The Titans-Patriots comparison that holds real weight and is most apples-to-apples as the Super Bowl transitions into the NFL offseason

Which of the interesting similarities between the Titans and Patriots matter most for a big 2026 turn around?

Easton Freeze — Tennessee Titans Beat Writer
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The NFL is a league built on hope springing eternal.

For a game that is actually played for less than half of the year, it does a remarkable job keeping fanbases in every different situation engaged year-round. This is because things are set up to create parity, and the possibility of going from rags-to-riches hangs over the heads of even the worst teams every offseason.

This year’s Super Bowl is between two teams who missed the playoffs entirely in 2024. Both the Patriots and Seahawks made some controversial moves in the offseason, hit on a couple of key things (namely QB), and now they’re 60 minutes away from a ring.

With the Patriots in particular, it’s impossible not to draw comparisons from a Tennessee Titans point of view. The first and most obvious connection is Mike Vrabel of course, but there are a striking number of similarities on paper. My friend Nick Suss at the Tennessean had some fun on X.com this week with a chart of these similarities.

So that settles it then. Titans to the Super Bowl in 2026.

Even the most emotionally positive Titans fans don’t expect that in their heart, though many do hope that these similarities spell a big boost back to relevancy next season. But just how apples-to-apples are each of these comparisons? Let’s examine:

Mike Vrabel vs. Robert Saleh

When the Titans hired Robert Saleh this winter, many quipped that the Titans wanted to hire their own Mike Vrabel… after firing the real Mike Vrabel just two years ago. I don’t think these two guys actually have everything in common when you go beyond the surface-level, big tough guy brands. But they are both once-fired head coaches who got a second chance after just one season off.

The fundamental difference is what each coach did in their first stint.

Saleh coached the Jets for 56 games. He went 20-36 during those four years, now joining the Titans with a career win percentage of 0.357. His defense was the best in the NFL during his time in New York, but he never had a good offense. He never made the postseason and has no accolades to speak of.

Vrabel on the other hand lasted six seasons in Tennessee. He coached 99 games to a record of 54-45. He joined the Patriots with a career win percentage of 0.545. He made the postseason in half of those seasons and was 2-3 in playoff games. He won NFL Coach of the Year in 2021.

Vrabel’s resume when he got his second chance was that of a winner, even after two downhill seasons that led to his dismissal. Saleh’s resume is that of a loser so far, though there are plenty of additional reasons and context that make a powerful case for him deserving a second chance. But his case is based far more in hope and potential than Vrabel’s was. At his peak in Tennessee, Vrabel was regarded as one of the truly elite coaches in this league. Saleh has not yet even sniffed that status.

Drake Maye vs. Cam Ward

This comparison is the one that will almost certainly make or break the Titans’ hopes of a big leap in 2026. Football is a team sport, and in a lot of ways we put way too much on quarterbacks as if they’re solely responsible for wins and losses. But the bottom line remains: if you don’t have QB right, you aren’t going anywhere in the modern NFL. And a great “trailer” quarterback can take your roster places it otherwise isn’t equipped to go.

This has certainly been the case with the Patriots, who got MVP-caliber play from their sophomore QB in 2025. If the Titans were to be so lucky and get the same from Cam Ward in 2026, I’d be willing to bet they’re a legitimately competitive team during the regular season regardless of changes across the rest of the needy roster.

And when you compare the statistical profiles of Ward and Maye in their first year, it’s really not all that different. Maye put up 2276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a rookie. Ward put up 3169 yards, 15 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. Maye’s QB rating was a bit better, 88.1 vs. 80.2. Maye was sacked far less, 34 times to Ward’s 55. And just going by the eye test, I remember feeling similarly about Maye after 2024 as I do now about Ward: this guy clearly has something, got noticeably better as the year went on, and did a lot of good despite nobody watching them on a crappy team.

