Wild Card Round: Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots: Preview, Prediction, and Pick

Game: Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots

Date & Time: Saturday January 4th, 2020, 8:15 (EST)

Location: Gilette Stadium, Foxboro, MA

The Line: New England Patriots -5, O/U 44

TV Channel: CBS

Could this be the end of the Brady/Belichick era? Ryan Tannehill and the Titans are looking to take the Patriots down once and for all.

NFL Season Record: 60-50-3

NFL Playoff Record: 0-0

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots Preview

For the first time since 2009, the Patriots will be playing in the Wild Card Round. With a chance to lock up a 1st-round bye, and at least one home game guaranteed, New England had an inexcusable loss to the 4-win Miami Dolphins in Week 17. It was a disappointing performance by a team that many feel needs to play at home to have a chance to get back to the Super Bowl.

This has been a trying season for a team that still managed to finish with 12 wins. Tom Brady has taken a clear step back, and whether it is his age finally catching up to him, or the lack of weapons to throw to, he hasn’t shown the ability to take over a game like we’ve become accustomed to over the years. May this be the end of the Brady/Belichick era?

The Tennessee Titans made a drastic change in Week 7 when they announced they’d be benching former franchise QB Marcus Mariota in favor of Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill was a former 1st-round pick of the Miami Dolphins who had success when he stayed on the field. The problem for him to this point has been his health. 

Tannehill played admirably when his number was called, finishing the season with 2,742 yards, 22 TDs, and only 6 interceptions. He did all this while completing over 70% of his passes, taking the Titans from a 2-4 record to a 9-7 finish. He was helped by Derrick Henry, who lead the league in rushing with 1,540 yards and 16 touchdowns. With Henry running over defenders on the regular, and the emergence of rookie WR A.J Brown, the Titans have built an explosive offense that has had no trouble scoring as of late.

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots Key Stats

  • The Patriots have not made the Super Bowl since 2001 when playing in the Wild Card Round
  • This is Ryan Tannehill’s first playoff start of his career
  • Tom Brady is 30-10 in the playoffs

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots Betting Lines

  • The O/U for the game is 44
  • The Patriots are 5 point favorites on Draftkings
  • The Patriots are -225 on the ML, Titans +190

Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots Prediction

With the Patriots being 12-4 and hosting a 9 win team, you’d expect them to be favored by more than 5 points. That is not the case, and that’s because they’ve simply struggled to score points without the help of their defense and special teams this season. When they played good teams, they struggled.

This game can get very interesting. If the Titans score early and make the Patriots have to play from behind, they may have trouble, and Tennessee can even steal this game. It is paramount for the Patriots to get an early lead so their defense can make the Titans one dimensional.

As much as I want to believe the Titans can win this game, it’s tough to pick them straight up. However, I’m taking them to cover the 5 points in this one. It’s going to come down to the final few possessions, but I’m not ready to say the Patriots dynasty is going to end Saturday night. However, they may come close.


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