5 Individual Matchups to Watch for in Upcoming Jaguars vs. Jets Game

Nearly two years ago, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets faced off in what was one of the most entertaining games of the 2009 season.

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran all over Rex Ryan's defense for 123 yards and one touchdown and it was his kneeling of the ball at the two-yard line that let the clock run down to just three seconds. Jacksonville kicker Josh Scobee walked confidently out onto the field, drilled it through the uprights and got the Jaguars out of the Big Apple with a 24-22 win.

Now the Jets are a perennial Super Bowl favorite and the Jaguars are fighting off all the predictions to finish last in the AFC South. Both are 1-0 heading into Week 2, but only one will be undefeated on Sunday night.

The winners of these five individual match-ups are going to decide whether the barbecues go late into the night in northeast Florida or if the beer will be flowing late into the evening outside of Meadowlands Stadium.

QB Luke McCown vs. OLB Bart Scott

The Jacksonville Jaguars run a system where wide receivers are rarely a deep threat. We saw that last week against the Tennessee Titans.

Tight ends and running backs caught five of the 17 receptions that Jaguars quarterback Luke McCown completed last Sunday. Leading wide receiver Mike Thomas caught eight passes but only for 55 yards, a 6.9 yards per catch average. It works to Jacksonville's favor that they don't rely on their deep passing game, because then Antonio Cromartie would be much more of a factor than I think he will be this Sunday.

Look for Jets' outside linebacker Bart Scott to have his hands full with slot receivers coming over the middle and tight ends running patterns towards the sidelines.

RT Guy Whimper vs. OLB Calvin Pace

There were several times in last week's game against the Cowboys that Jets linebacker Calvin Pace had his hand on the ground and rushed the right tackle from the left defensive end spot. Pace had three tackles on the night and was a constant part of the pressure that harangued Tony Romo.

Guy Whimper is an inexperienced guy who was making only his second start last week against the Titans. If starting right tackle Eben Britton doesn't make the trip, look for Pace and Whimper to square off in the Meadowlands on Sunday.

RB LaDainian Tomlinson vs. OLBs Daryl Smith and Clint Session

I know it's usually running backs and middle linebackers that collide (and it most certainly will be when the Jaguars have the ball), but LaDainian Tomlinson is being utilized as a pass catcher out of the backfield and an end-around runner.

Jacksonville has two of the best outside linebackers in the game, Daryl Smith and new acquisition Clint Session from the Indianapolis Colts. They are sideline-to-sideline guys who are fast, athletic and balanced when it comes to defending the pass and the run.

This will be one of the more entertaining match-ups to watch. I think both sides will get the better of the other several times on Sunday.

QB Mark Sanchez vs. CB William Middleton

This New York Jets team is centered around quarterback Mark Sanchez and the pass, and why wouldn't it be? When your running options consist of Shon Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson, they need to. Sanchez threw 44 times last week and against a banged up Jacksonville secondary, it's going to be more of the same on Sunday.

Jaguars starting cornerback Derek Cox is injured. William Middleton and Drew Coleman will be sharing the load against Santonio Holmes or Plaxico Burress (whoever cornerback Rashean Mathis doesn't cover). This is going to be a match-up the Jets will exploit if the Jaguars cover Holmes and Burress anything like they covered Kenny Britt last week.

RB Maurice Jones-Drew vs. MLB David Harris and OLB Bart Scott

Did you really think we'd go the whole slideshow without mentioning Maurice Jones-Drew, the best player on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster? He uses his speed to hit the hole rather than to get to the sideline and turn the corner, so look for this to be a match-up where a rock is meeting a hard place.

Bart Scott and David Harris combined for 15 tackles last week against the Cowboys and I wouldn't be surprised if they surpassed that before Sunday's game is over. This will also be a fun match-up to watch as I'm sure both will out-perform the other at different points in the game.