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Patriots links 10/17/25 – Week 7 Patriots-Titans keys to victory

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TEAM TALK


LOCAL LINKS

  • Thomas Murphy’s Monster Keys to a victory over Tennessee: 1. Reestablish the outside zone; More!
  • Steve Balestrieri’s Pats-Titans matchups, keys to the game: Patriots RBs vs. Titans front seven — Edge New England; More!
  • Alex Barth‘s Friday 5 Things: How do the Patriots take care of business in Tennessee.
  • Andrew Callahan‘s Week 7 thoughts: Patriots’ best trade targets, a wild Drake Maye stat and why the coaches are looking at tape from 2009 to prepare for the Titans; More!
  • Mike Kadlick sees Mike Vrabel’s Patriots preparing for a revenge game in Tennessee. “But let’s not sugarcoat it. This one means more. It has to.”
  • Chris Spiering posts his Patriots vs. Titans bold predictions for Week 7. Stefon Diggs scores first TD as a Patriot.; More!
  • Doug Kyed points out how Drake Maye quickly solved the early-season offensive issue of the lack of explosive plays.
  • Karen Guregian notes Josh McDaniels is still bullish on Patriots rookie receiver Kyle Williams.
  • Mike D’Abate reports injured Patriots defenders Anfernee Jennings and safety Jaylinn Hawkins returned to practice yesterday, but Harold Landry, III remained out with a knee issue.
  • Mark Daniels remembers last year in Tennessee when Drake Maye had his memorable 11.82-second scramble touchdown to tie the game before losing in OT.
  • John Rooke explains why he believes this team can make the playoffs – if they can overcome their flaws.
  • Doug Kyed helps us get to know Patriots free-agent standout, DT Khyris Tonga.
  • Doug Kyed relays Mike Vrabel indicating that the Patriots’ record won’t impact their aggressiveness in making a move at the trade deadline.
  • Michael Hurley crafts a potential Patriots trade package for Bengals All-Pro pass rusher Trey Hendrickson
  • Jake Seymour goes Inside the numbers: Drake Maye continues to shine for Patriots in Week 6.
  • Ethan Hurwitz highlights Tom Brady reflecting on the viral photo from the 2015 game in Dallas. /Perfect.
  • Locked On Patriots podcast: Nick Cattles analyzes the Pats-Titans matchup, highlighting Maye’s league-leading deep passing stats against the Titans’ struggling secondary; More. (33 min.)

NATIONAL NEWS

  • Jarrett Bell (USA Today) Mike Vrabel’s return should remind Titans of the good thing they cast aside.
  • Steven Ruiz (The Ringer) The 2024 Quarterback class redraft. No. 1 Drake Maye.
  • Josh Edwards (CBS Sports) Who’s using their rookies the most? Ranking NFL teams by snaps played — and what it says about their future. No. 2 Patriots (16.9%) /Click for commentary.
  • Josh Alper (ProFootballTalk) Stefon Diggs limited in practice for second day in a row.
  • Game Preview (NFL.com) Patriots at Titans, everything you need to know. (7 min. video)
  • Michael David Smith (ProFootballTalk) Kickoff returns are way up in the NFL this year, but touchdowns are down, with only one this season when Patriots returner Antonio Gibson took a kickoff 90 yards for a TD in Week 2 vs. the Dolphins.
  • Jordan Dajani & Steven Taranto (CBS Sports) NFL Week 7 picks: Our experts face off on top games. Patriots-Titans included. Dajani picks Pats 27-17; Taranto picks Pats 24-20. /Click for commentary.
  • John Breech (CBS Sports) NFL Week 7 picks and score predictions. Pats win 34-13.
  • Tyler Sullivan (CBS Sports) Upset alert in Week 7? Why these five favorites could fall. No Pats.
  • Matt Verderame (SI) Week 7 key matchups, predictions: Commanders-Cowboys NFC East showdown; More.

VIEW FROM TENNESSEE

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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...-10-17-25-week-7-patriots-titans-keys-victory
 
5 questions with Music City Miracles: How has Cam Ward looked so far?

