Titans (8-3) at Patriots (7-4)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
TV: CBS
Tipico Sportsbook line: Patriots by 5 ⁄2
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Titans’ keys to victory: Tennessee has been attempting to restore its run game since RB Derrick Henry broke his foot in Week 8. Neither D’Onta Foreman nor Adrian Peterson has been particularly impressive. Considering just how good the Patriots have been in defending the run, looking extremely stout in recent games, it’s not smart for the Titans to think they’ll have success. Instead, QB Ryan Tannehill will have to work with WR A.J. Brown and the other pass-catchers to beat the Patriots’ secondary.
Patriots’ keys to victory: They need to establish an early lead. New England plays its best when it can rely upon its defense, led by CB J.C. Jackson and LB Matt Judon, and their running game, led by RBs Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson. QB Mac Jones has been a bit too inconsistent this season for the Patriots to trust him to win every week with a strong passing attack. So they’d be best served to lessen Jones’ impact on the game. The way to do that is scoring early and protecting the lead rather than falling into a hole.
Matchup to watch: Titans’ A.J. Brown vs. Patriots’ Jackson. New England has been running a lot of zone defense in recent weeks, but the Patriots will probably do what they can to get Jackson on Brown. They are both among the best in the league at their position. The Titans won’t be able to do much offensively if they can’t work the ball to Brown.
Who wins? The Titans look lost. The Patriots have found their identity.
Patriots, 31-28