One streak snapped, another on the way?

After ending a six-game losing skid last weekend versus the Jets, the Pats can win their second in a row Sunday in Tennessee.

Oddsmakers have slated them as 3.5-point underdogs against the Titans, who have had a similarly difficult season at 1-6. Tennessee is looking to bounce back from a dismal 52-14 loss to the Lions last weekend. So who will rebound in the Music City?

Here’s what to watch for:

When Patriots run

Last week, Rhamondre Stevenson dodged seven tackles en route to punching in the game-winning touchdown against the Jets. Stevenson’s make-or-miss ability has kept the Patriots run game alive, as they deal with ongoing injuries to their offensive line that has struggled to run-block most of the season. Can Stevenson do it again versus the Titans?

Whether or not Stevenson brings his ‘A’ game, the Patriots must handle defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, a two-time Pro Bowler and one of the NFL’s best defenders. Simmons is a game-wrecker against run and pass, and will test the Pats’ interior line, between right guard Mike Onwenu, center Ben Brown and left guard Michael Jordan. Onwenu and Simmons are set for one of the best head-of-head matchups of the entire game.

“You look at their defense, it just starts with the front. They have a lot of good players up front, and it starts with (Jeffrey) Simmons,” Pats coach Jerod Mayo said this week. “He’s one of those guys that’s a huge disruptor.”

When Patriots pass

The plan here should be simple: hold onto the ball.

The Pats dropped five passes last week, an untenable number if they want to continue winning. Lucky for them, they will have reinforcements Sunday, as rookie Ja’Lynn Polk returns from a concussion. Mayo has previously said Polk is dealing with a “mental hump,” which may be what’s kept him from catching more than two of his last 13 targets.

If Polk can end his funk, that could give the Pats another outside target in addition to Kayshon Boutte, who has a catch longer than 30 in three straight games. Expect the Patriots to attack the Titans’ replacement for injured No. 1 corner L’Jarius Sneed, who was ruled out on Friday. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ top targets, Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas, continue to do most of their damage over the middle.

Wherever the ball ends up getting thrown, look for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to keep his quarterback on the move with play-action rollouts and other movement throws to help offset a leaky pass protection.

“I think we just can’t sit back in the pocket. I think we need to move around,” Mayo said. “You have to change the launch point, whether that’s through boots or through drop-back pass, all those things will definitely help us.”

When Titans run

Ex-Cowboy Tony Pollard was listed as questionable on Tennessee’s final injury report, but if he plays, he should factor heavily into the Pats’ defensive game plan.

As the Titans struggle to throw the ball, Pollard has racked up 494 yards and three touchdowns in seven games this season. No other Titans player is within 300 rush yards of Pollard. And the Titans, like most recent Patriots opponents, have surely circled their run defense as a weakness to attack.

Even though the Pats held the Jets to four yards per carry last week, they finished with 112 total and averaged five yards per carry in the first half. Much of the damage control will be up to linebackers Jahlani Tavai and Christian Elliss, and how well they execute their run fits. Elliss had a much better showing against the Jets – with nine tackles, a sack and a pass breakup – than he did during so-so starting debut versus Jacksonville.

The faster Tavai and Elliss can fly into rushing lanes, the better.

When Titans pass

In the offseason, the Patriots tried to lure Calvin Ridley to New England with a free-agent contract offer than cleared $20 million per year. On Sunday, they will try to shut him down as the focal point of Tennessee’s passing attack.

“There’s no question, as you go through the film, number zero, (Calvin) Ridley, there’s no question why he was one of the top free agents, and everyone wanted an opportunity to have him on their roster,” Mayo said. “This is a guy who is heavily targeted. At the same time, he’s open a lot on film, sometimes doesn’t get the ball, but he is open a lot on film, and that’s going to be a challenge.”

Look for the Patriots to shadow Ridley with No. 1 cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who held Davante Adams without a catch while playing man-to-man coverage this week. No other Titans receiver has reached 200 yards this season, while Ridley leads in all major categories with 22 catches, 326 yards and a touchdown.

Game pick

Titans 16, Patriots 13