NFL Game Preview: Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots
By Jason Peters
Are you as excited as Colin? Don McPeak-US PRESSWIRE
Well, ladies and gentleman, the time for football has finally arrived. As with the start to any season, each team has an abundance of optimism and confidence, feeling assured that this is the year they and their teammates will nab the elusive Lombardi trophy. While things are no different for the Tennessee Titans, we certainly face a challenging start to the season, as we prepare to face the New England Patriots for the opening of the season.
The festivities kick off this Sunday, Sep. 9’th at 1 PM EST/10 AM PST. The regional affiliate for CBS will be broadcasting the game if you live in the area, and of course, you can catch all of the action on DirecTV on channel 712 (assuming you don’t spend your entire Sunday with one Mr. Andrew Siciliano).
Photography: Jim O
The last time we played the Patriots was in 2009. It did not end well for us. However, things look a whole lot different in Nashville these days. Gone are Jeff Fisher and Vince Young, replaced by shiny new additions Jake Locker and Mike Munchak. The Smash has since been dropped from Smash and Dash (we are also noticeably absent of ECD, Every Coaches Dream), Britt has begun hitting his prime, and Kendall Wright, as well as a new approach to offense, has us primed to develop into an explosive offense.
But, let’s not mistake the situation; we are still developing. Jake Locker and Kendall Wright will be making their first-ever regular season starts, and doing so against a perennial post-season team. Our defense is starting to come together, both in terms of scheme and personnel, but these are the New England Patriots, or perhaps more accurately, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Last season, the Patriots offense averaged 428 yards a game.By contrast, the Titans defense allowed 355 yards per game. Both teams finished on the right side of .500, so it really should come down to which unit can play better: The Patriots offense, or the Titans defense. Either way, prepare yourself for an engaging battle of youth and athleticism, versus experience and mastery of execution.