The New England Patriots (1-1) will face off against the Tennessee Titans (1-1) in their final showdown of the NFL preseason. Both teams lost their opening games but bounced back and won their second outing, and will now look to end preseason on a high note. Kickoff for this game is set for 8:15 p.m. ET from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, TN.
New England Patriots
The Patriots’ preseason Week 2 win was cut short due to an injury to rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden in the fourth quarter. Bolden was carried off the field and taken to the hospital, leading to the game being called off and the cancellation of joint practices with the Titans. Regardless, Bailey Zappe saw the most action at quarterback, throwing 10-of-22 for 117 yards and a touchdown, while Mac Jones threw 6-of-9 for 52 yards on the day. Zappe found another touchdown off a scramble, while Rhamondre Stevenson also found the end zone on a run.
Which Patriots will play, expected inactives
Pregame update:
— Karen Guregian (@kguregian) August 25, 2023
While there hasn’t been any official word from the team, all signs point to newly-signed RB Ezekiel Elliott making his debut in Nashville, even if he only sees a handful of snaps. It seems as though most of the regular starters will be rested as there are still some position battles to be sorted out.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans picked up their first preseason win last week with a 24-16 victory over the Vikings in Minneapolis. Backup QB Malik Willis played the entire game with third-string Will Levis out with an injury. Willis completed 10-of-17 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown, while adding an interception as well. He also ran the ball 11 times for another 91 yards, turning in an impressive 8.3 yards per carry. Julius Chestnut and Tyjae Spears each found the end zone on the ground as well, while Chestnut also caught the game’s only passing touchdown.
Which Titans will play, expected inactives
Aug. 25 Update: Will Levis will not play after saying he was planning to. Ryan Tannehill should see some run at the start, but Malik Willis will likely get a big chunk of time.
#Titans QB Will Levis (thigh) is not expected to play tonight vs the Patriots, per source, strengthening Malik Willis’ chances to earn the No. 2 job to start the season if he continues to show improvement.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 25, 2023
With the joint practices being cancelled this week, expect Ryan Tannehill and some of the other offensive starters to see at least a little time on the field so they can get some looks at the Patriots defense. Will Levis is hoping to be ready to play, and if he’s healthy, expect him to split time with Willis under center.