New England Patriots Playoff Date, Opponent Set

The Patriots will host the Tennessee Titans in the first round of the playoffs this weekend. New England was forced to play wild card weekend after suffering the worst upset in the NFL in more than two decades, losing, 27-24, to Miami at home Sunday.

Now New England will prepare to play the Titans, who clinched the last AFC playoff spot with a win over the Houston Texans Sunday evening. The game will be at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4 on CBS.

Tennessee, which finished the regular season 9-7, is coached by former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel. The Titans also have former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, but he hasn't played in months due to a broken wrist.

Tennessee is a surprise playoff team. Vrabel benched quarterback Marcus Mariota midway through the season and replaced him with Ryan Tannehill, who has sparked the offense.

The Titans trounced the Patriots, 34-10, last season. Before that, New England had won seven straight in the series — including playoff games in 2004 and 2018.

If the Patriots beat the Titans, they will travel to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs Sunday, Jan. 12, at 3:05 p.m. on CBS. If they lose, the season — and potentially Tom Brady's career in New England — will be over.