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| The Jets will be the Titans of New York, and the Titans will be the Oilers on Sunday. |
OK, check it out: The Jets will be the Titans of New York, and the Titans will be the Oilers on Sunday.
Confused? You're not alone.
"It's like crazy voodoo stuff going on there," Oilers, err, Titans quarterback Kerry Collins said.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the American Football League, the Titans (0-2) and Jets (2-0) -- two of the charter franchises -- will wear throwback uniforms from their previous incarnations. Even the Jets' game notes have the Titans and Oilers names sprinkled throughout.
"Even though it's the Titans playing the Oilers," Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher said, "it's the Jets playing the Titans."
See, Fisher's got it.
Just pay close attention to the scoreboard, which will have the current names to avoid confusion. The colors of the teams on the field will be different, though, with New York wearing the 1960 Titans' mustard yellow and gold uniforms, and Tennessee in light blue Oilers threads.
"Well, the mustard is interesting," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said. "I think they did a great job. I don't know if they look as good as the Oilers' -- you know the sweet powder blue and things like that take me back to my Earl Campbell days."
Speaking of history, the Titans of New York were winless against the Houston Oilers in six games from 1960-62. The Jets have had more success against the Titans lately, including sending them to their first loss of last season after Tennessee started 10-0.
This time around, the Titans are coming off a 34-31 loss to Houston and are staring at the possibility of starting 0-3. Tennessee opened 0-5 in 2006 before winning eight of its last 11 to finish at .500.
"I can sense that Jeff is pulling us together and we're still together," Collins said. "By no means is this team cracking or falling apart by any stretch of the imagination."
The Jets are aware of that, and understand the Titans are coming off a 13-3 season.
"You have to get past that because they're not really an 0-2 team," Jets tight end Dustin Keller said. "Their record doesn't reflect the type of team they are. You have to go out there with the same thought we went out with for the first two games."
That's been a winning approach for New York, which won at Houston and then beat New England for its first home victory over the Patriots since 2000. Coach Rex Ryan said the fear of a letdown isn't a factor.
"If they think we're overlooking them, that's good, because we're not," Ryan said. "I don't know why this would be a trap game. This is just our next opponent. We know they're an outstanding football team. If they beat us, it has nothing to do with it being a trap game or us not putting forth the effort."
Rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez has been efficient and showed great poise in his first two NFL starts. With the Titans ranking second against the run and last in the league against the pass, Sanchez might get an opportunity to put the ball up more.
"We know we have a great running game and we want to keep that up and keep our rush attempts high," Sanchez said. "If we need to throw it, we'll throw it. We enjoy throwing that ball, too."
Tennessee has made it clear it intends to bring the heat against the rookie, who has been sacked just twice.
"We're going for a couple of them," defensive end Jevon Kearse said, "to let him know who the real Titans are. We'll let them have the name for the day, but we know we've got to get down there and show them how to play some real Titanball."
The Titans have shown they also like running the ball, and perhaps the top-ranked Jets defense's biggest task this week will be finding a way to stop Chris Johnson. The Tennessee running back set career highs with 197 yards rushing and 87 yards receiving for a combined 284 yards and three TDs.
"He's a home run hitter," Scott said. "He's a threat. We're going to have our work cut out for us. He is a tremendous talent."
The game will also be a matchup of coaches who go back a ways. Fisher played in Chicago's 46 defense in the early 1980s under Rex Ryan's father, then-Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan. In 1988, Buddy Ryan made 30-year-old Fisher the NFL's youngest defensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.
"I'm proud of the fact that my dad got him in the league," Rex Ryan said. "I take a little pride. Now, it still doesn't mean we're not going to line up there and try to beat their tails."
Fisher, in his 15th full season leading Tennessee, sees Rex as a chip off the old Buddy block.
"Rex is all man," Fisher said. "I think there are some similarities in that Buddy believed in doing things his way and I think that's the case with everybody. We're all given this one great opportunity and you have to take advantage of it. You have to believe in your philosophy and it's clear that Rex does."
