Go ahead and pick against the Tennessee Titans. Count them out against the New England Patriots or call them the ugliest team left in the NFL playoffs.

A franchise only two years removed from the NFL’s worst record over a two-season stretch cares only about winning.

”Our guys kind of like that role http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-baker-mayfield-jersey ,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said of being underdogs. ”Again, this is not a flashy team. It’s not sexy. It’s just a blue collar, come to work, see what happens when you do and see … everybody compete for 60 minutes, see what the outcome is going to come. … Don’t worry about predictors. That’s their job. We have a job to do.”

The Titans (10-7) went 5-27 between 2014 and 2015, costing Ken Whisenhunt his job after 23 games. Mularkey took over, and he’s now 21-21 after a stunning comeback for a 22-21 win at Kansas City in the wild-card round.

Now they will visit New England (13-3) on Saturday night for Tennessee’s first divisional playoff game since January 2009 and their first divisional road game since losing to the Patriots 17-14 in January 2004. They’ve already been installed as 13-point underdogs, though being at least an 8-point underdog at Kansas City and trailing 21-3 at halftime didn’t stop the Titans.

Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey said the Titans’ confidence never wavered as they tied for the second-largest comeback by a road team in the playoffs.

”Everybody was hungry and had the want to,” Casey said. ”When you have that, and look around the sideline and see it in their eyes Authentic Adam Boqvist Jersey , there’s no reason to panic. That’s what we’ve been doing all year long, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Actually, the Titans have been doing that for the past couple seasons under Mularkey. The Titans now are 7-1 since the start of the 2016 season in games decided by three or fewer points – best in the NFL.

Tight end Delanie Walker said they are comfortable when trailing, confident in their ability to rally.

”We fight to the end,” Walker said. ”We weren’t worried about it. We came in (at halftime) and we were like, `They haven’t done anything to stop us.’ We made some adjustments. We went back out there, moved the ball, scored some points and there you have it.”

Mularkey said being in close games is expected with how Tennessee attacks on offense with its run scheme. That’s what makes coordinator Dick LeBeau’s defense so crucial.

The Titans rallied against Kansas City with the defense holding the Chiefs to just 61 yards total offense and no points in the second half. On the other side, the offense held the ball for more than 19 minutes, scored on four straight possessions and Derrick Henry had 85 of his career-high 156 yards rushing in the fourth quarter.

Marcus Mariota also notched the ninth game-winning drive of his career and fifth since the start of the 2017 season in beating Kansas City.

Mularkey said the mental toughness required to pull out so many close games is critical http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-albert-wilson-jersey , especially on the road.

”We did a lot of good things in that game to give us a chance to win,” Mularkey said. ”Unfortunately, we had to do it late, but we did a lot of good things as a team I think will carry over as we go forward.”

General manager Jon Robinson, who got his start in the NFL with 12 seasons in New England starting as a scout, has been busy rebuilding this roster over the past two years. Cornerback Logan Ryan, who signed as a free agent last offseason after four seasons and two Super Bowl rings with the Patriots, said the Titans feature a bunch of players with nothing to lose.

”A bunch of guys who are underrated, undervalued, who came from different places DaeSean Hamilton Color Rush Jersey , and who were trying to do something special. We believe that,” Ryan said.

Now the longshot Titans face their biggest test yet Saturday night in New England.

”We want more,” Walker said.

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The Latest on the NBA Awards, where the league’s individual honors are being presented (all times local):

8 p.m.

James Harden of the Houston Rockets is the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

He joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season.

Harden led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four. He helped the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.

Harden beat out Cleveland’s LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans.

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7:25 p.m.

Oscar Robertson commends the activism of today’s NBA players, although he wonders why more white athletes aren’t speaking out.

”Where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said backstage at the NBA Awards. ”It’s not just black athletes when you see injustice in the world.”

Robertson went on to say he hopes ”the whites and the blacks can get together, even with the football,” a reference to NFL players who have taken a knee or sat in silence during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

The Hall of Fame guard was presented with the NBA’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

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7:15 p.m.

The NBA gave Oscar Robertson a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Bill Russell gave Charles Barkley something else.

Barkley and fellow Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were the presenters when Robertson received his honor. After Barkley mentioned Russell Tyquan Lewis Color Rush Jersey , Boston’s Hall of Fame center flipped his middle finger in Barkley’s direction.

Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players. Robertson says that was his most important assist.

Russell received the inaugural award last year.

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6:55 p.m.

The name on everyone’s lips around the NBA isn’t at the league’s awards show.

LeBron James isn’t attending the show, where he’s vying for a fifth career Most Valuable Player award.

James has until Friday to tell the Cavaliers if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or opt for free agency. Rumors about his future have spawned a cottage industry in the sports world.

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6:45 p.m.

Dwane Casey has won the NBA’s Coach of the Year award for his work with his former team, the Toronto Raptors. He was fired last month and has since become coach of the Detroit Pistons.

Casey led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history. Toronto won a team-record 59 games. Casey coached the East in the All-Star Game for the first time.

Casey won over Quin Snyder of Utah and Brad Stevens of Boston.

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6:35 p.m.

Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers is the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year.

The guard became the first player to average at least 20 points for the first time in his 13th season or later. He led the league in fourth-quarter points and scoring average.

He beat out Houston’s Eric Gordon, last year’s winner, and Fred VanVleet of Toronto.

Williams kissed his two young daughters on his way to the stage after becoming the Clippers’ third winner in the last five years.

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6:30 p.m.

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz is the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.

The center was the leading vote-getter for the league’s All-Defensive first team.

Gobert anchored a Jazz defense that ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.

He beat out Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Joel Embiid of Philadelphia.

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6:20 p.m.

Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers has won the Most Improved Player at the NBA Awards.

The guard averaged 23.1 points in his first season with the Pacers. He earned his first All-Star berth, too.

Oladipo also led the league in steals for the first time.

He beat out Clint Capela of Houston and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets.

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6:15 p.m.

Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers has won Rookie of the Year honors at the NBA Awards.

The guard averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to post those numbers in a season.

Simmons helped Philadelphia to a 52-30 record, including ending the season with a 16-game winning streak.

He beat out finalists Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Jayson Tatum of Boston.

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6 p.m.

The NBA Awards aren’t just about the hardware. Everyone gets fed, too.

Players and their guests are sitting down to dinner at the second annual show. On the menu is salad with avocados http://www.bengalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-malik-jefferson-jersey , grapefruit and green goddess dressing, and a main course of wild seabass with rice and steak.

Dessert is a vanilla cream puff, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and pavlova with lemon curd and blueberry.

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5:55 p.m.

Jeanie Buss says she has complete faith in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ front office no matter how Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka want to build the team, whether it’s through trades, free agency or the draft.

Buss says she asked them a year ago to identify a style of play for the team and make decisions that reflect that style. She describes the Lakers’ style as fast and says it’s about passing and sharing the ball while committing to each other as a team.

Buss is the team’s controlling owner and president. Johnson is the team’s president of basketbal.