Ever since Titans GM Jon Robinson was hired in 2016 to bring the organization back to its winning ways, the connections to the New England Patriots have only grown.
Not just players who’ve marinated in the concoction known as dominance, that the Patriots have enjoyed so much over the last 10-15 years. But coaches as well, who’ve found their way down to the south to come close, or even replicate, the success the Patriots have put out on the field.
So as the Titans take on the Patriots once again, this time in a game with much higher stakes than a meaningless preseason game, or even a midseason contest, those same connections have risen up once again and are riding through the disruptive media waves.
I for one think it’s kind of a tired concept, pushing and pushing these connections all through the media and trying to garner attention for something that….the players and coaches I’m sure are sick and tired of talking about.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, who won 3 Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, has already experienced the potential triggering of a nostalgic trip down memory lane during his time under Bill Belichick.
As expected, he doesn’t really care for it, since you know….he has his own football team to run.
Mike Vrabel is asked what the phrase “Patriots Way” means to him, and if he remembers the first time he heard it. “Isn’t that the street the movie theater is on?” he asks. “I didn’t come up with it, so I don’t know.”
Mike Vrabel on the “Patriot Way”, via Mike Reiss
This quote from Vrabel only maximizes the point I want to make during your time here today.
Sure, there are many, many connections between the 2 organizations in Foxborough and Nashville, but no one is here for the trip down memory lane that so many tend to get caught up in.
Sure, it’s fun to remember the contributions Malcom Butler made to the Patriots’ recent run of Super Bowl wins. Or Logan Ryan’s constant battles with Julian Edelman during Ryan’s 4 years in Massachusetts. Hell, even Mike Vrabel’s contributions during his time there are stashed away in the memory banks of Patriots coaches and players who have the blessing of remembering the time.
Mike Vrabel yells at @TomBrady for walking on the practice field #titans #Patriots pic.twitter.com/meiUQVjT3y
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) August 14, 2019
I’m not some sort of buzzkill or anything that doesn’t like fun. In fact I’m pretty sure you’re ignoring what I just said and just thinking the thought of “Duh Duh TreJean boomer”.
In all seriousness, all for any type of intriguing story line that can get the masses talking. Whether it’s from a player or coach that’s widely known, it doesn’t matter.
But constantly pushing these story lines can just get a bit tired, and take away from the actual interesting opportunity that this game presents.
Let’s speak on the exciting matchup between stud veteran Stephon Gilmore, and star rookie AJ Brown.
Maybe on how the Patriots will have to pick their poison in devising a plan to stop this rather explosive Titans offense.
You can even discuss how the interior battle of the trenches for the Titans defensively, will be a gigantic factor on if the Titans can move on to the next round.
Pushing those thoughts ahead seems like a far better idea than hanging on the nail known as the Patriots of the south.
It’s a great time for the sport of football.
The air is getting colder, every possession seems like an ultra important one, and every decision a coach makes seem to have a large impact on the flow of the game.
Matchups get dissected just a tiny bit more, specific players are watched just a little bit more closely, and the tension of it all finds a way to boil over into ever single person who tunes in or even attends the games.
We can all have a pleasant experience with the rollercoaster known as playoff football, let’s just do it in a way that doesn’t waste anyone’s time.
These connected players and coaches, I’m sure loved and will forever cherish their time they spent with each other’s organizations.
But as soon as they step on the field, those connections are thrown out the window, and never to be brought up again unless they step on to the field once again as competitors.
So if they’re thrown out the window and rendered useless, why are we still caught up in them all?
Surely a question that I can’t answer for myself.
A question I’m pretty sure players and coaches can’t answer for their selves either.