FOXBORO – At 3-10, the Titans have the worst record in football. That they have company at 3-10 from the similarly moribund Browns and Chargers won’t make them feel any better. They mailed it in last week against the Jets, they’re playing for interim head coach Mike Mularkey, they lost one of their team leaders to the IR this week when Dexter McCluster’s season ended and now they’re on the road against an 11-2 team that would like to treat them as a speed bump. Just two weeks after the Patriots lost to the Eagles with a mistake-littered performance, New England can be expected to come out with agitation and execution on their minds. It’s the way they usually work.
WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL
The Titans got lit up on the ground for 183 yards last week in a 30-8 loss to the Jets. Usually, they get lit up through the air. They’ve allowed a 100-yard receiver in each of the past four games. The best players on their defense are defensive end Brian Orakpo and defensive lineman Jurell Casey. Both can get disruptive but shouldn’t pose more daunting challenges than so many of the very good defensive players the Patriots have dealt with. Injuries have ruined the Titans already sketchy defense. Linebacker Derrick Morgan and safety Da’Norris Searcy are both down. The Patriots are dealing with a wrench fired into their offensive plans since LeGarrette Blount is on injured reserve. Look for Brandon Bolden to be the focal point and James White – who’s played better than expected – to continue to get added chances to make plays. This could be a week for Brandon LaFell to turn things around. He’s been mostly unimpressive in recent weeks with 13 catches for 95 yards in the past three games combined. But wideouts have been getting loose against Tennessee so this is a chance for him. Protection for Tom Brady was better last week and the running game was more effective, but the offense did bog down some in the second half so everything isn’t good as new. There will still be some inefficiencies to deal with until Julian Edelman returns and the running game is fully ironed out. It will be interesting to see if Leonard Hankerson, the newly acquired wideout, is able to get on the field after being picked up this week.
WHEN THE TITANS HAVE THE BALL
The Titans are 29th in the NFL in average yards per game (324.5) and in eight of 13 games, they haven’t gotten to 20 points. It is worth noting, though, that Tennessee has these weird point outbursts at times – 42 against Tampa, 33 against Indy, 34 against New Orleans and 42 against Jacksonville. On those days, the Titans get a ton of big plays from quarterback Marcus Mariota, Delanie Walker, Kendall Wright and rookie Dorial Green-Beckham. But, for the most part, Tennessee struggles to move the ball down the field on any kind of extended drives. They are 33 percent for the season on third down. Dexter McCluster, who was their changeup back, has gone to injured reserve leaving Antonio Adams as the lead running back. He’s averaging 3.7 yards per carry and leads the team with 127 carries for 474 yards. With the Patriots likely getting Donta Hightower back this week, the Titans are going to be up against it in the running game. New England’s been very good at creating negative plays defensively in the running game. So that will leave it to Mariota. The rookie’s preferred target has been Walker. The Patriots won’t let him beat them so they’ll make sure he’s taken away and then let Mariota try to find Green-Beckham, who’s got 24 catches for 415 yards. Wright is out of this game and that will hurt. He’s the second-most productive receiver with 33 catches for 390 yards. Mariota has taken care of the ball for the most part – 19 touchdowns and 10 picks with a 62.7 completion percentage. He also can get out of the pocket and do damage with his feet so expect the Patriots to stress discipline in their pass rush and not allow any rushing lanes for Mariota to slither through. It’s hard to find a way the Titans will do much on offense unless Mariota plays out of his mind.
THE KICKING GAME
The Titans main return guy, Dexter McCluster, is done for the year so there will be changes afoot in the punt and kickoff return game. The Titans are not good in punt coverage for punter Brett Kern. They are allowing 14.7 yards per return. That’s the worst in the NFL. Kicker Ryan Succop missed two field goals this season, both from beyond 50 yards out. For the Patriots, the quest to get a reliable punt returner not named Edelman or Amendola continues. Keshawn Martin was doing fine last week until he muffed one and then was put on ice for the rest of the game with Amendola coming on in relief. With temperatures dropping, the kickoff return game will start to become a part of games since footballs don’t fly as far in the cold. The Patriots are second in the NFL in kickoff coverage.
PATRIOTS MEDICAL REPORT
OUT: LB Jonathan Freeny (hand), LB Eric Martin (illness); DOUBTFUL: WR Julian Edelman (foot); QUESTIONABLE: QB Tom Brady (illness), TE Scott Chandler (knee), S Patrick Chung (foot), LB Donta Hightower (knee), G Josh Kline (shoulder), S Devin McCourty (ankle), WR Matt Slater (stinger). PROBABLE: WR Danny Amendola (knee), CB Justin Coleman (hand), DE Chandler Jones (abdomen)
TITANS MEDICAL REPORT
OUT: DT Mike Martin (knee), LB Derrick Morgan (shoulder), S Da’Norris Search (hamstring), WR Kendall Wright (ribs). QUESTIONABLE: TE Phillip Supernaw (foot). PROBABLE: LB David Bass (hip), DT Sammie Lee Hill (knee)
GAME WITHIN THE GAME
Keeping an eye on the players the Patriots added this week like wide receiver Leonard Hankerson, offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle, fullback Joey Iosefa and running back Montee Ball. They may see no time at all – Ball would have to be elevated from the practice squad – but it’s interesting to see an 11-2 team adding the castoffs of teams like Atlanta and Detroit or – in Ball’s case – no team in particular.
TITANS GOTTA STOP
Rob Gronkowski. Back to full speed, Gronk is the straw that will stir the drink for the Patriots offense in this one, especially with the problems Jacksonville routinely has in downfield coverage.
PATRIOTS GOTTA STOP
Delanie Walker. The Titans tight end is far and away their most productive receiver leading the team in catches (74), yards (871) and touchdown catches (4). The Patriots could treat Walker as a wide receiver at 6-foot, 248 pounds and put a corner on him like Logan Ryan who’s done well against big wideouts. Or they could just run Patrick Chung at him, though Chung is better against the bigger-bodied tight ends.
THAT SUMS IT UP PATRIOTS STYLE
“I think he’s done a good job. He’s hitting a lot of passes, hasn’t turned the ball over a lot, has had his share of touchdown passes, makes his share of big plays, reads coverages. I think you see him throwing the ball to the right spot. I don’t know exactly what he’s being told to do but generally speaking it looks like he’s throwing the ball to the right spot, throwing it where he should be throwing it. I think he’s coming along well.” – Bill Belichick on Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota.
THAT SUMS IT UP TITANS STYLE
“One thing about the Patriots is they can have an injury in one place or another and you think that’s going to affect that phase – I have yet to see that happen with that team. It’s well-coached, and with the way the players respond to having to fill in, whatever way they think they need to attack us, it’s going to be the mode. …We know in the run game, we can be tested no matter who is in there right now.” – Mike Mularkey on whether he expects the Patriots running game to sag without LeGarrette Blount.
VEGAS SAYS
Patriots were favored by 14.5 on Bovada.com and the total was 47. Tennessee is 0-7 against the spread in the past four weeks of the regular season over the last three years. The Titans are 7-20 against the spread the last two years.
THE WINNER IS...
Patriots 31, Titans 13