New England Patriots: 3 Bold predictions for Divisional Round vs. Titans

3. They struggle early in the game, then pick it up

Remember what happened last year in the playoffs. The Patriots struggled early against the Texans. The Patriots will struggle to find their rhythm offensively early in the game. Whether it’s the first drive or two, they will not have it early and probably go three-and-out a couple of times.

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The early struggles won’t last very long, though. They are playing the Titans. Brady and the offense will find their rhythm in the second quarter after a shaky first quarter. Don’t expect this game to end in a blowout, though.

They will find ways to move the ball, but not find the end zone. They will settle for more field goals and short punts than a typical Patriots team would in the Playoffs.

Don’t blame it on the “distractions,” though. It will mostly be the Titans playing above what we expect. The Patriots don’t often struggle in the playoffs, but it’s indicative of an aging quarterback a below average offensive line, and an average (by Patriots standards) defense. Mariota will find a way to make this an interesting game, and the Titans won’t ever be out of it, even though most people expect a blowout, as evident by the 13.5-point spread.