Titans @ Patriots: Must Win-Must Lose

When the Tennessee Titans travel to Foxboro for a week 15 match-up with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon, the only person in the Titans organization who needs a win, is interim head coach Mike Mularkey.

Of course, the Patriots need a win to keep home field advantage throughout the 2015 playoffs, but there is nothing in it for the 3-9 Titans.

My colleague and co-editor here at TitanSized Will Lomas has already made the move to setting up the 2016 NFL Deaft for team needs, and the only thing that would mess up the works, and his projections are a couple of wins down the stretch.

As luck would have it, future Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady missed practice on Friday with an unexplained illness, and is questionable for Sunday’s game, but whether he is under center or not, probably won’t make much difference in this game.

Especially if the visiting Titans show up with the same enthusiasm they unveiled in New Jersey last Sunday.

Super-stud tight end, Rob Gronkowski had a day off for unknown reasons as well but is scheduled to be on the field to terrorize the Dick LeBeau defense on Sunday.

We couldn’t get that lucky and spend a day at Gillette Stadium with no Brady and no Gronk!

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has a couple of concerns going into this match-up, but you can be sure that he will game-plan to whatever strengths he thinks the Titans may have.

He isn’t crazy about the pass rush that up until a couple of weeks ago was deadly, and stunt rushes by Brian Orakpo.

Belicheck is also concerned with Delanie Walker, and his ability to get open in the mid-range and making plays that move the chains.

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His biggest concern however, is Marcus Mariota and his legs.

He expressed in his Friday presser that they would have to do what they could to keep Mariota in the pocket, and force him into making plays downfield.

I’m relatively sure Belichick’s concerns with the Titans are no more than a that of a pesky fly buzzing around his head, but with so many injuries in his lineup, the one person he can’t afford to lose at this point of the season is his quarterback.

But whether the Tennessee Titans face Brady or Jimmy Garaffalo, they will likely need a Christmas miracle if they intend on coming out of the Lion’s Den with a victory. Stranger things have happened, but there’s nothing on my radar that see’s a victory for the Titans.

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What the New England Patriots need here is a win, and what the Tennessee Titans need, is another loss. That makes this a win-win situation for everyone concerned….except for interim head coach, Mike Mularkey.