Titans snap Pats’ streaks, 34-10
NASHVILLE, TENN. >> Tom Brady added another big chunk of NFL history to his resume.
The Tennessee Titans made sure the Patriots quarterback didn’t finish his 300th game.
The Titans sacked Brady three times and hit him repeatedly as they beat New England 34-10 Sunday, snapping a seven-game skid against the Patriots in Mike Vrabel’s first game as head coach against the team he helped win three Super Bowls.
It was the most sacks allowed in a game this season by the Patriots (7-3), and coach Bill Belichick pulled Brady for Brian Hoyer midway through the fourth quarter.
Only Brett Favre (326) has played in more games, both regular season and postseason, as a quarterback than Brady. The three-time NFL MVP also needed only three touchdown passes to tie Peyton Manning (579) for the NFL record for most TD passes all time for both the regular season and postseason. He left having thrown for 254 yards and no TD passes.
Marcus Mariota capped each of the first two drives with TD passes, and Derrick Henry ran for a pair of TDs. Ryan Succop also added two field goals as the Titans (5-4) scored a season high in points after jumping out to a
17-3 lead in the first quarter. They now have beaten both of last season’s Super Bowl teams in Nashville.
The loss snaps a six-game winning streak going into New England’s bye. The Patriots, who routed the Titans 35-14 in January, also lost to Tennessee for the first time since Dec. 16, 2002.
Tennessee fired coach Mike Mularkey after that loss and hired Vrabel to try to recreate the Patriots’ winning ways with the Titans. Vrabel hired Dean Pees, a former Patriots linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, as his defensive coordinator. General manager Jon Robinson, who started in New England, signed cornerback Malcolm Butler and running back Dion Lewis in free agency.
Darius Jennings opened the game with a 58-yard kickoff return, and Mariota capped the drive with a 4-yard TD pass to Jonnu Smith. The Titans never trailed again.