Tennessee Titans coaches and players comment on their upcoming Wild Card playoff game against the New England Patriots.
On playing the Patriots...
"We're going to have to go on the road in a tough environment. The Patriots are no strangers to winning playoff football games at home. I know what is ahead. We are basically walking into the viper's den. We are going to have to go on the road and beat a team that's won a lot of playoff games up there."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
"Now we face New England, the defending Super Bowl champs. It's a tough test, but we are excited. I love this team, and we've stuck together all season. We are playing well, but we know we have to play even better."
- Titans CB Logan Ryan
"It'll be fun. It's a place I know well and a team I know well, so looking forward to the opportunity."
- Titans QB Ryan Tannehill
"We know how tough it is to win in that stadium, in that environment. They're a real disciplined team, and they play different in the playoffs, so we've got to be extra locked in in all three phases."
- Titans RB Derrick Henry
"This is about the players and the preparation. This isn't about my career, my eight years in New England. This is about the Titans and our preparation to go up there and face a team that's won three Super Bowls in the last five years. They're 8-0 at home in that span. They've got the No. 1 defense. They've got the best coach. They've got the best quarterback. So it's quite a challenge."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
"It is exciting. It's obviously a big opportunity for us, a huge challenge on the road. I (always) wanted to be playing in January and competing for a championship. It is the playoffs, and everything amps up a little bit. There is no preparing for next week if you lose – it's win and move on or lose and go home. Obviously, everyone wants to keep playing. So, I definitely expect it to be an intense game and we are going to have to be just as intense if not more intense than the other team."
- Titans QB Ryan Tannehill
"It's a huge challenge. They haven't lost a home playoff game since January 20, 2013. So, it'll be a great challenge. Huge challenge for our football team and we have to begin the preparation to give ourselves a chance."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
"They're a well-coached, fundamentally-sound football team. They play with great technique, great effort. They're good tacklers on defense. The offensive line plays with great technique and understanding. Very limited busts, mistakes. It seems like all the players are in-tune. They communicate well together. They're good in critical situations, their situational football."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
On the Patriots defense...
"This is a team that plays at a very high level on defense and will always throw something at you that you haven't seen on tape or change something up on you, so you have to be able to adjust within the game. But at the end of the day it is football, and you just have to be able to play and execute. … I am just trying to find a way to win one game, and then we'll handle the next one after that. (We just) need to do everything we can do this week to beat the Patriots and then whatever happens after that happens."
- Titans QB Ryan Tannehill
On Tom Brady...
"I still see a lot of accuracy. I still see a lot of quick-release, decisive throws. He's been able to win a lot of football games, get the ball to a lot of different people, to get everybody involved. He's got an uncanny ability to find the guy that's open, execute the game plan, plays, and play-action. Very, very good."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
"I know how (Brady) operates. He's the best of the best. It's going to be a great challenge for us, but I think we'll be up to it. We've had some big games against them, and things always change. (Ryan) Tannehill wasn't our quarterback when we last played them."
- Titans CB Logan Ryan
On Stephon Gilmore...
"If we want to throw passes towards Gilmore that we'll have to be very accurate and we'll have to run great routes because if we don't, the best thing that it'll be will be incomplete, if it's not intercepted. So, every week is different and the reason that great corners are great corners is they play with a lot of confidence each and every play and each and every week. We understand that it'll be a great challenge if we want to try to throw the football against the Patriots."
- Titans head coach Mike Vrabel
