FOXBORO — Ask any Patriots player or coach Bill Belichick about the Tennessee Titans' surprising 0-5 start, and to a man they will all say the Titans are much better than their record would suggest.

But others, including a former Pats coach known as The Tuna, believe that you are what your record says you are.

The truth, especially as to how it pertains to this Tennessee team, may be somewhere in the middle. But the same could also have been said for the Titans last year, when they started the season 10-0 and finished with a 13-3 record, though they may have actually played over their heads a bit.

Last year, quarterback Kerry Collins could be a game manager because the team's defense was above average; this year, the defense, without massive tackle Albert Haynesworth, has struggled, and Collins has been asked to win games with his arm and an average-at-best receiving corps, something he just can't do.

There are some in the Tennessee media who believe the team really is not good, though not quite at the level of Tampa Bay or St. Louis.

While no 0-5 team has ever made the playoffs and Titans players seem resigned to the fact that they will not be part of the postseason this year, they are still a proud bunch and have called this a make-or-break week for their club.

Playing a team with its back against the wall puts the Pats on notice.

"It's very dangerous because you're on alert the whole game," defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said. "We can't fall asleep. All three phases of the game — we have to do a good job of recognizing what's going on."

Kevin Faulk believes the Titans are always dangerous.

"They have a good team; they haven't lost too many guys from last year," he said. "They've been in the games they've lost. We have to go out, do your job, and make sure everything is taken care of."

Tennessee lost its season-opener in overtime at Pittsburgh, and also lost by a field goal the next week, at home against Houston. A 24-17 loss to the Jets followed before things started getting out of control the last two weeks. In Jacksonville on Oct. 4, the Titans lost, 37-17, and last week against the Colts the gap got wider; this time it was 31-9.

For a club fairly accustomed to winning — it had 23 total victories over the 2007 and '08 seasons — Jeff Fisher, the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, feels his team is dealing with its current status as best it can.

"They're handling it well, if that's at all possible," he said this week. "We deal with it. We put the loss in perspective and move on and come back and bring energy to work on Wednesday. They practice well, they prepare hard and they believe each week we're going to get turned around, and that's really all you can do. The only thing I can ask more of them is just a little more production on the field on Sunday. But off the field, on the practice field, in the classrooms, they're doing their jobs."

While they have three wins under their belt, New England is similarly searching for better production on game days.

The common sentiment among observers is that the Patriots' defense has been better to this point than many believed it would be — though in allowing touchdown drives of 90 and 98 yards to Denver it did not look good.

Wilfork, a defensive captain with Jerod Mayo, made no excuses for that performance.

"We have to be able to get off the field — turnovers, third down, whatever it is, we have to get off the field. We can't have 90-, 95-yard drives. It can't happen.

"We understand we have to start playing better football."

Tennessee certainly was expected to play better than its record has been to this point, and New England was expected by many to be a Super Bowl-caliber team. On Sunday, both will be fighting to live up to the expectations they have for themselves.

smanza@projo.com