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Fresh off their third win in a row, the New England Patriots will travel to Tennessee to take on their head coach’s former team. Mike Vrabel meeting the Titans for the first time since his departure during the 2024 offseason is one of the big stories of the week. So is his ex-club firing his successor just earlier this week.

So, what can be expected of the Titans now? In order to answer that and other questions about the team, we reached out to Jimmy Morris of Pats Pulpit’s sister site Music City Miracles, the SB Nation community for all things Titans.

Here is what he told us about the upcoming game and what to expect from New England’s Week 7 opponent.

1. Did Brian Callahan deserve to be fired this early into the season? How do you expect Mike McCoy to change things up as interim head coach?

Yeah, he did. It’s been that bad. Not only did he have numerous in-game gaffes, but the offense has been one of the worst units I’ve ever seen. Callahan was brought in because of his ability to coach offense. They are 31st or 32nd in pretty much every offensive category you can think of. Plus, there is the fact that Cam Ward has regressed over the last few weeks outside of a really good fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. The team was bad and getting worse.

That’s a good question. Our hope is that they will play with more tempo on offense. That is where Ward is at his best. Callahan talked about doing more of it after the Cardinals game, but then they came out and only went no huddle three times before the game was over in the fourth quarter last week.

2. The numbers aren’t great, but how has Cam Ward performed on an individual level thus far? How much is he raising the offense’s ceiling?

He was good in the first two games despite having bad numbers. Things haven’t gone as well since, except for, like I said earlier, the fourth quarter against the Cardinals. Now, there are some pretty obvious reasons he is struggling. One is that they have no playmakers on offense — especially with Calvin Ridley out. There is also the fact that the offensive line has been bad. Ward has already been sacked 25 times this season. He has gotten into the bad habit of drifiting in the pocket, even when it is clean. It’s hard to blame him with how much he has been hit, but he has to get that fixed if he is going to have success. He also has some issues with his footwork, but again, some of that stems from running for his life on most plays.

He hasn’t really raised the offensive sealing yet, but there is a really good quarterback in there. It’s going to take some time and players around him, but I am still confident that the Titans have their guy going forward.

3. How have rookies Elic Ayomanor and Gunnar Helm looked through six weeks? Who will be Tennessee’s top target with Calvin Ridley out?

Ayomanor has been solid. He’s not ever going to be a No. 1 receiver, but he runs good routes and can make contested catches. He should be a solid player for this team as they build out the offense. They haven’t used Helm as much as most people would like. He’s a really good pass catcher, but still needs some work as a blocker. That has limited his playing time to this point. Hopefully, they will try to get him more involved now, especially with Ridley most likely being out for a few weeks.

The problem is that there won’t be a top target with Ridley out. Ward is going to have to spread the ball around for the Titans to move the ball effectively.

4. Jeffery Simmons is an established game-wrecker, but who are some other defenders Patriots fans should know?

Inside linebacker Cedric Gray has really come on over the last couple of weeks. He has 41 tackles in the last three games. I sound like a bit of a broken record here, but there really isn’t much else to talk about as far as people that you should know. This team lacks playmakers all over the field. The edge group is bad, and now the guys who have been playing for them are all hurt. Second-round pick Femi Oladejo went on IR. Arden Key and Dre’Mont Jones have both missed two days of practice this week. If they are out [Key is out, Jones is questionable -TK], the Patriots can probably just assign three guys to block Simmons. Drake Maye is going to have ALL DAY to throw.

5. What boxes must the Patriots check to secure a win? How can the Titans pull off the upset at home?

Look, I think if this game is played 100 times, the Patriots probably win 98 of them. I’d love to find some edge the Titans have here that they can take advantage of, but I just don’t see it. Maybe the Titans get that interim coach bump that people have been talking about around here? Add in the fact that Mike Vrabel was fired by the Titans, and you know he has had this game circled since before he even got the job in New England, it’s hard for me to see a scenario where the Titans keep it within two touchdowns.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...-questions-patriots-titans-preview-nfl-week-7
 
Cornerback, pass rush among Patriots’ reported targets ahead of NFL trade deadline

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The NFL trade deadline is drawing nearer, and the New England Patriots could very well become active. They have expressed interest in several position groups so far.

