The Titans head to New York with a 2-1 mark to face the lowly New York Jets, who are still looking for their first win of the season. Here are the keys to a Titans victory Sunday in the Big Apple.
First down
Don’t give the Jets life. The Titans have had one comeback win and one in which they let the Colts hang around for far longer than they should have, thanks to three turnovers.
With the Jets in rebuilding mode and rookie quarterback Zach Wilson struggling, the Titans can’t afford to make mistakes on the road and give the Jets a fighting chance.
Second down
Get pressure. Suddenly the Titans have a pass rush, led by an unlikely source in special teamer-turned-terror Ola Adeniyi, who already has 2.5 sacks in three games.
The Jets offensive line has allowed Wilson to be chased and sacked and tormented through three games this season. The rookie has completed only 54% of his passes thus far as the offense has struggled.
If the Titans can pressure him, perhaps they can finally get some takeaways.
Third down
Ease Henry’s workload. The qualities of Derrick Henry are that he gets stronger the longer the game goes on and the more he carries the football. Truth is, the Titans have been using Henry at a heavy pace early in the year – 35 carries in Seattle, 28 more against the Colts Sunday. Against a team like the Jets, it would be good if the Titans could ease his workload a bit to keep him fresh for December and January.
Fourth down
Don’t give it back. The Titans have established themselves already as the clear favorite to win a weak AFC South. Even though this is not a division game, the Titans can ill afford a stumble against the team they should beat even on the road. The best thing the Titans can do is to go to New York and take care of business because the schedule doesn’t have very many forgiving spots after the next couple of weeks.