Titans meet Saints in Week 14 hoping for secure wild card berth in playoffs – NFL Preview
The Tennessee Titans are playing the New Orleans Saints this Sunday hoping for a win to increase their chances for a wild card berth in playoffs this season.
They are in run for the playoffs with other three 7-5 teams and a win over the visiting Saints can strengthen their position.
The Titans 7-5 are two places behind the American Football Conference (AFC) south division's leader the Houston Texans at 9-3.
The team is expected to get boost from Chris Johnson's return to form. He had started the season at a slower pace but picked up momentum during Titans' last game against Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The player managed to run his season
best 190 yards in his last game.
"That's what we're hoping," Coach Mike Munchak said. "We're looking at it that way now, that it's an advantage for us coming down the stretch that we become the best running football team the last eight weeks of the season and
hopefully into the playoffs. That's how we have to spin it when you struggle early."
Meanwhile the visitor New Orleans Saints 9-3 in the National Football Conference (NFC) south division are aiming for their fifth straight victory despite that they do not have any chance for playoffs this season.
The Saints are three points behind the NFC south leader Green Bay Packers and one point from the second position holder San Francisco 49ers.
They had been through ups and downs before finally finding them on winning track but too late for them to hope for the division’s title. They started the season with 4-1 lead but went down two consecutive losses.
Their final loss to St. Louis Rams came as a wakeup call for them and they started again on the winning ways. They have won last four games in a row and if managed to pull off a victory against the Titans will extend the streak
to five consecutive wins.
"The loss to St. Louis left us in the middle of the division with Atlanta and Tampa (Bay)," quarterback Drew Brees said. " ... November is when you begin to separate yourselves from the pack, and we wanted to be playing our best
football."
New Orleans defence that ranked 27th in the league by allowing 378.8 yards had been below the mark at times. Their score 32.8 per game averages at their 31-9 score rate during their Super Bowl win two years ago.
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