Among them is cornerback, as reported by Josina Anderson of The Athletic.

The Patriots’ starting trio of Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones is among the best in the NFL. The depth behind them is a question mark, however.

Current CB4 Charles Woods is nursing a knee injury and questionable to play against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, while one-time starter Alex Austin has been relegated to emergency and special teams duty. In addition, the team has two more corners — Miles Battle and Kobee Minor — as extra options on the practice squad.

New England adding established depth to the group, potentially in the form of somebody they are familiar with, as pointed out by Anderson, therefore could be a potential outcome.

In addition, the Patriots are also on the lookout for pass rush help. Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that they have been in touch with teams.

Led by the starting quartet of Christian Barmore and Milton Williams on the interior and Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson on the edge, the Patriots have registered 13 sacks through six games so far this season. They are ranked 15th in the league in quarterback takedowns and 14th with a pressure rate of 20.3%.

Again, the biggest questions concern depth. Inside, Barmore and Williams have taken a majority of pass rush snaps, with DT3 Khyiris Tonga a bigger factor versus the run than the pass. Backups Joshua Farmer, Cory Durden and Eric Gregory have had a limited impact so far.

On the edge, injuries have impacted the group lately. All four of the core guys — Landry and Chaisson as well as Keion White and Anfernee Jennings — have recently been banged up, while Landry is questionable for Sunday’s game against his ex-club because of a knee injury. Meanwhile, neither former starter White nor any other depth options up front have registered any sacks so far this year.

In addition to pass rush and cornerback, the Patriots are also believed to be candidates for help at running back. As of Saturday, they have an open spot on their 53-man roster.

This year’s NFL trade deadline is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 4 p.m. ET.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-england-patriots-rumors/111889/patriots-rumors-nfl-trade-deadline
 
Patriots vs. Titans: How to watch New England’s Week 7 game on Sunday

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Three straight Sundays, three straight road games. After already registering wins in Buffalo and New Orleans the last two weeks, the New England Patriots will try to do the same in Week 7 versus the Tennessee Titans. A win would improve their record to 5-2 and further help the team establish its position as a potential competitor in the AFC.

Here is all you need to know about how to follow the game.

How to watch Patriots at Titans in NFL Week 7​


Kickoff: Sunday, Oct. 19, 1 p.m. ET

Stadium: Nissan Stadium, Nashville TN

Broadcast: CBS, WBZ-TV Channel 4 (local)

Live stream/mobile: Paramount+ (local), NFL+ (local), NFL Sunday Ticket (out of market), NFL Game Pass (international), SiriusXM App (NE: 821, TEN: 830)

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (local | Full list of affiliate stations), Sports USA (national), SiriusXM (NE: 386, TEN 231)

Odds: Patriots -6.5, O/U 42.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)

SB Nation Affiliate: Music City Miracles

Pats Pulpit will have plenty of updates as well as our live in-game tracker online on game day. Please make sure to regularly check back for all the latest news, rumors and analysis.

We will also deliver updates and analysis on social media, so give us a follow on Bluesky, Twitter/X and Facebook. Also make sure to subscribe to Pats Pulpit’s Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) and Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39), who are reporting live from Foxboro throughout the season.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ch-nfl-game-today-live-stream-tv-kickoff-time
 
AFC playoff picture: Patriots keep climbing up the conference standings

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The New England Patriots’ season is only seven games old, but they have already bested their win numbers of both 2024 and 2023. Beating the Tennessee Titans 31-13 on the road on Sunday, the have now improved to 5-2 on the season — one win more than they were able to celebrate each of the last two years.

The win also had another effect, though. It helped the Patriots further solidify their spot in the AFC playoff picture and put more pressure on the other teams in the conference; at the moment, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel is ranked second behind only the 6-1 Indianapolis Colts.

