Titans tear through Patriots’ playoff mystique
The (Nashville) Tennessean
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Rodger Saffold was of the understanding that the Titans should not have been looking up at the Patriots’ six championship banners that hang right along the Gillette Stadium marquee.
Taylor Lewan was not. “That (stuff) was dope,” the Titans left tackle said as Saffold, the left guard, laughed after Tennessee’s 20-13 win against the Patriots last weekend in the AFC wild card round. “The reality is, the last 20 years, they’ve been like, the team. They’ve literally been a dynasty. It doesn’t matter how old Tom Brady is, that team is unbelievable. But we were obviously confident with what we’ve done up until this point, and it’s just a matter of taking care of business and getting enough points for the win.”
And so the Titans – with a quarterback who had no previous playoff experience, a 53man roster that featured 30 players making their postseason debuts and a coach who was very much the apprentice in the master-apprentice analogy – tore through the Patriots’ playoff mystique while running all over it.
Derrick Henry’s 182 rushing yards, the defense’s clutchness and a superior coaching effort were just enough.
“I think our players were just ready to go,” Titans coach Mike Vrabel said. “Our coaching staff did a great job, to have them prepared. You know, I told them, ‘To win this game, you’re going to have to be mentally and physically exhausted to win this football game.’ …
“They feast on bad football, and we didn’t hand them anything. And I don’t think our guys spent too much time staring up at those banners.”
Just how good had the Patriots
been at Gillette?
They entered the game on a nine-game home winning streak in the postseason, with the best home playoff record (23-4) of all time, and having won at least one playoff game in a record eight seasons from 2011 to 2018.
The Titans, somehow, all of that.
“We had a lot of belief,” cornerback Logan Ryan said. “It was a different feeling than coming up here two years ago (when the Titans lost to the Patriots in the divisional round 3514). Two years ago, I think we were happy to be here, happy to be in the game. This time we believed we could win, and I think that showed.”
The Patriots had their first two possessions of the fourth quarter end with a punt while trailing by only a point. Each lasted four plays. Tom Brady’s magic, the fuel to this six-title dynasty, was smothered.
New England didn’t get its third possession until 15 seconds remained, when it was backed up at the 1-yard line and in miracle-or-bust mode.
“We challenged them. We didn’t back down,” said Ryan, a former Patriot. “It’s hard to do here – I know I’ve been on that side, so I know how hard it is to do. I don’t know if it’s hit us yet, but we believed we could.” dismissed