As many teams around the league have been, the Tennessee Titans are considered underdogs heading into this weekend’s contest against a formidable 7-2 Patriots team.

But they’re in good form to snag an unlikely win at Nissan Stadium.

We’ve watched the Titans struggle with more than their fair share of injuries and missed opportunities on both the offensive and defensive fronts this year.

But last weekend, we watched a team snap a three-game losing streak in dominant fashion, after overcoming what looked to be a slow start.

And it wasn’t just any Titans team. It was a Titans team that looked solid in every phase, perhaps the best it’s been at since Week 4’s thrilling overtime win against the Philadelphia Eagles.

We expected to see newly re-added fullback Jalston Fowler in action to open up the run game, and many were concerned with the Titans’ decision-making when he wasn’t in the starting lineup on offense Monday.

But the Titans found no issue securing a win against a top Dallas Cowboys defense, and in shutting down what looked like a passing game that might take form for the first time all year.

On the run, the Titans totaled 125 yards, with running back Dion Lewis as the leading rusher. Lewis totaled 19 carries for 62 yards, along with four receptions for 15 yards and a receiving touchdown.

Running back Derrick Henry and Marcus Mariota were also effective on the ground, each recording a rushing touchdown.

Mariota delivered in the air as well, completing 21 of 29 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns. The previous week against the Los Angeles Chargers, Mariota put up another solid performance, racking up 237 yards passing.

This is a far cry from games like the Week 6’s contest against the Baltimore Ravens, when the Titans managed just 117 yards in the air, or versus the Buffalo Bills when Mariota recorded just 129 passing yards at New Era Field.

Perhaps the most notable thing to look at was that the ball was distributed between nine players. This shows that the passing game is progressing and that Mariota is starting to get into a rhythm with more targets on offense.

Wide receiver Corey Davis was an effective target, recording six receptions for 56 yards. Along with Lewis, tight end Jonnu Smith also came up with a touchdown reception in the win.

The defense was able to come to come up big to keep the Cowboys from being competitive Monday, as linebacker Wesley Woodyard led the unit with five tackles, five assists and a sack.

Another key player was safety Kevin Byard, who has consistently been a force all season, capitalizing on an end zone interception in the first half to help turn the momentum in the Titans’ favor after an otherwise sloppy start.

The Titans left AT&T Stadium with the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, holding opponents an average of just 17.6 points per game over eight games this season.

Surprisingly, kicker Ryan Succop was among the players that did disappoint with a rare missed field goal that should have been an easy 28-yarder.

Otherwise, Succop has been money for the Titans all year, sending 15 of his 18 attempts through the uprights. He’s also yet to miss an extra point this season, 11-for-11 in that category.

The Titans look like they’re steadily improving on all cylinders at this point, and will be a force to be reckoned with if they can continue to deliver performances like the one we saw earlier this week.

We’ll see if Tennessee is truly up to snuff as they face the ultimate test on Sunday.