Titans coach Mike Vrabel explains why Patriots are ‘huge challenge’ this week originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Tennessee Titans will come to Gillette Stadium on Sunday to play the hottest team in the NFL: The New England Patriots.
The Patriots have the league’s longest active win streak at five games, a run that’s seen them climb from 2-4 to first place in the AFC East at 7-4.
New England also leads the league with a plus-123 point differential, including a defense that ranks No. 1 in points allowed per game.
For these reasons and others, Titans head coach Mike Vrabel called his team’s upcoming Week 12 matchup with the Patriots a “huge challenge.”
“They have created 13 turnovers in five games, and obviously they have won five games in a row. The No.1 scoring defense in the league, offense has been very efficient, No.6 scoring offense,” Vrabel said at a press conference Monday.
“They are not turning it over, they are not doing things to beat themselves. Obviously they have done a great job of taking advantage of bad football. (They’re) well-coached, they are running the football, they are playing physical. It will be a huge challenge.”
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The Titans offense has taken a step back since star running back Derrick Henry suffered an ankle injury in Week 8 that forced him to exit the lineup and miss over a month of action. He will not be available for Sunday’s game in New England.
Tennessee scored only 13 points and committed five turnovers Sunday versus a Houston Texans team that entered the game with a 1-8 record. The Texans won 22-13.
Sunday’s showdown is an important game for both the Patriots and Titans in the AFC playoff picture.
A win for the Titans would give them a two-game lead over the Patriots and the head-to-head tiebreaker. A victory for the Patriots would move them ahead of the Titans in the AFC standings via the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Patriots-Titans is the marquee game Sunday, and it should be an exciting one given the stakes.