TITANS TRAVEL to NEW ENGLAND to FACE PATRIOTS Tennessee Titans (3-10) at New England Patriots (11-2) Sunday, Dec
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DECEMBER 14, 2015 TITANS TRAVEL TO NEW ENGLAND TO FACE PATRIOTS Tennessee Titans (3-10) at New England Patriots (11-2) Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 • Noon CST • Gillette Stadium • Foxborough, Mass. • TV: CBS NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans (3-10) travel to face the AFC East-leading New England Patriots 2015 TITANS SCHEDULE (11-2) this week. Kickoff at Gillette Stadium (capacity 68,756) is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST/noon CST on Sunday, Dec. 20. Result/ Score/ Day Date Opponent Kickoff TV THE BROADCAST Sun. Sept. 13 at Tampa Bay W 42-14 This week’s game will be televised regionally on CBS, including Nashville affiliate WTVF NewsChan- Sun. Sept. 20 at Cleveland L 14-28 nel 5. Play-by-play announcer Ian Eagle and analyst Dan Fouts will call the action, and Evan Washburn will report from the sidelines. Sun. Sept. 27 INDIANAPOLIS L 33-35 The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will carry the game across Sun. Oct. 4 BYE the Mid-South with the “Voice of the Titans” Mike Keith, analyst Frank Wycheck, gameday host Rhett Sun. Oct. 11 BUFFALO L 13-14 Bryan and sideline reporter Jonathan Hutton. Additionally, Westwood One Sports will carry the game to a national radio audience. John Sadak Sun. Oct. 18 MIAMI L 10-38 (play-by-play) and Ross Tucker (analyst) will have the call. Sun. Oct. 25 ATLANTA L 7-10 Sun. Nov. 1 at Houston L 6-20 TITANS LOOKING FOR FOURTH WIN After defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on Dec. 6, the Titans traveled to New York Sun. Nov. 8 at New Orleans W (OT) 34-28 last week in search of their second consecutive win. However, they were turned away by the Jets, who Sun. Nov. 15 CAROLINA L 10-27 used three touchdown passes by Ryan Fitzpatrick and 183 total rushing yards to defeat the Titans 30-8. Thur. Nov. 19 at Jacksonville L 13-19 The Titans’ lone touchdown of the contest came on a 41-yard pass from running back Antonio An- drews to rookie Marcus Mariota, who is the first quarterback in franchise history to record a touchdown Sun. Nov. 29 OAKLAND L 21-24 reception. He is the first NFL player in 2015 to pass for a touchdown, rush for a touchdown and catch a Sun. Dec. 6 JACKSONVILLE W 42-39 touchdown pass, and the only other rookie in the Super Bowl era (1966–present) to accomplish the feat is Sun. Dec. 13 at NY Jets L 8-30 Kordell Stewart (1995). Prior to Mariota, the most recent player to record touchdowns of at least 40 yards passing, rushing and receiving in the same season was Walter Payton in 1983. Sun. Dec. 20 at New England Noon CBS With three games remaining in his rookie season, Mariota already has set the franchise rookie re- Sun. Dec. 27 HOUSTON Noon CBS cords for pass attempts (364), completions (227), passing yards (2,786) and passing touchdowns (19). Sun. Jan. 3 at Indianapolis Noon* CBS With one more touchdown pass, he could become the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach 20 touch- down passes as a rookie. Tampa Bay rookie Jameis Winston, who has 18 touchdown passes, also could reach the mark in the next three weeks. All kickoff times Central * Time subject to change Mariota was not the only offensive player to reach a significant milestone against the Jets. Delanie Walker broke Frank Wycheck’s franchise record for the most receptions in a season by a tight end. Wycheck set the record by hauling in 70 passes in 1998, and he matched the mark in 2000. Walker’s 2015 totals now AFC SOUTH STANDINGS include 74 receptions for 871 yards and four touchdowns. He leads the team in all three categories and needs 20 more receiving yards to break the franchise record he set in 2014 of 890 receiving yards by a tight end. The Titans go into New England looking for their fourth win of the season. They are 2-4 under interim Team W L T Pct head coach Mike Mularkey, who took the reins on Nov. 3. After playing the Patriots, they finish the season Indianapolis Colts 6 7 0 .462 with a home game against the Houston Texans (Dec. 27) and a road finale at the Indianapolis Colts (Jan. 3). Houston Texans 6 7 0 .462 Jacksonville Jaguars 5 8 0 .385 PATRIOTS SEEKING ANOTHER DIVISION TITLE Tennessee Titans 3 10 0 .231 After experiencing back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos (Nov. 29) and Philadelphia Eagles (Dec. 6), the Patriots voyaged to Houston last week for a Sunday night battle against the Houston Texans. Tom LAST WEEK: Ten 8 at NYJ 30, Ind 16 at Jax 51, NE Brady passed for 226 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help with Patriots win 27-6 and break the rare losing 27 at Hou 6 skid. The Patriots defense recorded five sacks and allowed only a pair of field goals in the dominating effort. As a result of the victory, the Patriots clinched a playoff berth. With one