New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans: What Are Experts Saying About New York?
After another heart-wrenching loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week, the New York Jets and their fans are already looking toward 2015.
However, there are still three games to be played.
Rex Ryan is undoubtedly in his final days as the team's head coach, and Geno Smith and John Idzik can't be confident in their long-term prospects either.
Gang Green has just been unable to buy a victory this year, even when it outplays the opposing team by a wide margin.
A matchup with the horrendous Tennessee Titans, who possess an equally terrible 2-11 record, could finally result in New York's third win.
Click through to see what the experts are saying about Rex Ryan and Co. ahead of their Week 15 bout.
Jets Finding Various Ways to Lose
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The Jets have lost in more than a handful of ways this season, ranging from overturned touchdowns to blocked game-winning field goals to putrid secondary play.
Sunday's game against the Vikings added to that collection.
Rex Ryan's squad outplayed Minnesota for much of the game, controlling the pace and racking up several solid drives on offense.
However, terrible red-zone efficiency (0-of-5) gave the Vikings a chance to force overtime, and a poor blitz call by Rex Ryan in the extra period all but sealed the deal, per The Courier-Journal.
Ryan's call set up the secondary to be exposed on the screen pass, and it was another nail in the coffin.
Gang Green has been competitive in the majority of its games this season, and it has had a good chance to win nine or 10 of them.
However, mistakes of all kinds have doomed the Jets.
It's TIme to Look Toward the Future
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The Jets are already looking toward the offseason, particularly the draft, as their 2014 season is all but in the books.
However, New York must first take a hard, long look at the current roster and identify which players are key to the franchise's future, per Tyson Rauch of CBS New York.
Rauch identifies a variety of players who could provide the team with cornerstones in the near future.
Youngsters Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson are Pro Bowl-caliber players who anchor one of the best defensive fronts in football. However, both need long-term extensions sooner rather than later.
Demario Davis and Damon Harrison have also shown high potential on the defensive side of the ball.
Eric Decker and Percy Harvin, meanwhile, form one of the best receiving duos in the AFC. However, will New York opt to keep Harvin beyond this season or let him and his massive contract go?
Veterans David Harris, Nick Mangold and D'Brickashaw Ferguson are also all still strong players, but they are getting up their in age and will likely need new contracts in the near future.
Gang Green needs to bring in some outside talent, but it must first decide what to do with some of the big names on the current roster.
Jets Losing the Battle to Lose
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Sometimes you have to lose to actually win.
The Jets have stunk it up all season and are now tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders for the worst record in football.
That means the Jets are in a great position to receive one of the top picks in the 2015 draft.
However, Gang Green may hurt itself this weekend when it faces the dreadful Titans on the road.
Of the five 2-11 teams, the Jets probably have the best chance to win this week, and that could significantly hurt their draft prospects, according to Pete Zwiebach of NBC New York.
The Jets' best option in the draft is Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, but they likely need to secure a top-three pick to receive his services.
The Titans and Buccaneers will also certainly be looking for a quarterback, so this Sunday's game could end up actually being the Mariota Bowl.
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Lots of Directions for New York to Go in the Draft
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Mariota may be the top option in the draft for the Jets, but he certainly isn't the only one.
New York has a variety of holes to fill, and there are many talented players at the top of next year's class, meaning the Jets could go in a variety of ways if they miss out on the Oregon quarterback.
Nebraska defensive end Randy Gregory and wide receiver Amari Cooper are also options for Gang Green, per Dom Cosentino of The Star-Ledger.
Gregory is arguably the best pass-rusher in this year's class, and pass-rushers are only getting more important in the pass-heavy NFL.
Cooper, meanwhile, shows shades of Julio Jones. He's a phenomenal deep threat with outstanding speed and great hands, and he's worked himself into the Heisman conversation with a record-setting junior season.
Gang Green could really go in any direction with its first selection, as the team has needs on both sides of the ball.
Gang Green Likely to Claim Third Win on Sunday
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The Jets will be the favorite for the first time in a couple months on Sunday.
New York may be 2-11, but it is still a much better team than the Titans, who haven't won a game since mid-October and have one of the worst point differentials in the league.
Geno Smith and Co. were dominated by Tennessee last year, but the Titans have gotten much worse since then.
Fourteen of the 16 experts at Bleacher Report see the Jets winning Sunday's affair.
Meanwhile, eight of nine CBS Sports experts have Gang Green claiming the victory. The majority of ESPN experts predict the same.
Rex Ryan and Co. have had a real tough go of it recently, but that seems likely to change against the Titans.
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