We're On To The Titans

[TheBostonStraggler]

They (Pats) are never invulnerable

Understood. I went a bit argumentm ad absurdum to make the point some posters are treating the Titans, and even the potential follow up Jags/Steelers, as not real competition. In my own view of watching the Patriots I am cautiously, very cautiously, optimistic but recognize the soft areas shown could be an undoing from any team including the Titans -- any team that comes in and plays tough, solid man coverage, attack the short-mid middle with their passing game, play largely mistake free football.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not one to say "the better team didn't win." The Titans showed heart and 60-minuteness in their win against the Chiefs - and you can add in there, they're coming off that huge confidence builder. Assuming we're the team in the position to finish, we better finish against these guys.

The better team lost IMHO. If that loudmouth Kelce doesn't go down KC probably wins by a score, maybe more. But that falls into the 'if I picked yesterday's powerball numbers two days ago I'd be a millionaire. The Titans won, they've also won more games than they've lost, their inexperienced team put together a good comeback in a tough stadium on national playoff TV, that's enough to make them competition for victory if the Patriots don't bring their A game or put together at least 2 A game quarters. Yes IF they bring their A game then I'm over confident, however, I'd feel better about that if the Patriots had shown a couple of 4 quarter A games recently.

Finally, will we have to play better than we have been? Yes. It's the playoffs. At this point, unless they go the other way and utterly crap the bed, you get everybody's best.

It's the playoffs = assume playing better and everybody's best? I don't like being the official naysayer -- I genuinely don't -- but the Jets game of '12(?) and the Ravens game of '10(?) are examples of that not being the case.

And it's still not gameday. d%#*!@t.

Agreed. Hell I'm biting at the chomp just to see the practice participation report (with the game on Saturday do the teams need to report "status" a day early or just DNP or LP).

 

[BobDigital]

I think the Pat will win but thinking this will be a cake walk is wrong. Keep in mind this isn't the Browns or Colts who suck. This is the Titans.

They are not a great team or even good. They are average and very gutsy. The Pats need to take this game seriously or they might lose. Of course they will take it seriously and almost certainly win. Us as fans can choose to do a we wish and it won't effect a thing.

This titans teams has the makings of a team which can make things hard on the Patriots. They do have a very narrow but real path to victory and it isn't entirely dependent on the Pats having an off game. Of course if the Pat come with their A game there is no way they can win.

Usually teams don't play their A game though. That includes the Titans too of course who would likely have to.

 

[JayNM]

Van Noy coming back is the biggest thing going for this team, that no one is talking about (i hope so, cause i aint reading all these posts, lol). If he's 100% and ready to go, it means that we'll see a lot less of Roberts and his more-wrong-than-not instincts.

Is it possible that we see David Harris on the field ? Dude can't run anymore, but he and JH make that middle of the Front 7 very stout

Stopping the run is definitely the number one concern. If Henry and Murray have a mediocre or worse night, this game is going to be in the bag.

Also, DLine needs to keep the momentum from the regular season going, as they cannot revert back to their old form. I don't think Branch will be significant, though, as i think he has very little left

 

[Uptown]

“QB Marcus Mariota threw 13 interceptions from a clean pocket in the regular season, tied with DeShone Kizer for the most picks in the league without any pressure. As a result, Mariota had a passer rating of 78.2 when kept clean, the fifth-lowest in the NFL. On the other hand, Mariota had a passer rating of 82.7 under pressure, which was the third-highest in the NFL. The Titans quarterback threw just two interceptions under pressure all season.”

“Titans cornerbacks have struggled to keep opposing receivers out of the end zone while failing to create turnovers. Adoree’ Jackson and Logan Ryan have allowed five touchdowns apiece and are tied for 11th among cornerbacks in having allowed the most touchdown receptions.

Furthermore, neither cornerback managed to intercept a pass in the regular season as Ryan and Jackson allowed passer ratings of 106.3 and 89.8 respectively.”

“Safety Kevin Byard has been around a lot of big plays this season. While Byard led the league in interceptions with eight, he was also tied for second in receiving touchdowns allowed as he was in primary coverage on six touchdown passes in the regular season.”


Safety Johnathan Cyprien has been a liability in coverage for the Titans this season. Cyprien allowed a passer rating of 141.4 in the regular season, the third highest among all safeties in the NFL. Furthermore, quarterbacks completed 22-of-28 passes into Cyprien’s coverage for 262 yards and three touchdowns while the Tennessee safety failed to break up or intercept a pass this season.

Tennessee edge rushers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan quietly had solid seasons in 2017. Orakpo and Morgan ranked in the Top 11 among 3-4 outside linebackers in total pressures in the regular season as they recorded 58 and 52 respectively.

