The New England Patriots (2-6) head south this weekend to take on the Tennessee Titans (1-6) in Week 9. This will likely be the battle of who will have the rights to the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
Although the Patriots have had a rocky first half of the season, they were able to get a big win last week against their division rival New York Jets. New England come into Tennessee as 3.5-point underdogs. And a lot of that prediction is surrounded by the injury of rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye left last Sundays game against the Jets early. He suffered a concussion on a hit to the back of his head from Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
Drake Maye being evaluated for a concussion because of this hit pic.twitter.com/lMDRX1WOXj
— 🏆🥇 (@fsh733) October 27, 2024
When asked about the rookie quarterback, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said, “He is still in the protocol and going through that process.” Mayo noted that Maye would be limited throughout the week.
The good news for Patriots fans, is that Maye was able to practice on Friday. That indicates that he has entered “phase five” of the 5-step recovery process laid out by the NFL.
New England Patriots at Tennessee Titans – Injury Report
The Patriots completed Friday’s practice with their only absence being kicker Joey Slye. Both Maye and safety Kyle Dugger practiced Friday, but were limited and still listed as questionable for this week’s game.
The Titans will also be a little short-handed this week, as they will be without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and running back Tyjae Spears. Meanwhile, running back Tony Pollard, wide receiver Tyler Boyd and safety Amani Hooker are game-time decisions entering this matchup.
Key Matchups
On defense, New England fans can expect Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez to follow Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley throughout the game. Ridley finished last week’s game against the Lions with 10 catches for 143 yards. Meanwhile, Gonzalez is coming off one of his best performances of the season, where he shut down Jets receiver Davante Adams. Gonzalez gave up zero catches on four targets, including a pass breakup in the redzone.
On offense, the focus for the Patriots should be running the offense through tight end Hunter Henry. With Henry being Maye’s favorite target, it will be interesting to see who the Titans match him up with. Safety Amani Hooker listed as questionable, so it may Quandre Diggs to be assigned to Henry this week.
Players to Watch
The Patriots have a lot of young talent. However, one player that could have a big week is second-year wide receiver Kayshon Boutte. Boutte has chained together some constant weeks, and played a major role in last week’s game against the Jets.
With the Titans being without running back Tyjae Spears, it will give an opportunity for Julius Chestnut to get more reps and even find himself a role going forward on the season.
Keys to Victory
- The Patriots will have to establish a strong run game early on in the game. Whether it be Drake Maye or Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, the run game needs to work, and help the offense extend drives.
- The Patriots defense will have to step up this week and stop the run. The Titans have struggled to pass the ball all season with both Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. If the Patriots can successfully stop the run, it will force the Titans to pass the ball.
- The Patriots receivers totaled five drops last week against the Jets. Two of the five came on third down. The Patriots receiving group has to make an emphasis on catching the ball, instead of ending drives with drops.
