By: Jack Gold
The Tennessee Titans (1-6) host the New England Patriots (2-6) Sunday in what seems to be their most winnable game remaining on the 2024 schedule.
Last Time Out
Titans 14
Lions 52
TEN
Mason Rudolph – 22/38, 266 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT, 4 car, 29 yds, 1 TD
Calvin Ridley – 10 rec, 143 yds, 1 fum
Tony Pollard – 20 car, 94 yds
Arden Key – 6 tkl, 2 sacks, 3 QB hits
DET
Jared Goff – 12/15, 85 yds, 3 TD
Jahmyr Gibbs – 11 car, 127 yds, 1 TD
Sam Laporta – 6 rec, 48 yds, 1 TD
Patriots 25
Jets 22
NE
Jacoby Brissett – 15/24, 132 yds
Rhamondre Stevenson – 20 car, 48 yds, 2 TD
Hunter Henry – 5 rec, 45 yds
NYJ
Aaron Rodgers – 17/28, 233 yds, 2 TD
Garrett Wilson – 5 rec, 113 yds
Breece Hall – 16 car, 80 yds
The Matchup
Tennessee Offense vs New England Defense
The Titans offense has gone from enticing to abysmal. The preseason hype around the unit is now regular-season hopelessness, but facing the Patriots, one of the worst defenses in the NFL may be exactly what the doctor ordered.
Let’s take the positive outlook on the unit – though it may be unthinkable, there is one. Will Levis has barely played, the offensive line is improving every week, Tony Pollard looks worth every penny you gave him this offseason and Calvin Ridley seems to have figured things out last week.
Yes, the offense has held you back tremendously, and the playoffs are all but out of the picture, but a good performance against a bad unit this week could be the confidence builder they need to build positive momentum for the rest of the season and beyond.
The Patriots’ defense is uninspiring and only got worse this week when they traded away OLB Josh Uche to the Chiefs. Head Coach Jerod Mayo called the team “soft” last week when asked about their performance, and the team somewhat responded on Sunday, but the win was more of a product of the Jets ineptitude than a Pats revival.
CB Christian Gonzalez and DE Keion White are both exciting young talents, but far too little to carry the unit.
Tennessee Defense vs New England Offense
The Tennessee defense did not have their best showing on Sunday, but they were by no means 52 points bad – that was a product of terrible special teams play and untimely turnovers. Sunday should be a get-right game for them against one of the worst offensive lines and skill position groups in the NFL with either a backup or a rookie leading the way at quarterback.
Rookie third-overall pick Drake Maye has looked promising in the first few games of his career, but as many expected may happen with a bad o-line and no weapons to throw to, he was injured Sunday and is still in concussion protocol this week. His status is in the air for Sunday. The Patriots likely won’t rush him back as they are in a similar position to the Titans season-wise, and a Jacoby Brissett start would probably be the more likely option of the two at this point.
Brissett is what he is. Like Mason Rudolph, he is a professional backup. He won’t raise the ceiling of your offense, and won’t look good in a bad situation, but he can keep you in games and get the job done on a team that plays complimentary football – unfortunately for the Pats, they don’t.
The most talented player of their offense is RB Rhamondre Stevenson, an elusive, multi-purpose back with a fumble problem that has reared its head this year. Despite the talent he possesses, he cannot carry a unit in Derrick Henry-esque fashion and has a tough matchup against the Titans front of T’Vondre Sweat and Jeff Simmons.
Things to Watch
Will Levis play, and how will he look?
Back to some positivity… Don’t give up quite yet on the hopes and dreams of Will Levis becoming a franchise QB.
Levis has only played four full games this year! Granted, he has not met expectations, but he is only 12 games into his young career. His mistakes have been backbreaking, but the majority of his play thus far has been fine for a young QB learning a new system with new faces everywhere. The brutal turnovers are what have many people ready to call it quits on the second-year QB, but there is a reason he was a second-rounder. This was always going to be a process, and though fans may be over the Levis experience, the team is not. They’ve shown that with their steadfast commitment to him as the starter, and if he’s healthy, he will get the chance to prove the fanbase right for believing in him this offseason.
Will it be Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett?
As previously noted, Brissett is merely a serviceable backup. Maye is an enticing young player with franchise QB talent. The Pats’ offensive ceiling is raised with Maye at the helm, but they have zero reason to bring him back before he feels comfortable, and with the rise in concussion discussions (see Tua Tagovailoa), it would be decently surprising to see him back this quick after the hit he took last week.
Jerome Baker and Cedrick Gray Debut
Acquired in the Ernest Jones trade, LB Jerome Baker was inactive last week to give him time to adjust to the new situation. He will likely play Sunday, and though he was mainly just a throw-in in the trade, he was recently viewed as an exciting young player and still has potential in there somewhere. The Titans are in need at LB after the Jones trade and though Jack Gibbens is a fine player, it’s clear he isn’t the long-term solution alongside Kenneth Murray.
At the same spot, rookie fourth-round pick Cedrick Gray was activated to the 53-man roster on Monday after a shoulder injury held him out nearly the entire year. Gray was at one point this offseason viewed as a potential starter and will likely get his chance to play on Sunday.
Can Calvin Ridley build off last week?
Despite the loss, Calvin Ridley looked dominant last week. It was clearly in the game plan to get him touches early and often and he rewarded the staff for that plan. Against a Lions defense that primarly plays man-to-man, Ridley consistently won one-on-one matchups en route to a 10 catch 143 yard performance. Ridley will look to continue to produce and live up to his contract on Sunday.
Game Information
Tennessee Titans vs New England Patriots
Time: November 3, 2024 @ 12:00 PM CDT
Location: Nissan Stadium (Nashville, TN)
TV Broadcast: WZTV FOX 17
TV Broadcast Crew: Jason Benetti, Mark Schlereth, Jen Hale
Radio: Titans Radio (104-5 The Zone)
Radio Crew: Mike Keith, Dave McGinnis, Ramon Foster, Rhett Bryan, Amie Wells
Referee: Alex Kemp
Line: TEN -3
Over/Under: 37.5
