Patriots at Titans: Live updates and analysis

It's Week 10 and the Patriots are in Nashville to face the Titans in pursuit of their seventh straight win. Refresh this page for the latest Nissan Stadium.

Details: Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CBS will broadcast the contest.

Pregame scenes and notes

inactive

■ Tight end Rob Gronkowski traveled with the team to Nashville, but is inactive. He had been a limited participant at practice all week, hampered by a nagging back injury and ankle injury. He said "more challenging" for him.

■ Also inactive for the Patriots are running back Kenjon Barner, Shaq Mason guard, Derek Rivers defensive end, Obi Melifonwu safety, Keion Crossen cornerback, and Matt Tobin tackle.

■ Running back Sony Michel, Dont'a Hightower linebacker, Trent Brown left tackle, and Jacob Hollister tight end are all active.

■ Ted Karras is likely to get started in Mason for the second straight week.

■ For the Titans, lineman offensive Matt Dickerson, lineman offensive Jack Conklin, receiver Taywon Taylor, lineman offensive Aaron Stinnie, Jalston Fowler fullback, Dane Cruikshank safety, and Derrick Morgan linebacker are inactive.

Keys to victory

Titans

1. Logan Ryan Corners and Malcolm Butler have plenty of experience facing Tom Brady. Do they remember any subtle Brady that will help them in their defense?

2. Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey is a mover and a shaker. He can move blockers with ease and shake ball carriers to their core. He needs to be a force.

3. The tandem backfield of Dion Lewis and Henry Derrick needs to kick it up. Let Lewis strike early and Henry grind the late gears.

Patriots

1. The Pbad was rushed to Aaron Rodgers. A duplicate effort is needed against Marcus Mariota. Keep him content or he'll bring the bread.

2. Keep the ground game churning no matter who's lining up behind Mr. Smash Mouth himself, James Develin. Keep the attack balanced to keep the Titans off-balance.

3. Tennessee's receivers are banged up. Get physical with them, slow them, and then snag an interception or two. The Patriots have a takeaway in every game this season.

– Jim McBride

Pregame reading

■ Chad Finn's Unconventional Preview: The Titans are an opponent worthy of respect, and they will prove it even in defeat. (Read more)

■ The Patriots' offense is famously difficult to learn for receivers, which makes what Josh Gordon is doing even more impressive. (Read more)

■ For the Patriots' defense, weekly benchmarks have been the measure of improvement. (Read more)

■ Patriots-Titans scouting report: Who has the edge in every phase of the game, players to watch, and more. (Read more)

■ Playing with Patriots is a dream come true for safety Obi Melifonwu. The Mbad. UConn standout, released by the Raiders, this year, gets to start in Foxborough. (Read more)

■ Malcolm Butler leads the NFL in a few categories. . . and that's not a good thing. (Read more)

■ Christopher L. Gasper: Bill Belichick's decision on Malcolm Butler appears prescient now. (Read more)

Brady vs. Logan and Butler

Tom Brady is well known for his work, Logan Ryan and Malcolm Butler, both of the Patriots over the last two years to join the Titans in free agency.

"They've gone on to have some really great contracts and I'm happy for them. They really earned it. I think when you're a great player, you get the chance to do that. I know we can not keep everybody happy and they have accomplished, "Brady said.

"They were hugely impactful in what we were trying to do in the roles they played. Logan was a great player, still is – and just such a smart player. And Malcolm, I've always loved playing against him, it was very competitive. He's a very competitive person. He wants to try to win every single play and hopefully we can have a good plan against that entire defense. "

Brady went on to mention Butler and Ryan as members of the NFL's No. 1 red zone defense and top scoring defense, both frequent talking points in Foxborough this week. While the Titans have the highest points and have the highest-rated red zone defense,

The Titans defense has been on the field for 83 opponent drives this season. That's relatively few, which keeps scoring totals down. The Patriots defense, for instance, has seen 107 drives.

Tennessee has been disciplined and successful defensively, but their status with a grain of salt.

– Nora Princiotti

Owen Pence contributed to this report.