Jaguars coach Tom Coughlin faces mentor Bill Parcells.

Jaguars (3-1) at Jets (1-3)
9 p.m. ET, ABC
Line: Jaguars by 3½
Preview | Baxter's Bits
Ron Jaworski's Monday night breakdown
Kreidler: These Jags are a bit edgy

Why to watch:
This is a rematch of an AFC divisional playoff game from nine months ago, but a lot has changed for both these teams since the Jets' 34-24 victory Jan. 10. First off, the Jets are without injured QB Vinny Testaverde, and New York is trying to salvage its season after a dreadful 0-3 start. Riding the momentum of last week's victory in Denver, the Jets hope to start a winning streak here. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are struggling offensively and trying to squelch rumors of a reported rift between coach Tom Coughlin and QB Mark Brunell. The good news for Jacksonville comes on defense, where defensive coordinator Dom Capers has turned a unit that ranked 25th last season into this year's third-ranked defense. As if that weren't enough storylines, Coughlin is facing another meeting with his close mentor, Bill Parcells.

Who to watch:
The Jags' Brunell has a paltry QB rating of 70.4 -- by far the lowest of his five seasons in Jacksonville. Jags RB Fred Taylor is questionable with a hamstring injury, but backup James Stewart ranks second in the AFC with 310 rushing yards. Jags DE Tony Brackens is having a Pro Bowl-caliber season with 3½ sacks in four games. Jags WRs Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell will look to pick on maligned Jets CB Ray Mickens, who starts in place of the injured Otis Smith. Jets WR Keyshawn Johnson had a TD catch, TD run and an interception in the playoff win over the Jags. Jets QB Rick Mirer has thrown five INTs and three TD passes, but he seems to be getting more comfortable. The Jets would like to get 30 carries for RB Curtis Martin, who ran for 124 yards and two TDs in the playoff win.

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Jets' numbers to know:
New York's defense is allowing more yards per game (359.8) than any team in the AFC other than expansion Cleveland (415.3). The Jets are one of five AFC teams giving up more than 100 yards on the ground (124.5), and their pass defense ranks 21st in the league.

What it means:
The Jets are hosting their first Monday night game since 1992, so the crowd at the Meadowlands is sure to be fired up. The Jaguars are hoping for revenge following that playoff loss. But more importantly, Jacksonville needs an impressive showing on both sides of the ball to quell any possible dissension. By pulling an upset, the Jets might actually be able to climb back into contention. The Jaguars are tied for first in the AFC Central with the Titans.

The offensive line, the running game, the quarterback and the receivers are too good to allow the Jags' struggles to continue. I wouldn't want to defend Jacksonville. Fred Taylor is still ailing with a hamstring problem, but James Stewart has filled in nicely. The Jaguars don't need to change anything; they just need to execute a little better with the talent they have.

While the offense has struggled, the Jags defense has gotten better. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers will attack Rick Mirer, who's gaining some confidence. Capers had better get to Mirer before Bill Parcells does. Why? Parcells is good at getting quarterbacks to believe in themselves. Capers will do everything he can to confuse Mirer.

The Jags should use a man blitz against Mirer one time to make him throw a fade, and zone blitz him the next time to make him throw into zone coverage. Then, I'd play a soft zone to see if Mirer can sit back in the pocket and beat me. The Jags also need to stunt and blitz because they don't want Curtis Martin to get 36 carries. If he does, the Jets will be in the game.

Jets' game plan:
Knowing what Capers will want to do defensively, Parcells and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis should make sure they know where the Jaguars' tendencies are, so they can run away from them. If the Jaguars blitz one way, the Jets need to be running the other way. Zone-blitzing teams can make an offense look bad. But if you call the right play and break a few for big gains, zone-blitzing defenses can be made to look bad.

Keyshawn Johnson and Dedric Ward are capable of making big plays all the time, but I don't expect the Jets to try for too many big plays, not with Mirer at quarterback. I expect them to play conservatively and hand the ball to Martin. If he has more than 30 carries, New York will be in good shape.

Pittsburgh had good success against the Jaguars offense last week, holding Brunell to 10-for-25 passing for 85 yards. The Jets defense, smarting from the losses of linebacker Chad Cascadden and cornerback Otis Smith, will have to play physical. A finesse defense can't beat the Jaguars, who look like a finesse offense but are physical up front. The Jets need to hit them, get the Jaguars out of rhythm early and try to cause some turnovers, like a Brunell fumble.

It all starts with the quarterback, and Brunell was out of sync early against the Steelers last week. The Jets need to confuse Brunell and force him to miss his targets in the first quarter. First, though, the Jets must put Brunell in predictable passing situations by stalling the Jaguars' running game on first down. The Jags have great weapons on the outside in Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell, but stopping Stewart and Taylor on first down is the key, because it can put the Jets in a favorable defensive situation to come after Brunell.

Pivotal Player:
Brunell. If he is out of rhythm, the Jets have a great opportunity. If he's in rhythm, the Jets are in for a long night.