Titans at Patriots: Live Updates and Analysis

The Tennessee Titans are in Foxboro, Mass. for their third playoff game in 11 seasons – and it’s in the same stadium, against the same opponent as the second.

Two years after their loss to the New England Patriots in a divisional round matchup, the Titans have a new head coach (Mike Vrabel), a new starting quarterback (Ryan Tannehill), the 2019 NFL rushing champion (Derrick Henry), one of the most productive rookie wide receivers in franchise history (A.J. Brown) and confidence about their chances to advance.

The Patriots have the same coach (Bill Belichick) and quarterback (Tom Brady) who have teamed up for six Super Bowl victories, including last season.

Tennessee (9-7) has won one of its last five playoff games, starting with its loss in Super Bowl XXXIV.

New England (12-4) has won 12 of its last 14 postseason contests, including the 35-14 triumph over the Titans two years ago, and three of the last five Super Bowls.

The Patriots are favored by 4.5 points.

And here we go.

FIRST QUARTER

The Titans win the toss and defer their option to the second half. New England gets the ball first.

(14:41) Titans allow the Patriots to convert on third-and-10 with a 21-yard completion to Benjamin Watson. Jayon Brown, who had good coverage on the play is injured. The opening possession continues. Brown’s night might be finished.

(13:28) Patriots go with a trick play on first-and-10 from the 25. Brady tosses to Burkhead going right. Burkhead throws back to Brady, who has to throw it out of the end zone incomplete. Good discipline and coverage by Tennessee’s secondary.

(12:37) New England 3, Tennessee 0. Tennessee’s defense forces a 36-yard field goal attempt, which is good. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 57 yards, 2:23.

Opponents scored first against the Titans in 12 of the 16 regular season games and on their first dive in eight of those games. Tennessee went 6-6 when the other team scored first.

(12:03) Derrick Henry’s first carry goes for eight yards, gives the Titans their first first down (it was second-and-1).

(9:24) Five of the Titans’ first seven plays are Derrick Henry runs. He has 37 yards. It’s first down at the Patriots’ 23.

(8:03) Marcus Mariota gets a turn at quarterback and completes a pass to MyCole Pruitt for four yards.

(5:39) Tennessee 7, New England 3. Ryan Tannehill beats the blitz with a touchdown pass to Anthony Firkser on third-and-10 from the New England 12. Derrick Henry carried seven times for 49 yards on that possession. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:58.

Tannehill was 3-4 for 27 yards and a touchdown on the opening possession. Brady was 2-6 for 50 yards on his first series.

(3:28) Jayon Brown came back in at the start of New England’s second series. Now he is hurt again … grabbing at his shoulder again.

(0:00) End of the first quarter. Patriots are threatening. They have it second-and-goal from the 5 when the second quarter starts.

New England averaged 7.9 yards on 16 plays in the first quarter. Tennessee averaged 6.7 on 12 plays. Titans have a 49-44 edge in rushing yards. Patriots lead 83-31 in passing yards. Both sides have six first downs.

SECOND QUARTER

(14:57) New England 10, Tennessee 7. Three seconds and one play into the second quarter, the Patriots are back on top courtesy of a 3-yard touchdown run by Julian Edelman on a jet sweep. The drive included a 25-yard run by Sony Michel and a 14-yard run by James White. Scoring drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:42.

(14:52) Darius Jennings’ decision to bring the kickoff out of the end zone is a bad one. Titans will start their second drive at their own 15.

(13:33) New England’s defense gets the first stop when defensive lineman Adam Butler knocks down Ryan Tannehill’s pass for Tajaé Sharpe on third-and-3.

Four of the Titans’ five completions thus far have been for nine yards or fewer. Ryan Tannehill averaged 9.6 yards per ATTEMPT during the regular season.

Jayon Brown now “questionable” to return with a shoulder injury.

(12:07) New England moving again. Tom Brady has hit on six straight passes and the Patriots are 3-4 on a third down with 6-yard completion to Julian Edelman on third-and-2.

(9:29) Tennessee’s defense gets a stop when it stuffs a rushing attempt on third-and-1. Patriots punt for the first time.

(9:13) Tennessee starts this drive from its own 10. Starting field position going backward … its own 25, then 15 and now 10.

(8:00) Titans go three-and-out again. A 24-yard punt return means New England will start at the Tennessee 47.

(6:33) Patriots have it third-and-6 at the Tennessee 32. Titans don’t like what they see pre-snap and Mike Vrabel calls his first timeout.

(6:26) Out of the timeout, Patriots convert with a 7-yard completion to N’Keal Harry. The drive continues.

(3:41) On second-and-goal from the 2, New England uses its first timeout.

New England’s Sony Michel now with 9 carries for 52 yards. Derrick Henry has 9 carries for 53 yards.

(3:01) It’s now third-and-goal from the 1. Patriots get up to the line of scrimmage but Tom Brady calls timeout No. 2.

(2:16) New England 13, Tennessee 7. Titans’ defense stops three straight running plays just short of the goal line. Rashaan Evans with two tackles, DaQuan Jones with one. Scoring drive: 10 plays, 44 yards, 5:44.