With just the Sunday and Monday night games of Week 7 missing, here is what the playoff picture in the AFC currently looks like:

  1. Indianapolis Colts (6-1)
  2. New England Patriots (5-2)
  3. Denver Broncos (5-2)
  4. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
  5. Buffalo Bills (4-2)
  6. Los Angeles Chargers (4-3)
  7. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-3)

On the bubble: 8. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3), 9. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4), 10. Houston Texans (2-3)

Not technically eliminated but let’s be real here: 11. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5), 12. Cleveland Browns (2-5), 13. Baltimore Ravens (1-5), 14. Miami Dolphins (1-6), 15. Tennessee Titans (1-6), 16. New York Jets (0-7)

The Patriots obviously have a long way to go, but they are very much alive in the competition for a spot in the tournament. That is especially true considering that the AFC is a two-class society at this point in time: no more than 10 teams seem to realistically be fighting for the seven available spots in the postseason, and New England has an advantage over a significant portion of them.

Obviously, the Chiefs are making a strong push and the whole competition is pretty tight. Still, Mike Vrabel and company being in this position seven games into his tenure as head coach is still impressive.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ots-afc-playoff-picture-win-titans-nfl-week-7
 
7 winners and losers from the Patriots’ 31-13 win over the Titans

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The New England Patriots stayed in the win column on Sunday, celebrating a fourth straight W to improve to 5-2 on the year. Mike Vrabel’s return to Tennessee ended with a 31-13 victory over the Titans.

Here is who caught our eye for better or worse upon live viewing.

Winners​


QB Drake Maye: Another week, another near perfect effort for the sophomore quarterback. Maye set a single-game franchise record completing 91.3 percent of his passes (21-of-23) en route to throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns while generating +0.37 expected points per drop-back. He continued his elite success throwing downfield with a long touchdown to Kayshon Boutte and had perfect ball placement on sideline throws to Mack Hollins (honey hole) and Stefon Diggs.

Maye also added 62 yards on eight scrambles but the quarterback did admit to potentially being quick to take off at times — while the eight attempts led to a handful of hits and a trip to the medical tent. New England needs their quarterback to stay healthy as Maye is playing at an elite, MVP-type level.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson: After struggling to run the football of late New England had their best statistical rushing performance of the season against the Titans. That was led by Rhamondre Stevenson who dominated the backfield snaps and posted 88 yards on 18 carries (4.9 YPA) while finding the end zone. Stevenson totaled a season-high 56 rushing yards after contact.

Kayshon Boutte and the WRs: Maye continued to spread the ball around on Sunday which led to several receivers making key contributions. The biggest came from Kayshon Boutte finding the end zone again by beating L’Jarius Snead one-on-one for a 39-yard touchdown.

Boutte. Beauty.@DrakeMaye2 ➡️@KayshonBoutte1

📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/dO2BYrebNy

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 19, 2025
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Beyond Boutte, Stefon Diggs led the group with seven catches for 69 yards, Mack Hollins had a pair of explosives, and DeMario Douglas converted a third and fourth down on a touchdown drive — needing just one hand to convert the latter. Even Efton Chism III saw his first non-kneel down offensive snaps of the season and threw a big block to help spring a 14-yard run.

LBs K’Lavon Chaisson and Harold Landry: New England’s top two edge rushers took advantage of Tennessee’s struggling tackle duo. Chiasson found himself in the backfield often and got home for a pair of sacks on Cam Ward. He then capped his day off with a scoop-and-score touchdown on a fumble recovery.

On the opposite side, Harold Landry made an impact in his return to Tennessee with a sack, run stuff, and a drawn hold. He also had the initial pressure on one of Chaisson’s takedowns.

Losers​


OG Jared Wilson and the pass protection: While Drake Maye found plenty of success through the air, the quarterback was under pressure on 37 percent of his drop backs and was sacked four times even as the Titans were without star defensive lineman Jeffrey Simmons (hamstring) for most of the afternoon. That pressure percentage also included eight quick pressures — getting to Maye in under 2.5 seconds.

