Physicality was an important factor in the Tennessee Titans impressive win over the New England Patriots on Wild Card Weekend. Former Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro found himself right in the middle of it.
Throughout the 2019 season, Vaccaro combined for 84 tackles and one interception. But it’s these type of hits in crucial moments that define your legacy.
Kenny Vaccaro with a huge hit #Titans #TitanUp #TENvsNE pic.twitter.com/0TkWCkBIcJ
— Slightly Biased (@BiasedSlightly) January 5, 2020
Drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Vaccaro signed with the Titans prior to the 2018 season. Although Tennessee squeaked into the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, the former Longhorn spoke confidently after the game.
I think everybody thought it was like a ‘Oh, they’re lucky to be in here’ type of situation. For us, it was ‘We’re trying to go the distance.’ We’re not just in the playoffs just to see how long we can last. I think we expected to come in and be successful. I think everybody else didn’t.”
Defeating the duo of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady is no easy feat, especially in the postseason. Fortunately for the Titans, they possess enough physicality and balance on both sides of the ball to continue advancing deep into the playoffs.
And that’s exactly what they expect of themselves.