Titans win?
Yes, Tennessee is a long shot to get the upset at New England, but columnist Gentry Estes spells out why it can happen. But Marc Lawrence says why they won’t.
The notion of the New England Patriots being beatable at home in the playoffs feels as unnatural as that of the Tennessean Titans being some offensive juggernaut likely to do it.
Such thoughts drip with recency bias, which can make fools out of reasonable men.
After all, it’s the Patriots, the reigning champs, annual spoiler of Super Bowl parties because “Jeez, not them again.” It’s Bill Belichick. It’s Tom Brady. It’s Gillette Stadium in January.
“They play different in the playoffs,” said Derrick Henry.
True. So undeniably true.
With all of that being said: Is it crazy to think the Titans have a good shot on Jan. 4?
It isn’t.
The reasons start with something Taylor Lewan said after the Titans beat the Texans on Dec. 29 to secure the AFC’s final playoff spot.
“This is a talented team,” Lewan said. “We’re well-coached, and we try to do our job the best we can. I think that’s an important thing that a lot of teams lose sight of. If you just do what you’re told, you’re going to be in a great situation.”
That sounds suspiciously like the “Do your job” mantra made famous by Belichick with the Patriots, which makes sense, considering who is coaching the Titans.
Vrabel knows the Patriot Way
Titans coach Mike Vrabel is a Belichick guy. He was a stalwart member of the Patriots’ dynasty in the previous decade, winning three Super Bowls and becoming an All-Pro linebacker. He knows the process, and the first time he faced Belichick as a head coach – last season – his Titans beat the Patriots 34-10.
Who would you rather have directing you into the “viper’s den,” as Vrabel colorfully described a playoff road trip to New England?
Cornerback Logan Ryan knows the process, too. He spent four seasons in New England before joining the Titans.
“I know how (Brady) operates. He’s the best of the best,” Ryan said. “It’s going to be a great challenge for us, but I think we’ll be up to it. … We’ve had some big games against them, and things always change. (Ryan) Tannehill wasn’t our quarterback when we last played them.”
On form alone, the Titans appear to be a dangerous matchup for anyone, but especially the Patriots, who inexplicably lost at home to the Dolphins in the regular season finale when they needed a win to secure a firstround bye.
Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 320 yards, compared with Brady’s 221. The Dolphins had 26 first downs and nearly 34 minutes of possession time.
These same teams played in Week 2, and the Patriots won 43-0, part of their 8-0 start to the season. Since then, however, they’ve gone 4-4 and outscored opponents only 170-164 while doing it.
Ending their season hot
In their past eight games, the Titans have scored 254 points (compared with opponents’ 196), while Henry won the NFL’s season rushing title, A.J. Brown emerged as perhaps the best offensive rookie in the league and Tannehill has been producing the best football of his career.
“We’re proving that we can score some points,” Vrabel said.
The Titans have their weak spots. We’ve seen them. They are not exactly a dominant team. But they have looked a more dominant team of late than the Patriots.
The Patriots simply aren’t playing that well.
They aren’t explosive offensively. And the Titans suddenly are.
If Fitzpatrick – with hardly any help from his run game – can have a day like that against a vaunted Patriots defense, what might Tannehill be capable of doing with Henry logging carries in the backfield?
“It’ll be fun,” Tannehill said of facing New England. “It’s a place I know well and a team I know well. Looking forward to the opportunity.”
It shouldn’t be forgotten that the Titans’ most recent playoff game was a 35-14 loss to the Patriots to end their 2017 season. Plenty of players on this team were around for that one. So no one should have any delusions about the challenge ahead.
The Titans, however, could have easily been headed to Kansas City this weekend for a rematch with a Chiefs team that is rounding into form at the perfect time. They just might have caught a break by drawing the Patriots instead.
It’s hard to believe, but with the rest of the NFL rooting them on to finally put an end to the Patriots’ postseason dominance, the Titans might just be the team to do it.