New England Patriots 4 Downs Preview: Wild Card vs Tennessee Titans

1st Down: Every mistake is costly

In the playoffs, each team needs to be playing at their very best, because with one play it could all be over. It sounds dramatic, but in the grand scheme of things, one little miscue here and there can spell the end to the season.

Luckily, the New England Patriots have been very good at taking care of the ball, so turnovers shouldn’t be the problem. It really should be the mistakes of the inexperienced receivers that should worry Patriots fans. All it takes is a crucial fourth down play with the game on the line and an easy pass falls through the hands of Jakobi Meyers or N’Keal Harry because “Mr. Reliable” Julian Edelman has been double-covered all game.

Costly penalties can be a drive-killer too, and the Patriots are no strangers to offensive pass interference, holding, and illegal pick penalties.

If the Patriots can play a clean game and limit the mistakes, they have a legitimate shot to win the game and gain more confidence potentially heading into next week versus the Chiefs.