlightenment as to how to rough up a questionable Broncos defense as much as Oakland’s secondary could reveal some tricks of the trade in shutting down Jay Cutler and his deep threats in Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal. Even more importantly, a win by the Raiders will hinder the Broncos’ path to playoff contention.

Colts (6-4) vs Chargers (4-6) Go Chargers!
Okay, so last week I was discombobulated about whether to suggest rooting for the Chargers over the Steelers or not. This week is the other end of the spectrum. We definitely want San Diego to take down the rolling Colts this week, and they’ll be gunning for it in an attempt to keep their chances alive in the AFC West. Let’s hope Reggie Wayne’s ankle remains weak and that the Colts can revert to their once infamously horrible run defense against LT.

Patriots (6-4) vs Dolphins (6-4) Go… I just threw up in my mouth while trying to say it
Oh boy… how does one choose between the two teams we as Jets fans hate the most? This game, parallel to ours in the 1 p.m. time slot, will be one to switch over to during the commercials. No matter what, one of these teams will come out limping for the AFC East contention while the other exits with some wind at its back. The teams’ current division and conference records are what come into play here. The Phins are 2-1 in the division and 5-3 in the conference. Meanwhile, the Pats are 2-2 in the AFC East and 4-4 in the conference. As much as it pains me to say it, we need the Pats to win this one. It would drop Miami’s AFC division and conference record lower, and serve as a potentially effective part in our taking of the AFC East if we beat the Bills and Dolphins at home in December, leaving us with only one loss within the division. Plus, as Bassett noted earlier in the week, the Phins have the easiest schedule left of the AFC East teams. I’m not going to say “Go [insert dreaded team's name],” but a Patriots win is the better outcome for us. I could be wrong. What are your thoughts people?

NFLN Preview
[NFLTA: Jets @ Titans Discussion/Preview]
[Jets @ Titans Preview]

Dave Hutchinson (Hutch to the uninducted) reported today that he thinks that Ty Law is probably going to get the start when the Jets line up Sunday in Tennessee.

When asked this morning if he expected to start vs. the Titans, veteran CB Ty Law said, “There’s a pretty good chance.”

Law, who was signed last week, would replace rookie Dwight Lowery.

Coach Eric Mangini may fine the veteran but the move isn’t exactly a surprise. Lowery has been a human scoreboard this season. He has given up six touchdowns and a two-point conversion.

Last week, Law, fresh off his living room couch, played 57 plays of 75 plays vs. the Patriots.

[I j]ust came back from practice, [the reporters] actually got to see a few plays instead of stretching. Law received extensive playing time but I’m not allowed to say if he was in the starting lineup but take a guess.

So Law started practice with the ones. Odd that they would make the switch and then let the reporters actually see it who seem to not see much in terms of actual practice and stretching only. Unless the coaches WANTED the reporters to see it. Is that my psychosis I am sensing has returned? It’s been a while, old friend …

Ahem. Why Hutch can’t say it, I don’t know nor care, but the fact of the matter is that the Jets are going to play whoever they think gives them the best chance to win this weekend and I guess that’s Law. I just hope that Lowery isn’t immediately shackled in Mangini’s “he’s progressing” dungeon … never to see the light of day again. Lowery is still one of the league’s leaders in passes defensed and forced fumbles for a corner … though there is an odor of warmly toasting bread emanating from his side of the formation from time to time …

Opening statement…

Today we are following our normal schedule, so we will be working primarily on third down. That will be the point of emphasis. Tennessee has always been very good defensively on third down since the time Jeff’s (Fisher) been there. It’s really no different this year and that’s an area we’ve made quite a bit of improvement on since the bye offensively. That will be a really good challenge for us.

On Jeff Fisher’s longevity with the Titans…

It’s incredible. You don’t see that very much anymore - the Don Shulas, the Tom Landrys, guys that were there 25, 20 years. It seems to be much rarer than it used to be. It’s a real testament to him. He’s done it in different places in terms of where the team was - all different types of players, young, old. It’s been the whole gambit and he’s been consistently successful. It’s impressive.