Know Your Opponent: Regular-season Titans offensive and defensive stats from PFF

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Understood. I went a bit argumentm ad absurdum to make the point some posters are treating the Titans, and even the potential follow up Jags/Steelers, as not real competition. In my own view of watching the Patriots I am cautiously, very cautiously, optimistic but recognize the soft areas shown could be an undoing from any team including the Titans -- any team that comes in and plays tough, solid man coverage, attack the short-mid middle with their passing game, play largely mistake free football.



The better team lost IMHO. If that loudmouth Kelce doesn't go down KC probably wins by a score, maybe more. But that falls into the 'if I picked yesterday's powerball numbers two days ago I'd be a millionaire. The Titans won, they've also won more games than they've lost, their inexperienced team put together a good comeback in a tough stadium on national playoff TV, that's enough to make them competition for victory if the Patriots don't bring their A game or put together at least 2 A game quarters. Yes IF they bring their A game then I'm over confident, however, I'd feel better about that if the Patriots had shown a couple of 4 quarter A games recently.



It's the playoffs = assume playing better and everybody's best? I don't like being the official naysayer -- I genuinely don't -- but the Jets game of '12(?) and the Ravens game of '10(?) are examples of that not being the case.




Agreed. Hell I'm biting at the chomp just to see the practice participation report (with the game on Saturday do the teams need to report "status" a day early or just DNP or LP).

okay, some arguable opinions coming...

1) the team that won was the better team. You’re better if you score more points, that’s what winning means. Mastering/controlling the limited opportunities in a tournament scenario - win or go home - is what constitutes good now. It’s so hard to control that limited sliver over time that when it happens we call it a dynasty.

2) you all but admitted this, but... “if Kelce hadn’t gone down”? Come on, man. Now I’ll admit I’ve probably said the same sort of thing about Gronkless big games. But reality? Anybody can be banged up, or lost in-game. Different impacts for different players, sure. But it’s a dynamic game. As a fan I’d hope against hope no matter who went down... and as players, I’d hope the team itself would continue with the attitude that the game doesn’t end when one players game ends.

3) As a fan, like you, I’m cautiously optimistic. 2007 taught me a lot about that. I guess I can’t ever get “no way we can lose” giddy again. But really, that’s just our own coping mechanism and does not matter. It’s already been a decade since then, and the heart and hormones progressively decline in anybody after a certain age. Maybe the younger members should therefore be forgiven any irrational exuberance.

So I agree, the truth of the matter is we’re just another team in the hunt... it could all be over this week. Hell, the Titans have been through the fire of a come-from-behind playoff victory... the 2017-18 Pats are 0-0 in the playoffs (although some key players and coaches do have considerable post-season experience.)

 

[PatsFanInVa]

“QB Marcus Mariota threw 13 interceptions from a clean pocket in the regular season, tied with DeShone Kizer for the most picks in the league without any pressure. As a result, Mariota had a passer rating of 78.2 when kept clean, the fifth-lowest in the NFL. On the other hand, Mariota had a passer rating of 82.7 under pressure, which was the third-highest in the NFL. The Titans quarterback threw just two interceptions under pressure all season.”

“Titans cornerbacks have struggled to keep opposing receivers out of the end zone while failing to create turnovers. Adoree’ Jackson and Logan Ryan have allowed five touchdowns apiece and are tied for 11th among cornerbacks in having allowed the most touchdown receptions.

Furthermore, neither cornerback managed to intercept a pass in the regular season as Ryan and Jackson allowed passer ratings of 106.3 and 89.8 respectively.”

“Safety Kevin Byard has been around a lot of big plays this season. While Byard led the league in interceptions with eight, he was also tied for second in receiving touchdowns allowed as he was in primary coverage on six touchdown passes in the regular season.”


Safety Johnathan Cyprien has been a liability in coverage for the Titans this season. Cyprien allowed a passer rating of 141.4 in the regular season, the third highest among all safeties in the NFL. Furthermore, quarterbacks completed 22-of-28 passes into Cyprien’s coverage for 262 yards and three touchdowns while the Tennessee safety failed to break up or intercept a pass this season.

Tennessee edge rushers Brian Orakpo and Derrick Morgan quietly had solid seasons in 2017. Orakpo and Morgan ranked in the Top 11 among 3-4 outside linebackers in total pressures in the regular season as they recorded 58 and 52 respectively.

Know Your Opponent: Regular-season Titans offensive and defensive stats from PFF

No mention of Ryan is to NE as Harrison is to Pixburgh?

 

[sb1]

Would be nice to take D-Henry out of the game with a big Patriot lead. Though our weakness is to the outside in the run defense... Henry seems like more of a north south guy.

