Patriots face offseason of uncertainty after playoff loss to Titans
The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry finished with 182 yards on 34 carries and one touchdown, which is the most rushing yards ever against a Bill Belichick-coached Patriots team in a playoff game. With one catch for 22 yards, Henry had 200 total scrimmage yards, becoming the first player since Calvin Johnson in 2011 to have 200 scrimmage yards in a season finale and their first playoff game that same year.
The sixth-seeded Titans will visit the No. 1 Ravens in the AFC divisional round.
Meanwhile, the Patriots enter the offseason earlier than they are accustomed to, and with a major question looming over them.
Since Brady is a free agent after the season for the first time in his career, and the Patriots can not assign him the franchise tag, it set up a scenario that has never been in play in Brady’s 20-year career: The possibility this was his final game.
The crowd acknowledged Brady before the first snap Saturday with chants of “Brady! Brady! Brady!” and others brought signs to acknowledge him, with one reading, “Don’t leave Tommy.” On Thursday, Brady had said he hadn’t thought about the possibility.
The Patriots’ inability to gain a yard on back-to-back drives in the second quarter was a critical part of the game, with the Titans decisively slamming the door.
After stopping fullback Elandon Roberts on a third-and-1 dive near midfield five minutes into the quarter, the Titans then stiffened on the Patriots’ ensuing drive after the Patriots advanced to the 1-yard line.
The Patriots attempted three straight runs — with running back Sony Michel losing 1 yard on first down, running back Rex Burkhead held just short of the goal-line on a 1-yard run on second down, and then Michel dropped for a loss of two yards, as linebacker Rashaan Evans was in on all three tackles.
The Patriots settled for a 21-yard Nick Folk field goal to go up 13-7, and the Titans quickly responded with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in 1 minute, 41 seconds in which Henry accounted for all 75 yards.
After taking a 14-13 lead into halftime, the Titans’ defense then held the Patriots scoreless in the second half. According to ESPN’s Stats & Information, it was just the third time the Patriots were held scoreless in a half in 41 playoff games (82 halves) since 2001.
Also, with the Titans coached by former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel, Belichick has now lost his most recent game against each of his former assistants and players that are active head coaches — Vrabel, Miami’s Brian Flores (2019, Week 17), Houston’s Bill O’Brien (2019, Week 13) and Detroit’s Matt Patricia (2018, Week 3).