New England (2-6) at Tennessee (1-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Titans by 3 1/2.
Against the spread: Patriots 2-5-1; Titans 1-6.
Last meeting: Patriots won 36-13 at New England on Nov. 28, 2021.
Last week: Patriots beat Jets 25-22; Titans lost 52-14 at Lions.
Patriots offense: overall (32), rush (23), pass (32), scoring (30).
Patriots defense: overall (23), rush (22), pass (23), scoring (21).
Titans offense: overall (30), rush (17), pass (31), scoring (28).
Titans defense: overall (1), rush (12), pass (1), scoring (T29).
Turnover differential: Patriots minus-1; Titans minus-13.
Patriots player to watch
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is expected to get his sixth start of the season — his first since being benched in favor of first-round draft pick Drake Maye, who left last week’s game with a concussion. Brissett’s numbers have been pedestrian, but he led New England to two go-ahead scores in the fourth quarter against the Jets, including a 14-yard scramble on a third-and-9 to keep the game-winning touchdown drive alive.
Titans player to watch
QB Will Levis. The 33rd pick overall out of Kentucky in 2023 has missed the past two games with a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder. He hurt the shoulder on Sept. 30 at Miami, which was the Titans’ lone win of the season. The Titans are hoping Levis is able to play. If not, Mason Rudolph will make his third straight start.
Key injuries
Patriots: Maye was pulled from the Jets game by an NFL spotter and is in the concussion protocol, but he had progressed enough for limited practice during the week. He was designated as questionable for the game. … T Vederian Lowe (ankle/shoulder) and LB Christian Elliss (abdomen) missed practice on Wednesday but had limited participation later in the week and was listed as questionable on Friday. … WR Ja’Lynn Polk was also in the concussion protocol.
Titans: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quadriceps) was ruled out and will miss a third straight game. … RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring) was also listed as out, as was OL Andrew Rupcich (triceps). … Levis had limited participation on the final practice report of the week and was listed as questionable.
Series notes
The franchises are both charter members of the AFL and played twice each year from 1960-69. … The Patriots won seven straight from 2003-18, but the Titans have won two of the past three. The Titans also are 11-7 at home. … Tennessee won the wild-card playoff game after the 2019 season. … The Patriots are 19-7-1 at home. … This game features a pair of first-year coaches with Jerod Mayo, who played at the University of Tennessee, overseeing New England after playing for the Patriots. The Titans hired Brian Callahan in January after firing Mike Vrabel, who won three Super Bowl rings as a linebacker in New England. … Nick Folk kicked five field goals for New England the previous time these teams played. He’s now in his second season with Tennessee after the Patriots traded him to the Titans.
Stats and stuff
Patriots TE Hunter Henry leads the team with 32 receptions for 358 yards. If he catches eight passes on Sunday he would be the first New England tight end with at least eight receptions in three different games since Rob Gronkowski in 2017. … The Patriots did not turn the ball over in either of their past two games. … CB Marcus Jones averages 13.1 yards per return — second in the NFL and first in the AFC. He had a 62-yard return last week. … P Bryce Baringer has had at least one punt of 50 yards in 25 straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL. … He is tied for the league lead with 20 punts inside the 20 yard-line. … The Titans have played three of their past four away from home. … They are 0-3 at home this season. … The Titans have played a season-high eight rookies each of the past two games. … Folk has made 97.4% of his field goals since the start of the 2023 season, which is first in the NFL in that span. … Titans WR Calvin Ridley tied a career high with 10 catches last week when he also had a season-high 143 yards receiving. That tied his third-best receiving game of his career. … Rudolph threw for a season-high 266 yards and ran for 29 yards. He threw a TD pass and ran for a score. … Titans OLB Arden Key had a career-high two sacks last week and has three sacks over the past two games. He also forced a fumble last week. … Titans WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has caught a TD pass in each of the past three games.
Fantasy tip
Titans RB Tony Pollard had a season-high 94 yards rushing last week and has had at least 100 yards from scrimmage twice against AFC East teams this season.
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