After a week of preparation for the Titans, I can confidently say that although there are a lot of Patriot connections on this Tennessee team, they are not the Patriots.
So how much does it really help Mike Vrabel and his staff to have the "inside" information on how Bill Belichick prepares his team? I think it's also very important to wonder if Vrabel will follow the first rule in Belichick's defensive philosophy: Take away what the opposing team does best and ruthlessly exploit weaknesses.
After watching numerous Titans games from this season and having hometown knowledge of the Patriots, I'm confident in saying both are "gameplan" teams. Both teams basically scrap the previous week's gameplan and start from scratch with each new opponent. This doesn't mean that they actually create new plays. Rather, they have a catalog or menu of schemes and adjustments that they consider and ultimately choose from. In the case of the Patriots, this catalog has been built throughout the duration of Tom Brady's career.
To me, the interesting storylines with this game and what I will be looking for are the following:
- How are the Patriots going to try and go after Malcolm Butler, and how is Vrabel going to protect him?
- How are the Titans going to try and take James White out of the game?
- If White is taken away from Brady, who will step up for the Patriots?
- How are the Titans going to try and utilize Dion Lewis in the passing game?
- How are the Titans going to use Marcus Mariota in the run game?
- As I evaluate the Titans, I see a team that plays hard, has an identity and has younger talent that is very promising for the future.
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