3 Bold Predictions for Patriots-Titans Wild Card Matchup

The New England Patriots will begin their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions this weekend in the Wild Card Round when they welcome the Tennessee Titans to Gillette Stadium.

Bill Belichick's bunch playing on the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs is an extreme rarity, so this game is bound to deliver some unexpected theatrics.

With that in mind, let's dive into some bold predictions for the highly-hyped showdown.

3. Playoff Tom Brady Returns

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady / Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Everybody and their mother doubting the Patriots more than ever just as the playoffs are about to kickoff? It's perfectly set up for Brady to turn back the clock and deliver a performance for the ages. Expect TB12 to flip the switch, as he's done so many times throughout his Hall of Fame career, to the tune of 300-plus passing yards and three touchdowns.

2. Derrick Henry Feasts Against New England's Elite Defense

Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Henry took home the NFL's rushing crown following a 211-yard performance in the Titans' playoff-clinching Week 17 dub over the Texans, and we expect the train to keep on rolling against New England. The Alabama product will log 150 yards and two scores on the ground, but will it be enough for Tennessee to pull off the upset?

1. Patriots Win Convincingly, 28-17

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will silence the haters against the Titans this weekend. / Omar Rawlings/Getty Images

In the end, the hostile Gillette Stadium crowd will prove too imposing for Ryan Tannehill, who will be making his postseason debut in this one. That stat alone should have Stephon Gilmore and Co. licking their chops. Expect the Patriots to hold serve at home, and fairly conclusively, as their postseason experience heavily outweighs that of Tennessee's.