![]() ![]() Hopkins immediately provides Ryan Tannehill another receiver and gives the Titans offense a proven weapon that can take pressure off of Derrick Henry and the running game. After failing to sign a marquee pass catcher through much of the free agency period, on Sunday they agreed to terms with perhaps the biggest name left on the market in DeAndre Hopkins. (WTVF) - The Tennessee Titans landed the receiver they needed. And wondering where Brady is headed.NASHVILLE, Tenn. Patriots: Head home early, failing to become the second team to make four straight Super Bowls. Titans: Head to Baltimore in the divisional round. Patriots: Safety Patrick Chung left in the first quarter with an ankle issue. Titans: Linebacker Jayon Brown hurt his shoulder in the first half. They lost four games, and with the defeat by the Titans, they fell three times at home. NEW ENGLAND SLUMPĪfter winning their first eight games, the Patriots struggled mightily in the second half of the schedule. New England’s loss in the season finale at home to Miami, which cost the Patriots a wild-card round bye, was engineered by another former Belichick assistant, Brian Flores. ![]() “I don’t think our guys spend a lot of time looking at those banners.’' “I told ‘em that to win the game, you’re going to have to be mentally and physically exhausted,’' Vrabel said. ![]() Another of those, Houston’s Bill O’Brien, also did it this season - and the Texans advanced to the divisional round earlier Saturday by beating Buffalo in overtime. Vrabel, a star linebacker for New England who won three Super Bowl rings, is a rare member of the Belichick coaching tree to defeat the Patriots’ long-time coach head to head in the playoffs. He also ran for 16 TDs, second most in team history. Henry led the NFL in rushing this season with 1,540 yards in 15 games, the fourth-most rushing yards in franchise history. “When you can run it when the other team knows you’re gonna run it, that says a lot about your running game,’' Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. Those were Tennessee’s first points in the final two minutes of the opening half since Week 8. On the Titans’ second 75-yard TD march, all Henry did was gain every yard: 22 on a screen pass and 53 rushing, including a 1-yard dive into the end zone for a 14-13 halftime lead. He set an early tone by rushing for 49 of the Titans’ 75 yards on their opening touchdown drive. Henry celebrated his birthday by getting the most rushing yards against a Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team in the playoffs. Tannehill now has five victories over Brady, second only to Peyton Manning’s six for the most by an opposing QB since 2001, including playoffs. Tannehill’s passing yards were the fewest for a starter since the Ravens’ Joe Flacco had 34 in a wild-card win against the Patriots 10 years ago. That has not been unusual during the second half of the schedule. His awful decision to put the ball up for grabs on the first play of the fourth quarter resulted in Duron Harmon’s interception.īut New England’s spotty attack flopped and never revived. But he didn’t do a whole lot Saturday night in his first postseason game: 8 of 15 for 72 yards. Tannehill led the NFL with a career-best 117.5 passer rating and by averaging 9.6 yards per pass attempt. It was the 13th time the Patriots had first-and-goal at the 1 in a playoff game in the Brady era and the first time they failed to get a TD on the drive. New England appeared primed for another touchdown after Mohamed Sanu’s 14-yard punt return set up the Patriots at the Titans 47, and they steadily drove to first-and-goal at the 1.Īll they got was Folk’s 21-yard field goal as three runs failed. Julian Edelman finished it with the first rushing touchdown of his 11 pro seasons, a 5-yard dash to the unprotected left side of the Tennessee D. The Titans looked slow trying to protect the flanks as Sony Michel broke off a 25-yard run and White had a 14-yarder. New England counterpunched with its own 75-yard drive, taking temporary control of the game by victimizing Tennessee’s defense on the outside. ![]()
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