Titans vs. Jets: Keys to victory
Keys to victory for the Titans (5-6) as they face the New York Jets (3-8) on Sunday (3:05 p.m., CBS) at Nissan Stadium.
Pound the ball with Derrick Henry
Against a porous Jets run defense, now’s the time to unleash Derrick Henry. The Titans’ running back, who struggled early in the season, put together a nice stretch of performances (albeit in limited opportunities) in the games leading up to last week’s loss at Houston. He was rewarded with a nearly equal split in workload with Dion Lewis. The Titans have not yet had a player run for more than 100 yards this season. Against a Jets team that allowed 215 rushing yards last week to the Patriots, this could be the week that changes.
Force a turnover for first time in 4 games
The Titans have not forced a turnover in their past three games, something the defense has emphasized during practice this week. Winning the turnover battle will be important against the Jets, who had nine interceptions in their three wins this season. The Titans are minus-4 in turnovers for the season; the Jets are minus-8.
Protect Marcus Mariota better
This is a get-right game for a Titans offensive line that has struggled mightily of late. The Jets enter with only 22 sacks this season, which ranks 26th in the league. The Titans, though, have allowed 11 sacks the past two games, a stretch that has sunk them to worst in the league with 39 sacks allowed this season. It starts with the five up front, obviously, but Mariota also must look to get rid of the ball faster when defenders are barreling down on him.
Reach Erik Bacharach at ebacharach@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ErikBacharach.