Titans @ Jets: Gameday
By Les Bailey
Let’s face it, with a 3-9 record at this point of the 2015 NFL season and all but mathematically eliminated from any playoff possibility, the only thing left for the Tennessee Titans to play for is pride and interim head coach Mike Mularky’s job.
A week 14 match-up with the New York Jets will also provide an opportunity for the Titans to take a look at some of the younger players on the team, and with Kendall Wright declared out, a chance to see what they have in young wide receivers.
Dorial Green-Beckham had a break-out game last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars after he let a pass go through his hands and turn into Marcus Mariota‘s only interception of the afternoon to catch five passes for 119 yards and a touchdown.
The Titans coaching staff will be looking for more of the same today, but with the Jets veteran cornerback Darrelle Revis back on the field after clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol this week along with Antonio Cromartie, Green-Beckham will need to work hard for what he gets.
Other than veteran receiver, Harry Douglas and DGB, Marcus Mariota will be working with a couple of rookies on the outside today against the Jets.
Mularkey has had a chance to see rookie Tre McBride on special teams as a kick returner, but the seventh-round draft pick out of William and Mary will get a chance to show off his 4.41 speed with a start at wide receiver.
The Titans will also get a chance to see rookie Andrew Turzilli in action today as well. At 6′ 4″ and 195 pounds, Turzilli will provide another big target for Mariota against the all-star secondary in the Big Apple.
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Marcus Mariota has had little success working on the outside this year with dropped passes, and people not fighting for balls over the top, I think this is a great time to see what they have in game conditions before they start making plans for the 2016 draft.
Dexter McCluster will be back in the lineup today with Antonio Andrews and rookie David Cobb, but the Titans running game will be facing the NFL’s top run defense.
Te Jets have allowed an average of 83.5 yards on ground that include a total of two touchdowns. With a total of 1002 yards that is a 3.7 yard per attempt average. They have also caused opponents to put the ball on the ground six times, and recovered four of them.
Next: All Legs On Deck This Week
I had circled this game, and next week’s game with the Patriots on the calendar when the schedule came out last spring as a test for this young team after they had some time to gel with a rookie quarterback.
Like most fans, I had hoped the Titans would have had 5-6 wins by this point and this would have been a good measuring stick going forward. But with five losses in games where they lost by less than a touchdown, these games have turned into a proving ground for next year.
This is a trap game for the New York Jets. They have been up and down all year and with a 7-5 record in a tough division, they need this game to keep pace with Buffalo and New England.
The Tennessee Titans have a chance here to play spoiler, pick up a fourth win on the year and put a huge dent in the Jets playoff hopes.