TITANS WILL LOAD UP FOR BRADY
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Titans head coach Mike Vrabel might not have the same level of talent in Tennessee that he had when he was running the defense in Houston. Ditto defensive coordinator Dean Pees when he was with Baltimore. But there’s one thing you can pretty much guarantee Sunday. The two are going to devise a plan to try and make life extremely miserable for Tom Brady and the Patriots offense. Both have done a pretty good job getting Brady off his game in previous encounters. As the Texans defensive coordinator, Vrabel has had Brady on the ropes a few times. Pees, who coached Vrabel for five seasons in New England, did as well when he was leading the Ravens defense. And while the Titans defense might not be littered with Pro Bowl players, they’re playing extremely well as a unit. No team in the red zo up fewer p the AFC’s best defense on paper and every which way. Just ask Bill Belichick. “They lead the league in defense,” said the Patriots coach. “They stop (teams) on first down, they stop (teams) on third down, they stop (teams) in the red area. They don’t give up a lot of big plays, so they stop teams more than anybody else in the league. They stop them on every down.” But this isn’t every team the Titans are playing. This is the Patriots, and Vrabel is no dummy. He has to stop Brady if he wants to beat the Patriots. The best way to do that? In the past, he knows if he can penetrate the A-gaps – up the middle – and get in the GOAT’s face and under his chin all game, he has a chance. That’s how he worked it when he was the defensive coordinator with the Texans and he had Jadeveon Clowney, Whitney Mercilus and J.J. Watt. They might have been edge rushers, but he ran stunts with Clowney and Mercilus and got them inside wreaking havoc. During the Patriots-Texans divisional round matchup in 2016, Vrabel was able to frustrate Brady for much of the game with that strategy while also taking away the passing lanes in the short middle of the field. The Patriots quarterback went 18-for-38 for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, was sacked twice, and was hit eight times during the 34-16 Pats win. The score is a bit deceiving. It was close heading into the fourth quarter. Running back Dion Lewis had three touchdowns, including a 98 yard kick return, in the game. Do the Titans have the personnel to frustrate Brady similarly? During their divisional round matchup last year, he threw for 337 yards with three touchdowns against that same defense in a 35-14 victory. The Titans registered no sacks. They barely touched him. They will have to change that scenario this time around to give themselves a shot. Jurrell Casey (3.5 sacks) and Brian Orakpo are their stars in the front seven. Orakpo plays out on the edge. Former BC star Harold Landry is new to the equation. He’s making his presence felt as a pass rusher. He was one of the five who sacked Dak Prescott Monday night. Linebacker Jayon Brown also got to Prescott. He currently leads the team with four sacks. Patriots center David Andrews is well aware of how Vrabel and Pees will want the Titans to attack. “Obviously, there’s been some trends. They do a good job of creating pressure,” said Andrews. “They have a really good defense and they’re playing with a lot of confidence right now. It’s definitely going to be a challenge for us. We just have to be at our best.” Of late, the Patriots have had a bit of trouble scoring in the red zone, getting in on just 4-of-their-last 8 attempts. Not having lead back Sony Michel has made it more difficult, but he’s expected to play. They’re currently 10th best in the league, scoring 64 percent of the time. The Titans, meanwhile, are going to make it difficult getting the ball in the endzone from the 20 on in. They’re the best at stopping teams, or making them kick field goals. “If you’re kicking field goals all day, it’s going to be tough to win. They know that. They do a good job of keeping people out of the endzone,” said Andrews. “We’re really going to have to finish in the red zone.” Vrabel knows that even with the perfect game plan, Brady will still find a way to beat you. His defense just has to stick to the plan, and play mistake-free. That’s the best chance. “He’s seen every look in the book. And even ones that haven’t been in the book. Any time someone’s open, they get the football. Any time you make a mistake, he’s always going to find the guy you made the mistake on and get him the ball pretty quickly,” Vrabel said Wednesday during a conference call. “You have to be sound everywhere. Any mistakes, they’re going to take advantage of. "
PREDICTION: Patriots 31, Titans 17