Titans vs. Patriots: Preview, score prediction for Divisional Round

Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots

The early story of the 2017 NFL Playoffs is the Tennessee Titans‘ surprising come-from-behind over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium last weekend. The Titans were completely manhandled on both sides of the ball in the first half and trailed 21-3 at the half. The Titans would score 19 unanswered points in the second half to surprise the Chiefs and now get to travel to Foxboro to face the defending champs, and No. 1 seed, New England Patriots.

The odds certainly don’t favor Tennessee pulling off a second consecutive upset. New England owns January, especially in Gillette Stadium. The Titans will have to play a near-flawless game on Saturday evening in order to pull off another major upset.

Tennessee was expected to take a big step forward in 2017. Quarterback Marcus Mariota was supposed to join the elite quarterbacks in the league, while the Titans’ dominant offensive line was supposed to lead the league’s top rushing attack with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry.

Well, things didn’t quite work out that way, however, the Titans did just enough in a down year in the AFC to pick up the first wild-card spot. A big reason for Tennessee’s win last week was Henry. The second-year back had a breakout performance with 156 yards rushing and will start against the Patriots this week with Murray out.

This is the first game for the Patriots since the explosive ESPN story broke last week about the friction between owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady. Don’t expect that to affect the Patriots on the field. In fact, things like this usually give New England more motivation to crush the rest of the league.

Tennessee’s Keys to Victory

The Titans appear to have some momentum on their side right now. They finally came to their senses and made Henry the starting running back. No disrespect to Murray, but Henry is a more dynamic runner at this point and inspires confidence in this offense. Mariota must take care of the football and use his legs to open up things in the passing game. New England’s defense has struggled to stop running quarterbacks in the past.

Can the defense stop Brady? It will all depend on the pass rush. If Tennessee can get pressure on Brady, it has a chance. If not, this defense is in for a long day.

New England’s Keys to Victory

It’s tough to imagine Brady coming out and struggling in the Divisional Round. He never does. And he is not pleased with a story leaking about his relationship with Belichick. An angry Brady is good for the Patriots.

Defensively, this is all about limiting Mariota. If the Patriots’ defense keeps Mariota in the pocket, Tennessee’s passing offense will struggle to move the ball. The Titans’ passing game is at its best when Mariota gets outside of the pocket. This will be a point of emphasis for Belichick and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia.

Odds

Point Spread: New England -13.5
Moneyline: Tennessee +635, New England -850
Over/Under: 47

Next: 2018 NFL Mock Draft: Divisional Round edition

Prediction

The Titans are a great story with the potential to be an even greater story. However, this isn’t their year. Unfortunately for Tennessee, it has the unenviable task of traveling to Foxboro in January. That generally doesn’t end well for the opposing teams. This weekend will not be any different. While Mariota will make some plays with his legs early, and Henry will have a strong game, the Patriots and Brady prove to be too much for the upset-minded Titans.

Finals Score: New England Patriots: 31, Tennessee Titans: 16