Patriots see familiar faces in Tennessee
The New England Patriots play the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 1 p.m. The Titans should be referred to be as the Patriots South because they have Logan Ryan, Malcolm Butler, Josh Kline and Deion Lewis. Their head coach is former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel and their general manager is Jon Robinson who was the Patriots director of college scouting. Their defensive coordinator is Dean Pees who was the Patriots defensive coordinator. The Patriots hope to make it seven straight wins against the Titans as they head into their bye week.
Julian Edelman said Wednesday that it will be interesting competing against former teammates Butler and Ryan. Edelman is particularly impressed with Butler given that he has gone from undrafted rookie to Super Bowl MVP to receiving a large contract. Butler has struggled in Tennessee despite the Titans being ranked No. 1 in many categories defensively. The Titans enter the game with the Patriots with renewed confidence after beating the Dallas Cowboys Monday night coming off their bye week. Before their bye week, the Titans had lost three straight games including a woeful loss to the Buffalo Bills. The Titans beat the dysfunctional Dallas Cowboys Monday night and Marcus Mariota executed the reed option well.
SERIES HISTORY: 40th regular-season meeting. Patriots lead series, 23-15-1. It has not been much of a rivalry. The Patriots beat the Titans in the playoffs last year and beat the Titans in 2004 in the playoffs on the way to their second Super Bowl win. The Oilers also came into Foxborough in 1978 and defeated the Patriots in their first home playoff game. Patriots owner Robert Kraft, then a season ticket-holder, was at the game and remembers the heartbreak.
