Mike Keith: A Gauge Game

Some might call it a 'Gauge Game.' This weekend's battle between 11-3 Tennessee and 13-1 Jacksonville, that is.

Week 3, you likely remember: the Titans rallied from a 17-7 deficit to down the Jags in Jacksonville, 20-19. Samari Rolle grabbed Tennessee's third interception of the game to essentially end it. Michael Roan made a great touchdown catch on a great throw by Neil O'Donnell. It rained so hard in the second half that our sideline reporter, Cody Allison, had his microphone and headset go totally dead.

And that just doesn't happen.

From that game, we've heard plenty: Mark Brunell and Tom Coughlin don't get along, the Titans were fortunate to win the game, the Jacksonville offense is nothing without Fred Taylor and on and on and on and on.

People attempted to draw a lot of hard and fast conclusions from one game which was played on Sept. 26. There was only one true conclusion that day: Tennessee beat Jacksonville. That's it. Simple as that.

This Sunday's game, played three months to the date later, could produce truer conclusions. For both teams. Since Sept. 26, both teams have played well, have taken care of business and appear to be improved. These are clearly two of the NFL's best teams in 1999.

Jacksonville has been criticized for a weak schedule, but that clearly wasn't the Jags' fault. Before the season, that schedule looked plenty tough. Give Jacksonville credit for not playing down to the level of their competition in winnng their last 11 in a row. Sure, they've had some close games, but they've done their share of waxing lesser opponents.

The Jaguars' offense has hit all cylinders in recent week, as Brunell has thrown it well, with Smith and McCardell catching it well. James Stewart did a nice job filling in at tailback, but Taylor is back and healthy, adding a new dimension. The Jags had a good offense without him, but with him, they can be great. Long touchdown runs in the last two give games give you an indication.

In recent weeks, Jacksonville's defense has been penetrated, but Dom Capers' unit is still excellent. The Jags are masters at sacking the quarterback and causing turnovers. They are a big-play defense.

Tennessee can boast the same thing. The Titans' defense has given up some yards in 1999, but with a greatly improved pass rush, takeaways (33 on the year with a +14 turnover ratio) have stopped opposing drives and set the Titans up for easy scores.

'Opportunistic' would be the operative word.

The Titans offense is much like their defense: it doesn't rank too highly in the stats, but it gets the job done. The biggest difference in 1999 has come with the offense scoring touchdowns and not kicking field goals. When Tennessee gets a scoring chance, they cash in.

Plus, Jacksonville will see a Titans special teams unit that seems to have improved dramatically. And Tennessee has proven that it can come from behind and win and it can get ahead and hold on.

In other words, Tennessee has been tested.

So what will we learn this weekend? Hard to say, but you can bet both coaching staffs are eager to find out. Tom Coughlin wants to see his club beat a good team in a hostile environment. Jeff Fisher wants to beat a good team for a second time. Both know that a win on Sunday propels them towards the post-season with momentum and confidence, no matter the outcomes on Jan. 2. And both likely want to see how far they've come in three months time.

Sunday's game is a great gauge of just that.