Winnning Streak? Patriots Could Benefit From This Obscure Stat

The Patriots on Sunday face the Titans in another matchup between the bottom barrel of the AFC, but it’s an opportunity for New England to win its second game in a row.

Jacoby Brissett led the Patriots to a gutsy win over the New York Jets last Sunday. The Detroit Lions demolished Tennessee, so you would think the Titans would view Week 9 as a bounce-back spot.

However, there’s been a strange trend for teams that faced Detroit. In what’s been dubbed the “post-Lions hangover,” teams that faced Dan Campbell’s side lost the following week. The Minnesota Vikings were victims of it last Thursday, and while the Dallas Cowboys were on a bye after losing in Week 6, they lost last Sunday to the San Francisco 49ers.

There’s no real explanation as to why this is the case. It’s possible that teams need more time to recover after playing against Detroit’s smash-mouth style of football. Lions Wire highlighted that this phenomenon happened to four of the last five of Detroit’s opponents at the end of the 2023 season.

It wouldn’t be too surprising if the Patriots broke the streak and lost to the Titans this Sunday, but it could be something to monitor as New England shook off its “soft” label.