Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets: Matchups to Watch

The Tennessee Titans face off against the New York Jets in their first preseason game. Here are some matchups to pay attention to.

The Tennessee Titans will kick off their hyped-up 2017 season with a road game against the New York Jets. Some news has already come out about players who will be seen and won’t be seen in this game.

Quarterback Marcus Mariota will play a little bit to “get his feet wet”. DeMarco Murray and Corey Davis, who are nursing hamstring injuries, will not partake in a preseason showdown for the ages. For the Jets, running back Bilal Powell is being held out due to neck discomfort. Fellow running back Matt Forte is likely to be rested as well.

There are still matchups to look out for despite high-profile players missing. Here are three of the biggest ones in the first game of the preseason.

Titans Wide Receivers/Tight Ends vs. Jets Secondary

The Titans added three new receivers and one new tight end during the offseason. One of those additions, Davis, won’t play in Saturday’s opener. Another of those, Eric Decker, probably won’t play more than a series or two. The other two, Taywan Taylor and Jonnu Smith, will get plenty of work to make a positive impression and solidify themselves as role players, or possibly more. While the Jets roster is in bad shape, there is a good amount of talent in their secondary.

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They added three new pieces to their defensive backfield during the offseason, cornerback Morris Claiborne (injury-prone but talented former Dallas Cowboy) and safeties Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye (two high draft picks). Smith and Decker, as well as Delanie Walker, will face off often against Adams or Maye. Claiborne will probably be tasked with covering the Titans’ No. 1 receiver, Rishard Matthews, but might do battle often with Taylor. The Titans’ receivers and tight ends racking up catches and yards against the Jets’ secondary would be a comforting sign to begin justifying all of the additions.

Titans Linebackers vs. Jets Running Backs and Tight Ends

The Titans get shredded by quick running backs. Powell would’ve been a much better test for the Titans linebackers in this game, but we’ll have to wait to see them try to cover a shifty pass-catching running back of his caliber. Thankfully, the guy who will get the bulk of the carries is of a similar mold to Powell. Elijah McGuire, a rookie out of Louisiana-Lafayette was a star in the Sun Belt conference, and is an adept receiver out of the backfield.

The Titans also can’t cover tight ends. That’s why Jayon Brown, whose ability in coverage stands out, was drafted by Jon Robinson. With the Jets able to throw athletic tight ends Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Jordan Leggett out together, the Jets quarterbacks will probably rely heavily on them as safety valves. It’ll be important for Avery Williamson, Wesley Woodyard and Brown to limit big plays to those big targets.

Titans Pass Rushers vs. Jets Offensive Line

The offensive line play in the NFL is at an all-time low in terms of talent and technique. And that’s talking about first-team guards and tackles. The preseason features second- and third-string guys who can get beat handily on a consistent basis. Add in the talent level of the Jets offensive line, let alone the roster, and the Titans’ pass rush should have a field day on Saturday night.

We know how good Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan are. They’re expected to dominate on Saturday, but the backups need to show they can pick up the slack behind the two stud outside linebackers. Erik Walden, Aaron Wallace and Josh Carraway have the ability to manhandle the Jets’ backup linemen. Kevin Dodd, in particular, has a chance to really show off the talent that made him a second-round pick in 2016. Now healthy and over a nagging foot injury, Dodd has a relatively easy matchup to play well and earn some confidence from the coaching staff.

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