Titans ? pffft : Tennessee is now 1-6 and is going to show you this game, The NFL, isn’t fantasy football. The Titans, like the Pats, fired their head coach of just six years, Mike Vrabel, after consecutive losing seasons. Then went out and hired flavor of the month Brian Callahan from the Bungles. And then went on a spending spree in free agency… How’d that work out for you? Are you getting the impression I don’t like Nashville ? You’re right – I don’t. I can’t stand the town, its fans, and especially the fact they still wear Oilers gear. God, I’m going to be sick. So here are my Monster Keys to Beating the Titans.
Get to the Edges
With Jacoby “more likely than not” starting Sunday, I think the Pats need to establish their run game early. This is not going to be an easy task. The Titans run D up the middle is as scary as watching the Exorcist at the age of 12. With T’Vondre Sweat, Sebation-Joseph Day and Jeff Simmons upfront, it’s like Facing Jason, Michael Myers and Freddy Krueger. Hopefully the Pats will be able to get the stretch run game going. Get to the edges, go off guard Sunday kids and get into second, third and short. This is the week for the JET SWEEPS.
Motion – Motion – Motion
Be it from shotgun or under center, the Patriots need to help out Brissett with motion. The Titans D is no joke, giving up just 265 yards per game. When it comes to schemes, they hide under their Halloween masks well. Dropping rushers into coverage and bringing blitzers from where you don’t expect them. Pre-snap and on-snap motion can help to give Jacoby indicators of where it’s coming from and who may be dropping out. Also it can give the Patriot’s receivers a head start in getting a bit of short zone separation. Pick on these nickel linebackers and get me YAK.
Tempo – Control the tempo of this game, the Pats did a good job of this last week and ended up winning TOP.
Limit the Laundry – think the Patriots have penalty issues? The titans are worse. 13 false starts this season , 10 defensive holding calls. Don’t let these numbers even out. Take the free yards they give-up and don’t hand them back.
Win The Turnover Battle – the Pats will need to be a plus 2 in this department for a chance to go back to back in the W column.
Own Third Down – This again is a must turn Key. The Titans are 30th in the league at converting. Let’s keep them there.
Red Zone – Over the last three games the Titans are grabbing sixes at a 55% rate. Over the same time, the Pats are an eye popping 85%. Hurray Rhamondre !!! Let’s get in there, and force them to settle.
Flip the Field – don’t kick it down the middle please. Keep up the good work Marcus Jones and company.
Again Man Up
I loved the lack of two highs last week and so did the scoreboard. Whoever is under center for Houstonville on Sunday keep to man – D and again selling out to stop the run game. The second level is going to need to be quick to the ball as the Titans are going to want to get to the edges themselves running outside zone. Get there and give Tony Pollard nightmares. I’m confident in Gonzales shutting down Ridley. Take away their best players. And force the Titans to find points elsewhere.
That’s it, my rabid readers. I’m already hearing the rhetoric about draft position coming into this matchup. Trust me there is no Joe Alt in this year’s draft I’m looking at. I want WINS. I want this team moving in the right direction. For the first time since week one this squad looked like an actual football team last week. Let’s keep that going and make this a destination for next year’s crop of free agents.
As always you can follow / give me grief on X Twitter @Tmurph207
“Remarkable piece of content! 👏 Your expert analysis and clear communication make complex concepts easy to grasp. This is definitely going in my bookmarks.”