Jacksonville at New York


Game Day Preview: Jacksonville at New York


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JAGUARS (12-5) at JETS (12-4)
Running game
Jaguars run offense vs. Jets run defense Advantage: Jaguars In any other season, Fred Taylor would have been Rookie of the Year. He gives the Jaguars a breakaway threat they've never had. The Jets don't have a lot of superstars on their defensive line, but the linemen and linebackers are always around the ball. Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick always develop a sound game plan. Jacksonville's offensive line, with tackles Tony Boselli and Leon Searcy, against the Jets' defensive front should be a great matchup. I give the Jaguars a slight edge because Taylor is so explosive. He creates a threat out of the backfield on the perimeter and inside. They have to run effectively to win, especially on the road in cold weather with a quarterback, Mark Brunell, who isn't 100 percent healthy.	Jets run offense vs. Jaguars run defense Advantage: Jets Curtis Martin will carry the ball 30 times, regardless of whether he's averaging two or five yards per carry. This plays right into Parcells' hands; it's cold, a little windy, and that's what Martin and the Jets offensive line love. They'll pound on the Jaguars defense and keep doing it. Jacksonville's run defense, especially linebacker Kevin Hardy, did a great job against Robert Edwards last week, but the difference is Jets are healthy and the Pats weren't. Last week the Patriots didn't have all their perimeter weapons, allowing the Jaguars to play close to the line of scrimmage. Jacksonville won't be able to do that this week because Wayne Chrebet and Keyshawn Johnson will make plays on the outside.
Passing game
Jaguars pass offense vs. Jets pass defense Advantage: Jaguars Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell are great receivers. The matchup to watch will be between Smith and Jets cornerback Aaron Glenn. Will Glenn be 100 percent? Will Brunell be 100 percent? Jacksonville should be better than the Jets in this matchup. Taylor should win his battle out of the backfield against a linebacker. If Glenn is on Smith, McCardell will get a mismatch on the other corner. Depending on how healthy Glenn's ankle or foot is, Jacksonville should be able to make big plays. If Brunell can't plant on his ankle, the Jets would get the edge. All the advantages in this game are pretty slight.	Jets pass offense vs. Jaguars pass defense Advantage: Jets Jacksonville doesn't get to the quarterback enough. The Jaguars had only 30 sacks this season, the lowest total among playoff teams. If the Jags don't pressure the quarterback, the Jets will be hard to stop. The Jaguars will be hard-pressed to stop Chrebet, Johnson and Dedric Ward. If Jacksonville wants to stop the run, the Jets will see a lot of single coverage, and they'll win that battle. If the Jaguars rush three or four men, MVP candidate Vinny Testaverde will sit back in the pocket, recognize zone defenses and pick apart the Jaguars. Either way, the Jaguars would be playing into the Jets' hands.
Special teams
Advantage: Jets Without looking at statistics, I always lean toward the cold-weather team. It's going to be cold, windy and maybe icy at the Meadowlands. If this game were in Jacksonville, I'd lean the other way. There are pretty good return men on both teams, though -- Ward and Glenn for the Jets and Reggie Barlow for the Jaguars.
Coaching
Advantage: Jets I like Tom Coughlin, Jaguars offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is going to be a head coach, and Jacksonville was my pick to reach the Super Bowl at the beginning of the year. But Bill Parcells is the best coach in football, especially at this time of the year. He's worth three wins every season. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis has done a great job. Look at the Jets' staff three or four years from now, and half a dozen guys probably will be head coaches somewhere else.
Overall
Advantage: Jets Home-field advantage is important in this game, especially because of the weather and the surface. I wish Brunell were 100 percent. If Brunell plays well, the Jaguars have a chance to win. But I lean toward the Jets because of the home field, Parcells and Testaverde.