more win or a Jets loss, they THIS WEEK (central time): Ten at NE (Sun 12:00), will seal their seventh consecutive AFC East title to match the Los Angeles Rams (1973-79) for the most Hou at Ind (Sun 12:00), Atl at Jax (Sun 12:00) consecutive division titles in NFL history. With the Patriots getting to the 11-win mark against the Texans, Bill Belichick recorded the 13th at (Sun 12:00), NEXT WEEK (central time): Hou Ten 11-win season of his head coaching career to tie Don Shula for the most in NFL history. Belichick has 12 Ind at Mia (Sun 12:00), Jax at NO (Sun 12:00) seasons with at least 11 wins with New England and one such season with Cleveland. Brady is in his 16th season with the Patriots. Already this season he became the fourth NFL player to reach 400 career touchdown passes and the fourth player in history with at least 30 or more touchdown passes in six different seasons. Brady leads the NFL with 4,138 passing yards in 2015, and against the Texans, he became the third player in NFL history with at least eight 4,000-yard passing seasons. 2015 Regular Season Week 15 Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots Page 2 of 33 FINGERTIP INFORMATION Date of Game . Dec. 20, 2015 Kickoff Time ����������������������������������1 p.m. EST/Noon CST Venue . Gillette Stadium Tickets ����������������������������������(800) 543-1776 Location ��������������������������������Foxborough, Mass. Opened in . 2002 GAME PREVIEW Capacity . 68,756 Surface . FieldTurf Visiting Team � � � � � � � � � � � Tennessee Titans (3-10) Division . AFC South TITANS-PATRIOTS SERIES AT A GLANCE Website . www.TitansOnline.com Media Guide . www.TitansOnline.com/mediaguide ¾ Overall series (regular & postseason): Patriots lead 23-16-1 Twitter . @Titans ¾ Regular season series: Patriots lead 22-15-1 Facebook ��������������������������������������www.facebook.com/Titans ¾ Postseason series: Tied 1-1 Instagram. @Titans ¾ Total points: Titans 807, Patriots 991 Franchise since ����������������������������1960 (1960-96 Houston Oilers; 1997-98 ¾ Current streak: Five wins by Patriots Tennessee Oilers) ¾ Titans at home vs. Patriots: 10-7 TEAM NOTES Ownership ������������������������������������Amy Adams Strunk (Controlling Owner ¾ Titans on road vs. Patriots: 6-16-1 (including 1-1 in playofffs) and Co-Chairman, Board of Directors); ¾ Longest winning streak by Titans: 4 (1975-80) Susie Adams Smith (Co-Chairman, ¾ Longest losing streak by Titans: 5 (2003–present) Board of Directors); Kenneth S. Adams, ¾ Titans vs. Patriots at Nissan Stadium: 1-2 IV (Board of Directors); Barclay Adams; ¾ Last time at Nissan Stadium: PATRIOTS 34 at Titans 13 (9-9-12) Susan Lewis ¾ Titans vs. Patriots at Gillette Stadium: 0-3 President/CEO. Steve Underwood ¾ Last time at Gillette Stadium: Titans 0 at PATRIOTS 59 (10-18-09) General Manager. Ruston Webster ¾ First time: OILERS 24 at Boston 10 (11-25-60) Interim Head Coach. Mike Mularkey ¾ Mike Mularkey’s record vs. Patriots: 0-5 Asst. Head Coach/Defense ����������Dick LeBeau ¾ Bill Belichick’s record vs. Titans: 9-7 (4-6 with Cleveland; 5-1 Defensive Coordinator ������������������Ray Horton with New England) Offensive Coordinator . Jason Michael ¾ Mike Mularkey’s record vs. Bill Belichick: 0-5 2015 NFL Offensive Rank ������������29 (Total), 21 (Rush), 24 (Pass) PLAYER NOTES PLAYER 2015 NFL Defensive Rank . 13 (Total), 17 (Rush), 9 (Pass) A TITANS VICTORY WOULD ... Home Team � � � � � � � � � � � � New England Patriots (11-2) Website . www.patriots.com ¾ Give the Titans their first win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Franchise since ����������������������������1960 ¾ Break the team’s five-game losing skid to the Patriots. Charman & CEO . Robert K. Kraft ¾ Improve Marcus Mariota’s starting record to 4-8. President ��������������������������������������Jonathan A. Kraft ¾ Improve Mike Mularkey’s career record as a head coach to 18-36. Director of Player Personnel . Nick Caserio Head Coach. Bill Belichick Offensive Coordinator . Josh McDaniels WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK MEDIA Defensive Coordinator. Matt Patricia ¾ QB Marcus Mariota needs four touchdown passes to become the 2015 NFL Offensive Rank ������������3 (Total), 27 (Rush), 1 (Pass) third player in franchise history to pass for four touchdowns at least 2015 NFL Defensive Rank . 6 (Total), 10 (Rush), 7 (Pass) three times in a season, joining George Blanda (1960, 1961) and Referee � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Walt Coleman Warren Moon (1990). Umpire . Bill Schuster ¾ QB Marcus Mariota can become the first rookie in NFL history to Head Linesman . Jerry Bergman complete three or more touchdown passes in five different games. Line Judge ������������������������������������Kevin Codey ¾ QB Marcus Mariota (19 touchdown passes) needs one touchdown Field Judge ����������������������������������Boris Cheek pass to become the 10th rookie in NFL history with at least 20 Side Judge.