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THE GAME
The Jets (3-8) at the Tennessee Titans (5-6) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 4:05 p.m. ET.
THE WEATHER
It should be a beautiful day in Music City, with temperatures in the mid-60s when the game kicks off and plenty of sunshine.
WHAT IT MEANS
Not much. That's especially true if veteran Josh McCown starts the game - which seems likely since rookie Sam Darnold was limited at practice all week and is listed as "questionable". At this point, it's hard to see what the Jets would get out of starting a 39-year-old quarterback. If I were them, I'd rather get a look at third-string Davis Webb. But if somehow Darnold does return after a two-game absence he'll have a chance to reverse the freefall he was in before his injury. And it's important that he does. This entire season has been about Darnold and his growth and building towards possibly contending for the playoffs next season. So far he's shown he's not ready for that. But this is the time of year when rookie quarterbacks usually start to turn things around and show why they were picked where they were. The Jets don't need to be convinced that they made the right choice with Darnold. They're confident of that. But they definitely want to see some improvement so they can feel a little better about next year.
PLAYER TO WATCH: CB Trumaine Johnson
It's been a disappointing, injury-plagued season for one of the jewels of the Jets' free agent class. He has absolutely not come close to living up to his five-year, $72.5 million contract and you can be sure some people in the Jets' front office would like to see him start earning his money. This game isn't exactly a big test. The Titans' offense is not very strong, and it's driven far more than running backs than the passing game. But they really only have one receiving threat - Corey Davis - and he's had a handful of big games this season. Johnson has to make sure he doesn't have another one on Sunday. Regardless of how this plays out, Johnson doesn't appear to be in any danger of being cut in the offseason. But he still needs to play better so nobody regrets the deal he signed.
THE PICK
Boy, it is hard to figure this Titans team. They had convincing wins over the Cowboys and Patriots, only to get blown out by the Colts and Texans. They are 3-1 at home, but one of those losses was a 21-0 shutout to the Ravens. They are the Jekyll and Hyde team of the NFL this season. But overall they have played pretty good defense, especially against the pass, and that could be a problem for a Jets team without any weapons. And if Darnold plays, who knows how rusty he's going to be after his two weeks off? Coupled with the fact that the Jets defense has struggled and the Titans can run the ball pretty well behind Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry, and this could be another trouble spot for the Jets on the road. Of course, at this point in the season they're all trouble spots. They're a dead team walking with nothing left to play for. They don't even seem terribly interested in saving the job of the coach they profess to like. All they can hope for at this point is that Darnold plays and plays well and they keep some of these games close down the stretch. … Titans 24, Jets 13.
MY RECORD: 5-6
MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO WIN: 1-4
MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO LOSE: 4-2