Ready to contribute
Healthy RB White set to be in top form
FOXBORO — James
White is ready.
Think he’d miss this? The last time the Patriots running back took the field in the postseason, he broke a Super Bowl record with 14 receptions for 110 yards and a touchdown and ran six times for 29 yards and two scores, including the game-winning plunge in overtime against the Falcons. The 139 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns remain a career high for the fourthyear back.
Now, with three weeks to rest his injured ankle, White is ready to roll tonight in the divisional round against the Titans at Gillette Stadium.
“I feel pretty good,” he said. “I’ve just got to go out there and play my game. You can’t think about anything else but just playing football, trust what the coaches are telling me and just do my job.”
White had an interesting year in the aftermath of Super Bowl LI. He signed a three-year, $12.7 million extension in April and was an integral piece of the offense through eight games with 43 receptions for 365 yards and a touchdown. He was easily on pace for the best statistical output of his career.
Since the Nov. 5 bye, though, White has 13 catches for 64 yards and a couple of scores, and he injured his ankle against the Steelers. He missed two games due to injury for the first time in his career.
But as White learned last February, anyone can be the star on the playoff stage. The biggest explanation for his second-half dip was the emergence of Rex Burkhead, who may be limited tonight with a knee injury, so White could be more involved in the passing game while Dion Lewis holds down the ground element.
White spent the past three weeks preparing for this very return to the field, and he knows better than nearly anyone to be ready for anything.
“(The Super Bowl game plan) definitely didn’t call for that,” White said of his 14 catches. “Things happen. The game plan changes in the middle of the game, and I think a lot of guys on our team are ready for the opportunity when it presents itself. You never know who is going to be that guy on that night, so everybody plays hard and has fun. It’s always exciting to play in the postseason. Tennessee is playing good.
“I’m excited to have another opportunity with my teammates. It’ll be a great atmosphere, so we’ve just got to play our best game (tonight).”
One and done
The Patriots’ 20thranked run defense can bank on some positivity as it prepares for Nashville’s one-man band.
Bruising Titans running back Derrick Henry is coming off a career game, and he’ll surely be a formidable test. Of course, the Pats have to keep Henry in check to put pressure on third-year quarterback Marcus Mariota, who struggled to put the offense on his back throughout the season.
“He is a good running back,” defensive tackle Alan Branch said of Henry. “He’s got size, speed and vision. Those are three big things you want in a running back, so we’ve definitely got our hands full with him. Hopefully, we find a way to build a wall and not give him any room.”
The Patriots allowed an average of 62 rushing yards in their last two games, and Branch is healthy enough to return from a threegame absence with a knee injury. Linebacker Kyle Van Noy (calf) is also at full strength for the first time in two months, as he was used in a limited capacity in his only two appearances during that stretch. And linebacker James Harrison should help set the edge on run downs.
So long as Trey Flowers, Van Noy, Harrison and Deatrich Wise can filter the run to the inside where Lawrence Guy and Malcom Brown have excelled, the Pats will have a puncher’s chance to stifle Henry, who doesn’t bounce it outside as much as backs who have given the Pats the most trouble this season.
“He’s powerful, downhill, one-cut,” Harrison said. “You’ve got to try to square up and get him to fall sideways instead of forward.”
Cool to be cold
The weather is expected to be a factor, though not to the level of the Jan. 2004 playoff meeting between the Pats and Titans when it was 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus-10. The temperature is expected to dip into the low-20s, which should theoretically favor the northern-based team.
But Harrison threw a wet blanket on that theory.
“I’ve played in a lot of cold,” the longtime Steeler said. “It still hurts. I don’t think it’s no advantage. Everybody feels the same thing.” . . .
The Patriots bring in a 16-1 record on Saturdays under Bill Belichick. They also are 9-0 at home on Saturdays in the postseason during that time.
Not ready to go
The Patriots didn’t activate wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell from injured reserve, so he won’t be eligible to play tonight. The Pats have until Wednesday to activate Mitchell if they want him to play again in the playoffs, provided they beat the Titans.
Colt conundrum
As Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and the Colts weigh their respective futures, there’s a key character in mind.
The Colts still don’t know if quarterback Andrew Luck will be ready to play next season, according to a source. Luck missed this season due to shoulder surgery, and he is continuing to consult with a specialist to determine his recovery plan, which means the Colts might not have any answers regarding Luck’s future for a while longer.
Luck, an upper-echelon quarterback when healthy, would be a significant draw for any prospective head coaching candidate. McDaniels interviewed last week with the Colts, Giants and Bears, who already hired Matt Nagy.