Rashaan Evans leads all players on both teams with eight tackles thus far.

(2:00) Two-minute warning. Titans off and running (literally) as they try to get points before halftime. Derrick Henry starts the drive with a 29-yard gain over the right side. It’s first-and-10 at the New England 46.

Henry now with 82 yards on 10 carries.

(1:21) Two more carries (9 and 11 yards, respectively) and Henry is over 100 yards for the game. Titans were 6-0 in the regular season when he rushed for 100 or more.

(0:47) Titans use their second timeout. They have it first-and-10 at the New England 23.

(0:35) Tennessee 14, New England 13. Derrick Henry finishes the drive with a one-yard dive. Henry accounted for every yard on that drive (53 rushing, 22 receiving). Scoring drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:41.

(0:00) Halftime. The quarter ends on an unsuccessful Hail Mary from the New England 48. The Titans dropped 11 guys into coverage on the play.

Tennessee 14, New England 13. The Titans are 9-1 all-time under Mike Vrabel when leading at the half.

Tennessee has outrushed New England 112-73. Passing yards favor the Patriots 149-57. New England also has the edge in time of possession, 18:33-11:27.

Derrick Henry has 128 yards from scrimmage (106 rushing, 22 receiving) in the first half. According to ESPN.com, that is the most against the Patriots in the first half of a playoff game since LaDainian Tomlinson had 143 in 2006.

Titans get the ball to start the second half.

THIRD QUARTER

(13:40) Three straight Derrick Henry runs net 14 yards and a first down to open the half.

(11:35) The drive stalls after three more plays (two passes). Titans have to punt.

(9:19) An ineligible man downfield penalty wipes out a 38-yard completion after Tom Brady stayed alive in the pocket and found Benjamin Watson wide open down the middle. It’s the first penalty against the Patriots and makes it third-and-15.

(8:40) Tennessee’s defense gets the stop and forces a punt – it’s a short one. Tennessee’s offense will start from its own 43, its best starting field position of the contest.

(6:20) Tannehill is sacked and fumbled, but recovers against the NFL’s leaders in turnover ratio. It’s the first sack of the game for either team, but not the first turnover.

(5:31) The next play is an incomplete pass and the Titans have to punt. Brett Kern does what Brett Kern does and makes the ball stick at the New England 7. It will be the Patriots’ worst starting field position of the contest.

(2:30) The Patriots get out of the hole but have to punt, which results in a touchback. Titans’ ball at their own 20.

(0:00) End of the third quarter. Neither team scored – or even came close. Titans got as far as New England’s 43 in that quarter. The Patriots got as far as their own 39.

FOURTH QUARTER

(14:52) The game’s first turnover is an interception. Corey Davis fails to adjust to Ryan Tannehill’s pass. Patriots ball at their own 41.

(12:45) The defense holds and gets the ball back for the offense. Another punt results in a touchback. Titans’ ball at their own 20.

(12:11) Dion Lewis gets the Titans a much-needed first down with an 8-yard gain on third-and-4. Lewis is hurt on the play, though.

(5:52) A botched shotgun snap (Tannehill just dropped it) on third-and-3 from the New England 34 forces the Titans to punt. Tennessee takes a delay of game penalty and then commits a false start – both intentionally – to take time off the clock.

Kern’s punt goes out of bounds at the 12-yard line. New England ball with 4:44 to play.

(3:17) Julian Edelman drops a pass on second down. Tom Brady throws incomplete on third down. Patriots have to punt.

(3:10) Rashard Davis with a fair catch at the Tennessee 13. Titans’ ball.

(2:54) The Titans overcome an illegal formation penalty against Taylor Lewan with an 11-yard completion to Anthony Firkser on third-and-8.

(2:00) Derrick Henry follows with an 11-yard run that makes it first down again. New England has one timeout remaining.

Henry now with a franchise postseason record 178 rushing yards on 31 carries.

(1:11) After two Derrick Henry runs, it's third-and-8 and New England uses its final timeout.

(0:25) Henry was stopped on third down. Titans call timeout before they punt.

(0:15) Brett Kern gets off the punt against pressure. The ball rolls to the 1-yard line before Dane Cruickshank downs it.

(0:09) Tennessee 20, New England 13. No miracle for the Patriots. Logan Ryan intercepts a deflected pass and returns it nine yards for a touchdown. Titans elect to go for two but Henry is stopped.

The Patriots attempt a bunch of laterals but get nowhere on the kickoff return as time runs out. Titans win.

IN CONCLUSION

Early in the season, everyone wondered what this team possibly could do if the offense could put together anything to support the defense, which was dominant for a time.

Now we know. It's a team that can go into Foxboro and knock off Tom Brady and the Patriots. It wasn't the offense's best effort -- Ryan Tannehill passed for just 72 yards -- but Derrick Henry and the offensive line delivered enough in the running game (182 yards for Henry, 201 rushing yards overall) to support a defense that delivered a critical goal line stand in the second quarter (New England settled for a field goal) and then did not allow a point over the final 32-plus minutes.

It's on to Baltimore.