Whew…2020….we’re here. We’re back in the office for another year of cranking out the written word. Your boy is pumped for Saturday. Maybe too pumped, to be honest. Seeing the way the Tennessee Titans took care of business against the Houston Texans on Sunday was refreshing, to say the least, after seeing the way the 2018 season ended. But, making it through the wild card round is going to be difficult, seeing as how our beloved Titans have to travel to Foxborough for a date with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
At this point in the week, you’ve probably read a million “yeah, but this team is different” takes. But, I think that’s definitely true. This 2019 Titans team feels lightyears ahead of where that 2018 team left off. Derrick Henry finished the season as the NFL’s leading rusher with 1,540 yards. A.J. Brown is a legitimate Offensive Rookie of the Year contender, finishing with 1,051 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Not to mention, the offense seems to have found its way with Ryan Tannehill, who led the NFL in passer rating in 2019.
This offense is humming, entering the playoffs averaging 30.4 points per game in their last 10 outings. If that held through a full season, it’d only be behind Baltimore’s 33.2. The defense went from allowing 14.2 points per game in their first six to allowing 23.9 in the last 10. So, that’s reason for concern, sure. But, the Patriots offense has sputtered from what it used to be. They’re currently sitting at 15th in total offense. They’ve limped to a 2-3 record down the stretch, including an inexplicable loss to the 5-11 Miami Dolphins.
Outside of beating the Buffalo Bills twice, find a good win on the Patriots schedule. This is a team that needed a bye week to get things right. They had plenty to play for against the Dolphins, and they just couldn’t get it done…against the Dolphins…that’s what has to have Pats fans concerned. They’re playing in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2009, and this is how they got here?
Feels too good to be true for the Titans, right? Everything seems to be lining up for an upset. As Titans fans, we’re not used to feeling this good about a trip to New England. Remember the last time we played a playoff game in Foxborough? I do…35-14.
If there’s one team you can trust to turn it on for a postseason run, it’s the Pats. So, while I’m optimistic of this offense’s chances of getting the job done in a hostile environment, it’s still going to be a tall task. Here are my keys to a Titans victory on Saturday night in prime time.
Maintain balance on offense
In their four losses this season, Patriots opponents, on average, have thrown the ball on 53 percent of plays, and run the ball on 47 percent of plays. That’s pretty good balance. I also looked at their five most dominant wins (Giants, Jets, Steelers, Dolphins, Redskins), and found that those teams threw the ball, on average, on 64 percent of plays. So, the more you throw or get into situations when you’re forced to throw against this Pats defense, the more successful they seem to be.
The Titans are tailor made to do that with the league’s leading rusher, an offensive line that has dramatically improved, an offensive coordinator who is calling dynamic plays, and weapons unlike the Titans have ever had before. If they keep the Pats guessing, they’ll capitalize on enough plays to win the game.
Stop Julian Edelman and James White
This seems like a game in which the Pats will get back to basics, so to speak. They’ll lean on their veterans…guys who have been here before and know how to win in the playoffs. The chemistry of this offense has been muddled at best, so I expect Tom Brady to lean on Julian Edelman and James White.
Edelman (still questionable for the game) knows how to attack a defense, he knows where to run, and he has a borderline psychic connection with Brady. Is he on the same level as Michael Thomas? No, but I could see a similar type of game to what the Titans saw with Drew Brees and him a couple of weeks ago. Just an automatic connection that ends up chewing up yardage.
Meanwhile, the Titans have struggled against backs like White this season. Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara both lit up the Titans defense. White has proven capable of playing a similar sort of role in the Patriots offense.
If the Titans can game plan to avoid letting either of these guys get going, then it’ll go a long way in stifling that Pats offense.
Avoid the costly mistake
This Titans offense is going to take some aggressive chances. Stephon Gilmore could be the Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL, so I don’t expect those chances to be taken against him. But, Tannehill and company definitely can’t make things easier for an already vaunted Pats defense.
Plus, the Titans need to score points in the red zone. Punch it in when the field shrinks, and don’t put the outcome of this contest on the shoulders of the kicking game, ffs.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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