Titans vs. Patriots: Reasons for optimism and concern for Tennessee

Optimism: A struggling Pats passing attack

Tom Brady is coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2019, and Week 17 against the Dolphins was a microcosm of that after he completed just 16-of-29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns to one interception.

While he still threw for over 4,000 yards, the future Hall of Fame quarterback’s completion percentage (60.8), average yards per completion (6.6), passer rating (88.0) and passing touchdowns (24) were all some of the lowest marks of his career.

Now, does some of that have drop-off in performance have to do with age? At 42, you’d think so.

However, Brady is also dealing with a lack of reliable weapons to throw to. There is still Julian Edelman along with James White out of the backfield, but there isn’t much for Brady to depend on outside of those two, and his running game hasn’t done enough to support him.

During the season, the Pats also lost guys like Antonio Brown and Josh Gordon for different reasons, so it’s not like there weren’t pieces in place to begin with.

The Titans have struggled against opposing passing attacks of late, as top cornerback Adoree’ Jackson has missed the last four games and Malcolm Butler was already out for the season after being placed on IR following the Week 9 game.

Thankfully for Tennessee, it looks as though Jackson could finally make his return this week after practicing fully on Tuesday and Wednesday; although there’s still no telling just how much he’s going to play.

The recipe for success is very clear for stopping Brady: get pressure, and force someone other than Edelman and White to beat you through the air.