 

[Keyser Söze]

Force Mariota to throw the ball. Keep him contained when he wants to scramble and this is an easy win.

 

[Deus Irae]

Yes, say anything stupid and several posters attack

fixed

 

[Sicilian]

Strange, especially considering it is not even that negative. It is a qb/offensive league so of course brady has to play well if the club is going to win.

For me, it wasn't so much the negativity as it was an interesting choice: To cite a game played against a better defense that we ultimately ended up winning by three scores, and using that as some blueprint for how the Patriots could lose this game. Clearly they have the ability to overcome a subpar Brady performance in a playoff game (it's happened multiple times), so it comes across as just an excuse to criticize Brady.

In general, I think you'll find there are several posters here who find the fault and negativity in everything that happens. Which is fine, there's always room for criticism and analysis, but when it happens constantly, you have to wonder just how much unprecedented success this team would have to have in order for these folks to actually acknowledge how special a stretch this has been.

 

[WaterfallJumper]

Would be nice to take D-Henry out of the game with a big Patriot lead. Though our weakness is to the outside in the run defense... Henry seems like more of a north south guy.

Henry seems to do best when he can gain the edge and turn into a downhill runner. While he can go through the tackles, he does most of his damage on the outside with his runaway freight train style.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Henry seems to do best when he can gain the edge and turn into a downhill runner. While he can go through the tackles, he does most of his damage on the outside with his runaway freight train style.

I think we are gonna see just how helpful Harrison will be in the playoffs.

 

[Chris Stevenson]

Van Noy coming back is the biggest thing going for this team, that no one is talking about (i hope so, cause i aint reading all these posts, lol). If he's 100% and ready to go, it means that we'll see a lot less of Roberts and his more-wrong-than-not instincts.

Is it possible that we see David Harris on the field ? Dude can't run anymore, but he and JH make that middle of the Front 7 very stout

Stopping the run is definitely the number one concern. If Henry and Murray have a mediocre or worse night, this game is going to be in the bag.

Also, DLine needs to keep the momentum from the regular season going, as they cannot revert back to their old form. I don't think Branch will be significant, though, as i think he has very little left

Agreed. Not sure what Branch's deal was, other than the obvious "I have 2 rings and I am checking out" routine that can sometimes happen, where BB saw it and benched him for it.

I did see him playing better, though, before he got hurt.

 

[RobertWeathers]

Van Noy coming back is the biggest thing going for this team, that no one is talking about (i hope so, cause i aint reading all these posts, lol)

I'm not sure why no one is talking about but him but he is incredibly important to the defense in all areas. He has become Hightower light.

. If he's 100% and ready to go, it means that we'll see a lot less of Roberts and his more-wrong-than-not instincts.

Roberts is the Kevin House (Celtics shooting guard from 2008-2010) of the Patriots. When he is on and picking gaps- look out. If he is off, sit him immediately.

Is it possible that we see David Harris on the field ? Dude can't run anymore, but he and JH make that middle of the Front 7 very stout

Maybe as Henry is a power back and not a speedy guy. Plus if Roberts is guessing wrong he might get pulled.

Stopping the run is definitely the number one concern. If Henry and Murray have a mediocre or worse night, this game is going to be in the bag.

Agree. Is Murray going to play?

Also, DLine needs to keep the momentum from the regular season going, as they cannot revert back to their old form. I don't think Branch will be significant, though, as i think he has very little left

Branch can still play when he wants to but he is near the end. I question his conditioning. Not sure what kind of shape his knee is in. Thats a question.

 

[maineman209]

 

[luuked]

Just like Jeff Fisher would.. amirite ?

 

[TomPatriot]

I'd feel better about that if the Patriots had shown a couple of 4 quarter A games recently.

You're a tough audience. The Pats blew Buffalo off the field in the 4Q in Week 16. They were fortunate to win but they outscored the Steelers 11-0 in the 4Q the previous week.

I just don't think the Titans are that good. The Chiefs lost Kelce and then really played way too cautiously with the lead.

The Titans really don't play that fast or that physical; they aren't the Steelers. Compared tote Bills-Jags, they play soft. No doubt the Pats cannot take them for granted but I see Tennessee starting well and then struggling to stay in the game in the second half.

 

[mosslost]

Sounds good, but what's the math on beating a single opponent three times in a season? I don't know, just asking; there are those who call familiarity an equalizer.

this is the first time we are playing them

 

[Pats1989]

OT here: does anyone know the last time the Patriots got a pick six? It seems like forever ago.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

this is the first time we are playing them

Since 2015 at that, iirc.

That was in reference to somebody saying he would have wanted the Bills again.