AFC Divisonal: #5 Tennessee (10-7) @ #1 New England (13-3) - 1/13/2018
- Thread starter Crusaders
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14Red
Well-known member
Not a shock on the early line. Tenn was a 9 point underdog at KC. Two things that Tennessee does that keeps them in most games, they can run the ball and they can stop the run pretty effectively. The 2nd doesn't hurt the Pats too much as they use their short passing game as a defunct running game. We'll see what happens!
14Red
Well-known member
If it would only be that easy. Mariota is going to have to make some plays in the passing game. NE's defense does not scare me, they've given up some points this year. Can the Titan defense make Brady uncomfortable enough and can they somehow control Gronk. Dick LeBeau will have a good plan to attack them, can it be executed and of course you need some luck as well.
Neopolitan
Cooling Off
Historically terrible divisional round team vs pis*ed off Brady & Bellichik = blowout
I want to see them save the blowout for the Steelers
cabezadecaballo
Well-known member
wow...still salty ? The old guy has been gone for 3 years and it hasn't been much different :shrug:
14Red
Well-known member
Much like last weekend, the Titans go into Saturday night's game a huge underdog. All you can do is stay in the game, try to make Brady uncomfortable and hang around into the 4th quarter and see what happens. Like last week as well, Marcus will need to make some plays in the passing game and with his legs.
Sports-Replays got the Patriots winning in a close one, 17-10.
Check this replay out at www.sports-replays.com/replays
Check this replay out at www.sports-replays.com/replays
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Sig Hansen
Well-known member
The Patriots are playing the Tennessee Titans
Neopolitan
Cooling Off
^^^
I hope they stay pissed for the championship round, so they can blowout the Steelers
There is no way the Steelers are losing to Jax. Jax has no QB, and I think their defense is s little overrated. We will see today how good their defense is. If it is as good as people are talking about the Steelers will be held down today, and the came might be closer
14Red
Well-known member
The Titans hung around for a quarter, then once the Pats got into a rhythm, it was pretty easy to see how this one was going to turn out. I wasn't even mad, you could just see the Titan defense - a strength of the team - was overmatched. You have to have quick, athletic linebackers to cover the Patriot running backs and receivers. You have to single Gronk, and by the time you do that, you can't get pressure on Brady unless you blitz. The Titans got little pressure on Brady, and 0 turnovers, so it's difficult to win that way.
I thought the Titan offense was pretty good the first half, but still only had 7 points. You have to score with the Patriots. Winning a 14-10 type game with the is difficult to fathom. Mariota had a good game, and it still was long from good enough.
The Titans are on the right track. Mularkey got an extension yesterday and it seems like the entire staff is coming back. But this team is on borrowed time. If they get off to a slow start next season, look for Mularkey to get replaced quickly. The win vs. the Jags and the KC playoff win saved him for at least the first few games of 2018. I'm not saying I'm in total agreement with this,but again as we always say with coaching, unless you lock/ stock have a better candidate coming, why make a change just to make a change. It appears the Titan players like playing for Mularkey. One real positive is that Corey Davis appears to finally be the real deal after a very disappointing rookie season.
I thought the Titan offense was pretty good the first half, but still only had 7 points. You have to score with the Patriots. Winning a 14-10 type game with the is difficult to fathom. Mariota had a good game, and it still was long from good enough.
The Titans are on the right track. Mularkey got an extension yesterday and it seems like the entire staff is coming back. But this team is on borrowed time. If they get off to a slow start next season, look for Mularkey to get replaced quickly. The win vs. the Jags and the KC playoff win saved him for at least the first few games of 2018. I'm not saying I'm in total agreement with this,but again as we always say with coaching, unless you lock/ stock have a better candidate coming, why make a change just to make a change. It appears the Titan players like playing for Mularkey. One real positive is that Corey Davis appears to finally be the real deal after a very disappointing rookie season.
adselder09
Well-known member
Two biggest plays of this game were the offensive pass interference on Decker which ended a Titan drive in the 2nd Qtr (changed a converted 3rd and 4 to replaying 3rd and 14), and it wasn't even close to PI. The other was the offsides on 4th and 5 deep in NE territory with the Pats punting. Could have been called either way, looked like the OG was leaning back and the LS definitely used an effective headbob on his snap, but NE went down right after that and scored to go ahead 14-7. Titans pretty much didn't stand a chance after that.
... what got me was Gronk did the exact same thing on NE next offensive series and nothing was called ... NE always seems to get the benefit of the doubt.
14Red
Well-known member
They were big at the time, but do you really think that the Pats don't get on the roll they did in the 2nd half? I mean it wasn't PI and it stalled the driver for that play. On the punt play, why is the Titan player even leaning at that point? There is absolutely no need to even be in a rush position at that time. As big of fan as I am of the Titans, those two calls didn't lose the game.
14Red
Well-known member
The best teams always seem to make the calls go their way. The Pats are just so good though. Brady was dealing on our defense, Romo was pointing out the flaw in the defense on the right side where the Pats were running left. Just some simple pre snap reads that makes you always seem to be in the right play.
Yes, we stopped them a few times in the early going, but they were just looking things over, then making adjustments and barring a few tipped passes or a punt/ kick return for a TD, we were overmatched. Good experience for our young guys though, especially MM.
adselder09
Well-known member
Well the interference call was a 3rd down conversion which put the ball just shy of midfield and instead made it 3rd and long resulting in a Titan punt. The offsides penalty gave the Pats a 1st Down in which they went down and scored right before half. Downplay them all you want, but they were huge calls and both went in favor of NE. Shocker. Going into half tied at 7 or even up 14/10-7 would have been huge for Tennessee. Instead they were down 14-7 and the Pats offense got in their groove in the 2nd half.
adselder09
Well-known member
Think I saw that one, but it was actually 5-10 yards downfield. Decker's was at the LOS. He was getting off a jam initiated by the defensive player. It just looked worse because the DB fell/tripped.
14Red
Well-known member
You are assuming the Titans go down and score at midfield. Even with the penalty on the punt, the Pats had 7-8 more plays before they scored. So they had chances to stop them. Not downplaying, just staying that just because you had a couple penaltys on ONE PLAY go against you, there was several opportunities to turn things around.