Jets blitz Titans to end unbeaten season

The New York Jets took over sole possession of first place in the AFC East with a 34-13 road victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.  The Jets also ended the Titans unbeaten season after Tennessee won their first ten games, as well as their streak of thirteen consecutive regular season victories dating back to 2007.

Brett Favre played one of his most effective games in a Jets uniform, racking up 224 yards on 25-32 passing including two TD passes and 1 interception.  New York has now won five straight games after a 3-3 start to the Favre era.  The Jets dominated the time of possession battle, 40:30 to 19:30 and simply wore out the Titans defense in the process.  Favre wasn’t going so far as to proclaim his team the best in the NFL, but he did sound a bullish note on their victory over Tennessee:

"I'm not going to sit here and say we've established ourselves as the best team in football. All it says is I think we beat the best team in football today, definitely if you go by record and the way that they've played. They have been the best team in football."

Jets’ linebacker Bryan Thomas said the decisive win should put the rest of the NFL on notice:

"Now people are going to start looking at us and say, 'They are a team you have to reckon with."

New York coach Eric Mangini sounded most pleased by his team’s poise in an intimidating road venue:

"We've been down here the last three years. It's loud, and it's always been a tough place to play.”

Heading into the game, Tennessee was ranked #1 in scoring defense at 14.1 points per game.  The Packers gave them no surcease, spreading the field and calling plays intentionally design to keep them on the field and wear them out.  The Titans offense gave them no help either, struggling to move the ball—particularly on the ground.  Titan’s fullback Ahmard Hall summed up the offense’s frustration:

"It felt like we were on the sideline forever just watching Brett Favre play. The defense, I felt bad that we on offense couldn't get anything going and keep them off the field."

Titans coach Jeff Fisher didn’t have much to say other than:

"It was a great run, and we've got to win our next game”

That next game should be easy “on paper”, but it’s a quick turnaround for the Titans as the play the 0-11 Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.  That’ll be followed by a home game against the Cleveland Browns on 12/7 and a trip to Houston to play the Texans on the following Sunday.  The Jets host Denver on Sunday, travel to San Francisco on 12/7 and return home to play the Buffalo Bills the following Sunday.