FOXBORO, Mass. — The Tennessee Titans stomped the New England Patriots last November, cruising to a 34-10 win in Nashville.
The Patriots will have payback on their minds as they host the Titans this Saturday night in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs.
“We have a chance to go on a revenge tour,” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said Monday. “And what better way to start off than with Tennessee, who we lost to last year. (That loss is) a big motivation. We weren’t happy about our performance. They’re coming into our house, and what better way to get it started for the playoffs Saturday at 8:15 (p.m. ET) at Gillette.
“I know it’s going to be rocking, and I’m excited for our players to perform in a way and play Patriot football on Saturday. I’m excited.”
Revenge could serve as motivation in the later rounds, as well. If the Patriots advance past the Titans, their path to Super Bowl LIV likely would include road games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, both of whom defeated New England during the regular season.
The Patriots squandered their chance to earn a first-round playoff bye by losing to the Miami Dolphins 27-24 at Gillette Stadium in Week 17. They’ll enter the postseason as the AFC’s No. 3 seed at 12-4. The Titans won seven of their final 10 games to finish 9-7 and land the No. 6 seed.
“You’ve got to turn the page,” Van Noy said. “We’re in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter how hot the teams are or how cold the teams are going into the playoffs. Right now, we’re just focused on us going into this game against the Titans, and what a great opportunity we have.”