On the progress of CB Darrelle Revis…

Darrelle continues to make really good progress because of the way he works on his technique at practice and his consistency at practice. I had a long discussion with Leon (Washington) yesterday about the characteristics of great players. He brought up the fact that when he came into the league, he really thought that great players were extremely talented (and) more talented than the other players. Since he has been in the league, he realizes how hard working those guys are. They are extremely talented, but they are usually the leaders in terms of work ethic. A guy like Alan Faneca is a great example of that. Darrelle is moving along that same path in terms of being extremely talented, working on his technique every day in practice and having consistent levels of practice. I really like what he’s doing in terms of studying the opponent. That’s something that has improved significantly from his first year to his second year.

On whether he has made a decision between K Mike Nugent and Jay Feely…

No.

On reason for conversation with RB Leon Washington…

I was congratulating him on breaking the team’s record in terms of (career kickoff) returns and being the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. We were laughing about his early days here and the time that he made the decision as to how he was going to define his career. Mike (Westhoff) will have players present to the rest of the team. Leon, whenever he presents, it’s like a coach. It’s thorough. He’s the returner so he could easily say, ‘the kicker’s going to offset here. The ball’s going to come out to the five (yard line). It’s going to be this hang time,’ but he goes through block-by-block (and) how we have to block it, who the guy’s are we have to target, why we need to make sure we have those guys covered, what the reads are, what the adjustment is if the ball is outside the sideline and if the ball’s kicked somewhere it’s not supposed to be. It’s really satisfying to see. He’s one of the guys that came in with me and to see his growth and development is great.

On laughing with Washington about the fumbles during practice as a rookie…

It was the fumbling. It was the struggling with the blitz pickup, the route. He was about as in shape as I was. (smile) All of those things lead to a very tough rookie camp. He won the offseason award program. He was the overall winner this year. He was voted the team MVP last year. It’s his ability combined with his work ethic and determination. He’s another great example of size. He’s not the biggest guy in the world, but he finds a way to be consistently productive.

On whether RB Curtis Martin had an impact on Washington’s work ethic…

I definitely think that Curtis helped out. Curtis helps out a lot of people whenever he’s around. His focus is rare. I don’t know if he even dated during the season (smiling). It was all football all the time. That was his focus. When he was injured or dealing with any type of pain, I would ask him about it and he would say that not playing was not an option. It never entered into his psyche that he couldn’t play that week. Pain was not going to be an issue. Nothing was going to stop him.

On TE Dustin Keller’s confidence…

There is a fine line between confidence and over-confidence. He is very gifted. It’s easy to have confidence in him at practice. He makes unbelievable catch after unbelievable catch so the things that he has been able to do in the games aren’t surprising. If he continues to work at it and understand defenses as he gets better in terms of the fluidness and the feel of the routes then he will be that much more productive. There are times when some of his breaks look a little robotic. It’s not that smooth where you’re hinting and going, but it’s gotten a lot better. If he keeps working at it and drilling it (in terms of) where the openings are, he has tremendous upside.

On the matchup between DT Kris Jenkins and C Kevin Mawae…

Any time you put two players of their experience, ability and styles - they are different styles of players - that’s always fun to watch. Kevin is very savvy. He’s always been a very savvy guy. To see how he’s going to approach (Jenkins) will be real interesting.

On Brad Smith…

We always have plays in for Brad that are very specific to him, but the nice thing about where Brad has come in terms of being a receiver is he can just go in and play receiver. He doesn’t have to be in for gadget-plays are those Brad Smith-specific plays. He can just go in and play receiver. I am very confident with what he can do there. He is another guy who has consistently improved. It’s not a function of forgetting about Brad or putting him on the backburner, sometimes it’s just the way the game goes. We have a lot of guys who can do good things with the ball, so whoever ends up getting it is a plus.

No, not the Titans of New York — the Titans of Tennessee!

Okay, you’d have to be sleeping under an oil rig not to have heard, but Jeff Fisher’s terminally competitive squad is (again) having a pretty decent season, what with not having lost a game yet. With the grizzled Kerry Collins under center, they have won in the classic style — with a pounding two-headed rushing attack and a punishing defense. Right now, they are the best team in the AFC, and possibly, all of football.

So let’s see what makes perfection tick . . .

Cheerleader check: Heck yes, a bunch of country cuties.

The scene: The game is at LP Field in Nashville, a natural grass surface where the Titans have a huge advantage with a winning record of 40-24. Currently, the forecast is for partly sunny and in the low 50s.

Record:  10-0, good enough for first in the AFC South and probably a first-round playoff bye.

