The NY Jets will head into their 4:15pm showdown in Tennessee without the services of captain Laveranues Coles. Following a concussion against the Bills, an ankle injury against the Patriots, and limited playing time in between and after, Coles has been placed on injured reserve and will miss the final two games of the season.

Chad Pennington won the team’s Dennis Byrd award for the most inspirational player on the team, clearly an indication of his upbeat commitment to the squad following a benching midway through the season. It is Pennington’s second Byrd award in a row. He won it last year after starting all 16 games for the Jets following what many thought would be a career-ending shoulder injury and surgery.

To no one’s surprise there is no update on who will be Sunday’s starting QB. As expected, it will be a game-time decision. In fact, don’t be surprised if nobody knows until the first series. All reports are indicating there is no way Kellen Clemens will be able to effectively play QB, so don’t be surprised to see #10 trotting out on the field.

With a very winnable game next Sunday against the Chiefs, a victory against the Titans would enable the Jets to come away with five wins this season. Only half of last year, but if you asked many, about 5x more than most would have expected early in the season.

Jon Buzby is a nationally-syndicated columnist who can be reached through his website at www.jonbuzby.com.