The are not a good football team. In their 17 games this season -- including over the -- they've been outscored by 21 points. They probably can't beat the -- not unle s suffers a game-ending injury in the early going or Bill Belichick decides to retire at halftime because he's still pi sed at Robert Kraft for . So no, barring a miracle, the Titans can't upset the Patriots, who are favored by 13.5 points as of Monday morning. But they can hang around. They can hang around because they can run Kareem Martin Jersey the ball effectively against a bad run defense. The Titans piled up 202 yards on 31 carries (6.5 yards per carry) against the Chiefs, who finished the regular season ranked 23rd in average yards allowed per carry (4.3). The Patriots were even worse against the run than the Chiefs, ranking 31st in yards allowed per carry (4.7). The Titans didn't run the ball like they were expected to in the regular season, but perhaps they found something now that is their starter over the ineffective and hobbled . Henry was the better back all year long -- he totaled 85 more rushing yards than Murray despite garnering eight fewer carries over the course of the season and he was Pro Football Focus' fifth-most elusive running back (35 mi sed tackles on 187 touches). Now that the Titans are forced to play Henry over Murray, their ground game appears to be better off. Against the Chiefs, Henry picked up 156 yards on the ground while added 46 rushing yards. That'll work. He's GONE. goes the distance for a TD! NFL (@NFL) If the Titans can run the ball, control the clock, and limit the number of po se sions -- and Lawrence Taylor Jersey therefore, keep Brady off the field -- they can hang around. Plus, the Titans' defense has quietly been playing better lately. In their past seven games, they've allowed 17.7 points per game. Meanwhile, Brady experienced a down December by his standards, throwing six touchdowns and five picks, and posting an 81.6 pa ser rating. Again, there's no way in hell I think the Patriots are actually losing to this Titans team. But the Titans have the ability to hang around and keep this within 13 points. The Patriots have been favored by more than a touchdown in nine games this season. They went 4-5 against the spread in those games. Meanwhile, the Titans are 3-1 against the spread as an underdog.I can't believe I'm breaking my own rule of ever betting against Belichick in the postseason, but here we are. A crazy season calls for crazier methods. Anyway, here's the entire schedule for the divisional round of the playoffs: Saturday, Jan. 13 NFC:(6) Atlanta (11-6) at (1) Philadelphia (13-3), 4:35 p.m. ET (NBC)AFC:(5) Tenne see (10-7) at (1) New England (13-3), 8:15 p.m. ET (CBS) Sunday, Jan. 14 AFC:(3) Jacksonville (11-6) at (2) Pittsburgh (13-3), 1:05 p.m. ET (CBS)NFC:(4) New Orleans (12-5) at (2) Minnesota (13-3), 4:40 p.m. ET (Fox) at (+3) The Falcons are 8-9 against the spread and 7-7 when they're favored.The Eagles are 10-6 against the spread and 3-2 as the underdog. , the Eagles are 3-0 as home underdogs in the playoffs and they've won those three games by an average of 17.3 points.As , "Since 1975, when the NFL began basing home-field advantage on teams' regular-season winning percentage, no No. 1 seed has ever been an underdog in its first playoff game, according to ESPN Stats Information." So, the Eagles are making history, just not the good kind of history.Titans at Patriots (-13.5)The Titans are 9-7-1 against the spread and 3-1 as the underdog, which includes their shocking come-from-behind win over the Chiefs, who were favored by 8.5 points.The Patriots are 11-5 against the spread (they've been favored in every game).The Patriots have been favored by at least 13.5 points three times this year. They went 2-1 against the spread in those games. at (-7.5) The Jaguars are 9-8 against the spread and 3-2 as the underdog.The Steelers are 7-9 against the spread and 6-8 as the favorite.When the Jaguars beat the Steelers by 21 Eli Manning Jersey points in October, they were 7.5-point underdogs. at (-3.5)The Saints are 9-8 against the spread and 1-4 as the underdog.The Vikings are 11-5 vs. the spread and 8-4 as the favorite. Falcons -3As noted above, the Eagles are historic underdogs -- and with good reason. Without team MVP , the Eagles' offense has lost almost all of its pop. Nobody is taking in a playoff game, even if he's at home and even if he's equipped with a capable supporting staff. And don't look now, but the Falcons are suddenly playing some good football. They earned their spot in the playoffs with a dominant 22-10 win over the -- making them look like an incompetent offensive team in the proce s -- and then they went to Los Angeles and handily defeated the , holding the best offense in football to 13 points. Oftentimes a team that ends up going to the Super Bowl isn't the best team, but the hottest team. And the Falcons appear to be heating up. The Falcons go to Philadelphia and cover against a shorthanded Evan Engram Jersey Eagles team that isn't as good as its top-seed suggests. Titans +13.5As noted above, look for the Titans to lean on their ground game, control the clock, and prevent the Patriots from running up the score. The Patriots will win comfortably, but 13.5 points is too many. I'll take the points, even though I don't feel great about it. Steelers -7.5This come downs to . Is the Jaguars' defense good enough to limit the damage that the Killer Bs will inflict? Absolutely. But Blake Bortles is not good enough to be trusted on the road in Pittsburgh. Bortles is in the midst of a horrid stretch of football. In his past three games, he's thrown for 637 yards, three touchdowns, five picks, and a 62.3 pa ser rating. In their Wild Card Weekend win over the , he averaged 3.8 yards per attempt. That might've worked against the Bills, but it won't work against the Steelers. Bortles can't run his way to victory in Pittsburgh. Oh and most importantly, is going to be 100 percent for the game, . If the Steelers can take an early lead and the Jaguars are forced to let Bortles fire away, this game will get ugly quickly. Saints +4The Vikings' second-ranked run defense can slow down and . and Harrison Smith match up well with . The Saints lost guard to , according to Rapoport. And the Vikings can get after the quarterback. But this all boils down to location. The Saints were 7-1 at home. They were 4-4 Markus Golden Jersey on the road. The well-rested Vikings are probably going to win this game. But they're only going to win by a field goal. The Saints have the better of the two quarterbacks, and if their win over the Panthers is any indication, isn't here to be Ingram and Kamara's sidekick. He's ready to carry the Saints' offense. On Sunday, Brees completed 69.7 percent of his pa ses and averaged 11.4 yards per attempt. At some point, I fear will remember that he's still Case Keenum and I wouldn't be surprised if