Streaks: The Titans have won their last 13 games in a row, including a 10-6 victory over the Jets last season on Dec. 23, 2007.

Barometer: Steady. The Titans are a rock solid organization, from head coach Jeff Fisher right on down. The team is well-coached, physical and deep. They make few mistakes and don’t take many bad penalties.

Old Friends: The Titans are a veritable treasure trove of ex-Jets, including center Kevin Mawae, defensive end Dave Ball, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger and wide receiver Justin McDropsies.

Questions: There’s really only one: Will the Jets be the team to knock the Titans from the ranks of the unbeaten?

Key injuries: McDropsies (concussion), defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (groin) and linebacker Keith Bulluck (chest) are all currently questionable.

Five things to know about the Titans offense:

1. Here Comes the Rush – The Titans 7th-ranked rushing offense (132 yards/game) has successfully employed a thunder-and-lightning approach in the backfield: speedy rookie Chris Johnson is averaging 4.4 yards/carry for 787 yards while bruising (6’1, 235 pounds) LenDale White is the touchdown vulture, scoring 11 TDs. Unlike the Jets who use the play action to set up the run, Tennessee tends to be a team that just lines up, no gimmicks, and runs it down your throat.
2. More Than a Manager – Some people regard quarterback Kerry Collins as a mere “game manager” of Mike Heimerdinger’s rush-heavy offense, but the past two weeks against better defenses in Chicago and Jacksonville, Collins has lead the team through the air to victory — against the Bears, he was 30 of 41 with 289 yards and 2 TDs, then after struggling early the next week, came back to throw 3 TDs against the Jaguars. Since replacing the unreliable Vince Young, Collins is a solid 160 of 271 (59%) for 1,755 yards, 8 TDs and 4 interceptions. With the stout Titans defense, expect a lot of safe, short passes — Johnson is the 2nd leading receiver on the team, grabbing 30 receptions out of the backfield.
3. It Starts Up Front – Here’s all you need to know about the Kevin Mawae-led offensive line: Kerry Collins, who, at 36, is about as fleet-of-foot as Mike Westhoff pre-surgery, has only been sacked 5 times this year. Yes, FIVE times. Take a bow Michael Roos (left tackle), Eugene Amano (left guard), Jake Scott (right guard) and David Stewart (right tackle) — sweet teams are made of this.
4. Go to Bo – The Titans leading receiver (by 14 receptions!) is tight end Bo Scaife, who has grabbed 44 passes for 450 yards and a pair of TDs. As the Jets have struggled to cover tight ends this season, look for Scaife to be featured heavily on Sunday. The reliable Alge Crumpler (17 receptions, 177 yards, 1 TD) provides skilled depth.
5. Justin, Justin and Jones – Aside from sounding like a skateboarding law firm, the Titans receiving corps isn’t exactly a group of household names. Justin Gage is a big (6’4”) deep threat, averaging 17.9 yards a catch with 4 TDs; Brandon Jones is the “hands” guy, with 20 first downs on 29 receptions; and Justin McCareins is . .. well, Justin McCareins. ‘Nuff said!

Jersey watch (offense): Expect to see lots of the #28 of Johnson and the #25 of White.

Five things to know about the Titans defense:

1. Did We Mention It All Starts Up Front? – All-Pro defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth anchors the formidable line and has set the tempo for the defense, notching 39 tackles, 2 forced fumbles and 7 sacks. He is flanked by an older but still effective “Freak,” Jevon Kearse, who has 2.5 sacks this season, and Tony Brown, who has netted 3.5 sacks.
2. Will Bosch Be Back? - Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch has been in and out of the lineup this season — including being out the past two weeks with a groin strain — and may be back this week. The really scary part is that this hasn’t slowed the Titans defense all that much as they’ve gotten 7.5 sacks from replacements Jacob Ford and Dave Ball. (Yes, that Dave Ball, ex-Jet who out of football last season.)
3. Four Is a Magic Number – Cornerback Courtland Finnegan, and safeties Chris Hope and Michael Griffin, all have 4 interceptions each; overall, the Titans are 2nd in the NFL with 15 picks. The Titans secondary has also had its share of injuries recently: cornerback Eric King broke his arm last week while cornerback Nick Harper has missed time with an ankle injury. Overall, the unit is ranked 6th against the pass, only yielding 186.7 yards/game.
4. No Bull – Suffern, N.Y. native and Tennesse Titan institution Keith Bulluck continues to grind away, notching a team-high 62 tackles from his weakside linebacker slot. Third-year man Stephen Tulloch mans the middle while tackling machine David Thornton (5 straight years of 80+ tackles, including three seasons over 100) watches the other side.
5. Solid From Front to Back – Jim Schwartz’s physical, imposing 4-3 defense really has no weaknesses, ranking 1st in points allowed (13.1 points/game), 6th in overall yards (281.8 yards/game) and 10th in rushing yards allowed (95.1 yards/game). They also are +10 in turnovers, including 10 forced fumbles to go with the 15 interceptions.

