Ravi Konjeti
The Tennessee Titans are rolling into Foxborough to face the New England Patriots in a Wild Card showdown. The Titans are coming in hot after winning seven of their last ten games while the Patriots are fizzling after dropping three out of the last five games.
The Patriots are riding the best defense in the league behind All-Pro Stephon Gilmore. The Pats secondary has been phenomenal this season, particularly limiting touchdowns and forcing turnovers. The Titans have the best running back in the league right now with Derrick Henry, who needs to have a monster game for the Titans to move the ball.
On the flip side, the Titans are facing the greatest of all time in Tom Brady. While Brady is a scary player to face in the postseason, his production on the field has dropped off drastically. To pair with the poor play, the Patriots have struggled to put talent on the field outside of Julian Edelman. With the Titans expected to return Adoree’ Jackson, they should have enough in the secondary to hold off the Pats.
While this is the most favorable matchup the Titans could have gotten in the Wild Card round, I struggle to see the Titans putting enough points on the board to win. I expect Brady to have a strong second quarter, taking a two-possession lead at half.
While I expect the Titans to roar back in the second half, the Pats have enough of a legacy and experience to hold off Henry and Tannehill. Keep an eye out on the weather for potential snow or inclement weather.
Prediction: Patriots 24, Titans 21