The biggest difference? Completion percentage. Maye’s was 66.6, Ward’s was 59.8. To Ward’s credit, he improved in this department after some ugly games early. And he was asked to throw the ball a whole lot more than Maye was. But his accuracy is not where it needs to be yet, and if he’s going to take a big leap like Maye did, he must tighten that up. It’s certainly possible.

Josh McDaniels vs. Brian Daboll

Both of these teams hired over-qualified former head coaches to be their new offensive coordinator. McDaniels is like a twice-stolen Dirty Santa gift: he feels “locked” into his OC status in New England after flaming out as the head man. That’s a huge luxury in today’s OC marketplace. Daboll is joining the Titans a year removed from losing the Giants job, and he feels primed to get another crack at head coaching if things go well.

I don’t think this comparison is much of a stretch at all. McDaniels clearly has a much longer and more impressive list of accolades as a coordinator, winning assistant of the year in 2025 and owning six Super Bowl rings pending a seventh this year. But Daboll has been around the block too, cutting his teeth in New England during the same time McDaniels did (he has rings too!) before coordinating in Kansas City, Buffalo, and calling plays as head coach in New York. The Titans are very bullish on him coming in to be the “head coach” of the offense alongside defensive (actual) head coach Robert Saleh, and fans should be excited by that.

Eliot Wolf vs. Mike Borgonzi

If you ask me, this is the category the Titans actually have a clear advantage in. Both of these teams happen to have gone through a period of job murkiness with their second-year GMs, though the actual situations are entirely dissimilar. Wolf’s role was strange even before Vrabel came to town. I remember listening in on his Scouting Combine press conference when the first question he fielded was about whether he was actually the de facto GM in New England. That’s because his title is Executive Vice President of Player Personnel. The messaging from the Patriots is that, yes, he acts as the GM. But once Vrabel arrived, I’m not sure anybody was actually buying that. Vrabel is the sheriff in that town.

In Tennessee, there was a year of confusion regarding Borgonzi’s power simply because President of Football Operations Chad Brinker technically had it in his contract that he had final say over the roster. But all along, Brinker was empowering Borgonzi to do his job as the General Manager. And before hiring Saleh this winter, the Titans changed the language in their contracts to hand the technical power over to Borgonzi to eliminate any further confusion or doubt. Borgonzi is absolutely the man in charge in Tennessee, Wolf is not that guy in New England.

Their first draft records speak for themselves too. Outside of taking the (if you ask me, obvious) pick of Drake Maye at second overall in 2024, his class already stinks out loud. Not sure what Ja’Lynn Polk, Caedan Wallace, Layden Robinson, Javon Baker, Marcellas Dial, Joe Milton, or Jaheim Bell are up to these days? Exactly.

Borgonzi’s class is aging much better. Ward is promising. Both Day 2 defensive players are TBD after dealing with injuries as rookies. The fourth round three-pack of Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, and Elic Ayomanor were great swings. And their later picks of Jackson Slater, Marcus Harris, and Kalel Mullings each have reason for intrigue heading into Year 2.

Massive Cap Space

The Titans are slated to have roughly $100 million dollars in cap space depending on cuts and restructures, which is likely to be the most in the league. The Patriots had the most to spend in free agency last spring, and they pulled off a rare spending spree that worked out well in the first year. WR Stefon Diggs, EDGE Harold Landry, LB Robert Spillane, CB Carlton Davis, OT Morgan Moses, and DT Milton Williams headlined a big group who came in and contributed significantly to this Super Bowl run.

The Titans have to try to land that plane this year themselves, and spending a ton in the spring runs counter to what they’d fundamentally prefer to do. I wrote about that rub here, and gave my two cents on the key to not screwing it up.

4th Overall Draft Pick

The last and perhaps most random connection is that they both had the fourth overall draft pick to work with. The Patriots spent theirs on the top offensive lineman in the class, LT Will Campbell. He’s had some up and down moments as a rookie, but overall he’s been a serious contributor on this run too. The Titans have to find somebody as impactful if not more so with their top pick.

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