The main culprit seemed to be rookie left guard Jared Wilson, who appeared to allow at least a pair of sacks in live action. One would wonder if the staff would consider a change to Ben Brown in order to give the rookie a breather.

Early pass defense: In a reoccurring theme, New England’s defense got off to a slow start as they saw Cam Ward complete 11-of-16 first half passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. The 38-yard score was the same play Pop Douglas scored on against New Orleans, as Chimere Dike got behind Marcus Jones while rookie Craig Woodson bit on the corner route overtop.

Elsewhere, Carlton Davis gave up a 20-yard completion in man coverage and was flagged for DPI, while Christian Gonzalez also allowed a 15-yard completion on third-and-3. New England found much more success with more zone coverage in the second half, but the slow starts and inconsistent play against the pass remains something to monitor.

Honorable mentions​

  • Credit to backup QB Joshua Dobbs for being inserted for three plays and keeping the drive alive. Dobbs’ only attempt saw him avoid pressure before finding Douglas on third-down.
  • Just two carries (five yards) for rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson as Stevenson dominated the backfield.
  • Helluva touchdown catch from Austin Hooper. Mossed.
  • Milton Williams got home for a third-down sack to give him 3.5 on the season. And while Christian Barmore did not get in the stat sheet he continued to make his presence felt doing work to free up Harold Landry on two sacks.
  • While he was on scene for the long touchdown allowed, Marcus Jones later recorded his second interception of the season.
  • Another clean day for Andy Borregales with four made PATs and a 36-yard field goal.
  • New England’s kick coverage gave up a 29- and 31-yard kick returns in addition to a 15-yard punt return.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...s-titans-winners-losers-nfl-week-7-drake-maye
 
Patriots vs. Titans injury analysis: Crisis averted in Week 7

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The New England Patriots cruised to a 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. The relatively lopsided final score, however, does not reveal the drama that unfolded on the field on Sunday: early in the second half, Patriots starting quarterback Drake Maye was pulled from the game after sustaining a potential head injury.

Luckily for the team, he returned shortly thereafter and his brief departure remained the only noteworthy incident against Tennessee. So, let’s assess the damage after rewatching the game.

Patriots injury analysis: Week 7​


QB Drake Maye: Following a 6-yard scramble on the opening drive of the third quarter, Maye hit his head on the Nissan Stadium turf. He remained on the ground for a bit and managed to get up without any obvious limitations, but was nonetheless removed from the contest by the unaffiliated neurological team. He went to the blue medical tent for a checkup, but reemerged shortly thereafter and returned to the game after just three missed snaps. The 23-year-old remained in the lineup until late in the fourth quarter, when he was pulled due to the game’s blowout nature.

What this means for the Patriots​


The Patriots’ 5-2 start is in large part due to Maye playing some of the best football in the NFL right now. So, naturally, him having to exit the team was cause for concern. His absence was brief and ultimately non-consequential, but a reminder of how quickly fortune can change in the league: one bad collision or hard hit might be all it takes, something Maye himself is quite familiar with.

Twice last season, the then-rookie underwent a similar check after hitting his head on the turf. The first of those, in a game against the New York Jets, resulted in him leaving the game and being placed in concussion protocol.

On Sunday against the Titans, that did not happen.

“I feel alright, just got to get down,” Maye said after the game. “Just landed awkwardly but felt alright. But, no, felt good.”

Maye is the Patriots’ most important player, and as such somebody who needs to be protected and also know how to protect himself. Head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels need to keep driving this point home, even if it results in a few less yards being gained on scramble drills.

As for the rest of the team, there were no obvious hiccups. The opposite, actually: safety Jaylinn Hawkins, who has now missed two straight games with a hamstring issue, seems to be nearing his return.

The first injury report of the week, set to be released on Wednesday, will give us more insight into the Patriots’ injury situation, though. They will then host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
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Source: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-engl...ts-injury-update-titans-nfl-week-7-drake-maye
 
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