The Arizona Republic

Titans upset Patriots.

- Barry Wilner

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Derrick Henry rushed for 182 yards and a touchdown while Tennessee’s defense stymied Tom Brady and perhaps ended his championsh­ip-filled New England career with a 20-13 wild-card victory Saturday night.

As a dense fog that shrouded Gillette Stadium for the first half dissipated, it became clear that the Patriots, who made the last three Super Bowls and won two, no longer were the bullies on the block. Six-time champ Brady’s contract is up and the 42-year-old quarterbac­k could well be headed elsewhere, including retirement.

Meanwhile, the Titans (10-7) are headed next week to Baltimore, the league’s top team. There was no scoring in the second half when All-Pro Brett Kern’s 58-yard punt that took up 10 seconds rolled down at the New England 1. Brady then was picked by former Patriot Logan Ryan for a 9-yard touchdown to finish off the Patriots (12-5), who at one point were 8-0.

The game’s first three possession­s wound up as three long scoring drives. A 29-yard screen pass to James White set up Nick Folk’s 36-yard field goal, but Tennessee answered with a 75yard march built around Henry. He had no role on the touchdown, Tannehill’s pass to a Harvard man, tight end Anthony Firkser that made it 7-3.

New England counterpun­ched with its own 75-yard drive, taking temporary control of the game by victimizin­g Tennessee’s defense on the outside. The Titans looked slow trying to protect the flanks as Sony Michel broke off a 25-yard run and White had a 14-yarder.

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.

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.

All they got was Folk’s 21-yard field goal as three runs failed. 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.

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