5 KEYS TO VICTORY
The Titans arrive in Foxboro as huge underdogs in their divisional round playoff matchup with the Patriots.
That shouldn’t bother Mike Mularkey’s team. After beating the Jaguars in the final week of the regular season just to get into the playoffs, they weren’t favored last week in Kansas City either, but still managed to pull off the upset at Arrowhead.
Can they do the same in
New England? Here are the keys to a Titans win:
Stop Gronk Ride Henry
Titans running back Derrick Henry is a load at 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds. He wears down opponents with his power running style, as evidenced by him finishing second in the NFL in fourth-quarter rushing yards. He buried the Chiefs in the second half at Arrowhead, finishing the game with
156 yards. More of the same would go a long way toward a Titans upset.
During the year, the Titans didn't fare all that well covering tight ends, ranking 24th in the league. They also had trouble stopping KC's
Travis Kelce (four catches, 66 yards) in the wild card game prior to him leaving with a head injury. If they're going to have any chance at all, they need to be able to contain Rob Gronkowski in man coverage, even if it takes two guys.
More up-tempo with Mariota
The Patriots have had issues with mobile quarterbacks who can pass efficiently and Marcus Mariota certainly fits in that category. The Titans were able to beat the Chiefs in the wild card game when Mariota took over the second half by running well and creating plays. The Titans went up-tempo during the comeback, and his ability to make things happen when plays broke down was the difference. Keeping him in that mode would serve them well.
Get to Brady
The Titans were fifth in the league in sacks, taking down the quarterback 43 times during the season. They harassed Alex Smith, sacking him twice while moving him off his spot countless other times during last week's wild card game. Derrick Morgan (7.5 sacks) and Brian Orakpo (seven sacks) are their primary sack artists. They need to be on their games and make life miserable for No. 12.
Win turnover battle
The Titans were in the middle of the pack in terms of takeaways this season, with 12 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. Bill Belichick's team doesn't turn the ball over very often, but the Titans will need to force a few turnovers at key times if they hope to come away with the upset.