Jersey watch (defense): Hopefully the #92 of Haynesworth won’t be standing over the prone body of #4 too often.

Three things about the Titans special teams:

1. My Bironas – He’s no Al Del Greco (the former greatest player in NFL history), but Rob Bironas continues to kick well, hitting 18 of 21 (85.7%) on field goals, with a long of 49. He’s also been averaging 67.8 yards on his kickoffs, including 13 touchbacks.
2. Still Kicking - Sixteen-year veteran Craig Hentrich is having another solid year, currently averaging 43.1 yards/punt (36.9 net) and dropping 22 kicks inside the 20.
3. Baby, You Can Run My Carr – The versatile Chris Carr returns both kicks and punts for the Titans, averaging 27.2 yards/return on kicks and 9.5 yards/return on punts.

What to expect from the broadcast booth: Once again, the Jets find themselves in CBS’ spotlight game, drawing the No. 1 broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. However, as the Titans are undefeated, expect that angle to be beaten to death.

Spotlight matchup: Kevin Mawae vs. Kris Jenkins - If the All-Pro center can control Jenkins, and thereby, the line of scrimmage, then it should open up critical running lanes for the Titans.

The pressure is on: The Titans offensive line to keep the strong Jets pass rush away from the not-so-mobile Collins.

Expect the unexpected from: The Titans receivers. As a group, they have been underused all season — with the Jets’ troubles defending the spread-out two-minute offense, it would not be surprising if the Titans employed that offense during key spots in the game.

Bottom line: I usually use this spot to downplay expectations and preach caution against whoever the weekly foe is (“on any given Sunday, anyone from the Chefs to the Raiders can win, blah blah blah”), but for some reason, even against an undefeated favorite playing on their home turf, I really think the Jets match up well against Tennessee and have a good shot of winning. Go figure.

Fullback Brad Hoover mentioned there are no “bad apples” anymore.

Added Peppers: “In the past we might have had one or two guys that wanted to do their own thing, and cause a little ruckus.”

Damione Lewis, who took Jenkins’ spot on the line, was a little more direct.

“He handled situations in a way that weren’t really appropriate for the team,” Lewis said.

Make no mistake, Jenkins is an incredible talent - a freakish athlete who is speedy, strong and dominant despite his massive frame. It’s just that he had grown tired of Carolina, and the Panthers had certainly grown weary of his act.

Two months after Jenkins questioned whether he wanted to stay in Carolina, the Panthers granted his wish. Jenkins, armed with the new contract he wanted for years, is now motivated and probably a better fit in the Jets’ 3-4 defence.

Meanwhile, Jenkins is glad of his new start, writes Newsday’s Erik Boland.

“It was always something,” he said of his seven seasons with the Panthers. “I could never figure out why things got to where they did. But I’m glad I’m right where I’m at.”

Jets fans have welcomed Jenkins with open arms and he’s been a huge upgrade for this defense. I was watching some of the Broncos games this past week, and there was our old friend D-Rob … getting pushed backwards by a Falcons offensive line like he was Superman slowing a runaway freight train. The difference on the line and who controls the line of scrimmage this season is in large part thanks to Jenkins.

Jenkins has enjoyed the fresh start, and his teammates appreciate him and what he’s done for the team. He’s taken the role of one of the team’s spokesmen, something he does with alacrity. But the team knows his history and has set up his contract as such (setting up many weight based bonuses) so my hope is that he stays engaged and enthused about football … as long as he’s in New York.

[NFL Defensive P.O.W. -- Eric Barton]
[NFL Coach of the Week -- Eric Mangini]
[NFL Rookie of the Week -- Dustin Keller]