New York Jets vs. Tennessee Titans: Complete Week 15 Preview for New York
The New York Jets have suffered a string of heartbreaking losses in recent weeks, but the team could be headed for a rare victory on Sunday afternoon.
The Jets travel to Tennessee to face off against the equally as dreadful Titans, who also currently sport a 2-11 record.
The Titans haven't won a game since early October, and their point differential ranks among the worst in the NFL.
Rex Ryan and Co. have had an embarrassing season on all fronts, but Week 15 could give the team some solace, at least for a day or two.
Click through for a complete preview and analysis, as well as a final score prediction, for the AFC battle.
Jets' Week 14 Recap
1 of 5
Gang Green once again outplayed its opponent last week, but it ended up falling short of a road victory.
The Jets totaled over 400 yards of offense, forced two turnovers, maintained possessions for nearly 36 minutes and reached the red zone on five separate occasions, but they missed opportunities, and key mistakes cost them.
Geno Smith's early pick-six put the team into a hole, and Chris Ivory's goal-line fumble later on in the first half cost the offense a big touchdown.
Moreover, New York went an unforgivable 0-of-5 in the red zone on the day. The offensive unit just wasn't able to turn successful drives into six points.
On the defensive side of the ball, the secondary really struggled to slow down the Vikings' young, speedy receivers, and it was burned multiple times for big yardage.
In overtime, a bad blitz call by Rex Ryan on third down allowed Jarius Wright to take a screen pass 87 yards for the game-winning score.
Apart from the costly interception, Geno Smith played a solid game, and Sheldon Richardson was an absolute beast (seven tackles, three sacks, a safety).
However, it was the same story in a different game for New York.
News and Notes
2 of 5
CJ2K Returns to Tennessee
Chris Johnson has put together a disappointing season in his first year in green and white, but he will look to make a big impact this week against the only other team he has played for in his NFL career.
Johnson said earlier this week that he wants to make Tennessee pay for letting him go, per Kevin Armstrong of the New York Daily News.
The former first-round selection put up 1,000 rushing yards in each of his six seasons as a Titan, as well as 58 total touchdowns.
The three-time Pro Bowler has a good chance of putting up a nice day this week, as his former team ranks dead last in the league in rush defense.
Just Call It the Mariota Bowl?
If the season ended today, the Jets and Titans would both possess top-five picks in the 2015 draft.
The two teams are currently tied with the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the worst record in the NFL.
Both teams also have a significant need at the game's most important position: quarterback.
Jake Locker has been injury-prone and inconsistent over his career, and Geno Smith has proved to be too inaccurate and turnover-prone to be a successful NFL quarterback.
Marcus Mariota is considered the best quarterback prospect of this year's class. The Oregon star and likely Heisman Trophy winner possesses terrific size and mobility, as well as a strong arm and good mechanics.
Week 15's result could go a long way toward deciding which team receives the quarterback's services.
The winner of this game could end up losing mightily in the long run.
Woody Johnson Obviously Not Happy
Jets owner Woody Johnson sounds like a man ready to clean house.
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Johnson expressed his disappointment in this season and stated that the NFL is a "results-oriented business."
The bottom line is Johnson is trying to appease a fanbase that has had enough of New York's losing ways, and bringing back either Rex Ryan or John Idzik would create an uproar.
The owner realizes he must make some significant chances going forward if the team is going to right the ship and emerge as a Super Bowl contender once again.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Injury | Status |
| Antonio Allen | Hand | Questionable |
| Jace Amaro | Concussion | Probable |
| Willie Colon | Knee | Probable |
| Nick Folk | Right Hip | Probable |
| Percy Harvin | Ankle | Questionable |
| Chris Johnson | Knee | Probable |
| Trevor Reilly | Concussion | Probable |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Toe | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets
Everything might have seemed to go wrong for the Jets this season, but they have mainly avoided the injury bug.
However, some of the team's key players have gone down in recent weeks.
Muhammad Wilkerson has missed the last two games with a nagging turf toe injury, and Rex Ryan gave him just a 50-50 chance of playing on Sunday.
Percy Harvin, who sprained his ankle in last week's loss, is also extremely questionable to play against the Titans, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
That means New York could be without its top two playmakers on either side of the ball.
On a more positive note, Trevor Reilly and Jace Amaro both passed their concussion tests and look good to play in Week 15.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Sheldon Richardson vs. Chance Warmack
Richardson is defying the thought of a sophomore slump with a brilliant second season.
The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year has racked up 57 tackles, 6.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, as he's been a force in both the pass-rushing and run-stuffing departments.
The 24-year-old Missouri product will likely match up with a fellow first-round pick this week in Chance Warmack.
Warmack, a former Alabama star, has been solid throughout his brief NFL career, but it'll be tough for him to contain the strong and versatile Richardson.
Jets Secondary vs. Delanie Walker
It's a well-known fact that the Jets struggle to defend tight ends.
New York has given up a league-high 11 touchdowns to tight ends this season, as well as a bundle of yardage.
Walker, meanwhile, has had a very productive season despite inconsistent play from his quarterbacks.
Walker has 48 catches for 700 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games, as his combination of speed and strength has proved to be too difficult for opposing secondaries to handle.
Gang Green's struggled with some low-end tight ends in recent weeks, so Walker could be in for a huge day.
Eric Decker vs. Jason McCourty
With Percy Harvin a serious question mark for Sunday's affair, Eric Decker is in line for a boatload of additional targets.
The rest of the receiving corps has struggled mightily in recent weeks, so it could be up to Decker to lead the aerial attack.
The Minnesota product will be matched up against a top-end corner in Jason McCourty, however.
The Titans rank just 19th in the league against the pass, but it's not because of McCourty.
The Rutgers product has done a fine job limiting opposing teams' No. 1 wideouts throughout the season, and he's racked up 78 tackles, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Decker and McCourty seem to make for a pretty even matchup on paper, so it will be interesting to see the two go at it on Sunday.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Jeremy Kerley
As previously stated, Harvin isn't likely to be part of the offense against the Titans.
That means Jeremy Kerley will take over as the No. 2 target in the offense.
Kerley has had a disappointing season, as he's been invisible in most games. He has just 322 yards and a touchdown on the year, and he's averaged just 9.5 yards per catch.
The 26-year-old has shown he can be a big contributor, however, and he should be able to find space in a mediocre Tennessee secondary.
For Gang Green to develop a passing attack, it needs Kerley to step up and take some pressure off Decker.
Prediction
5 of 5
The Jets are far from a good team, but the Titans are worse.
Tennessee is weak in nearly every area, and Jake Locker has been inconsistent and mistake-prone in the starting gig.
Additionally, the team has no ground game whatsoever, and its run defense is porous.
New York is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Its two biggest (and perhaps only) strengths are running the ball and stopping the run, as Gang Green ranks in the top five in the league in both categories.
With Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson, the Jets should be able to tear through the Titans defensive front and control the pace of the game.
Some typical missed opportunities and mistakes will keep the game competitive, but New York should have no problem claiming its third victory if it shows up Sunday.
Jets 24, Titans 16
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
