FOXBOROUGH, Mass. _ If this was truly Tom Brady's last start at Gillette Stadium, it'll be one to forget.
The future Hall of Fame quarterback and his offense had plenty of chances to help the Patriots get past the Tennessee Titans in Saturday night's wild-card round contest. Instead the Patriots season came to an end, losing 20-13, and almost immediately came questions about Brady's future with the Pats.
With 4:44 remaining, down one, chants of 'Brady! Brady!' briefly filled the stadium. They were heard plenty on this night as the crowd tried everything and anything to help jumpstart their quarterback _ the one who's been here for 20 years and the one whose contract is set to void come end of the 2019 season.
The drive started well with a 20-yard pass to James White. Those cheers started to dwindle in the remaining plays _ especially after Julian Edelman dropped a potential first down. Two plays later, the Patriots were punting with 3:17 remaining.
All season long people wondered if Brady and the offense could find their rhythm or some playoff magic.
As it turns out, they couldn't.
The next time Brady took the field, there were 15 seconds left. Those chants came back, but they didn't last long as the quarterback's final pass of the 2019 season was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Titans cornerback Logan Ryan. Whether that pass was also Brady's final one as a member of the Patriots remains to be seen.
The Patriots were shut out in the second half on Saturday. This marks the first year the Pats won't advance to at least the AFC Championship since the 2010 season.
For the offense, it was a brutal display of efficiency all game long.
Brady was just 2 of 6 to start Saturday's game, but his first two completions were big ones and led to a Patriots 3-0 lead. The quarterback's first completion came on a third-and-10 as he hit Ben Watson in an extremely tight window for a gain of 21. Brady's next pass was a screen pass to White for a gain of 29. Nick Folk capped the game-opening drive with a 36-yard field goal at 12:37.
The lead didn't last long. On the next drive, the Titans put together a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive to take a 7-3 lead. On third-and-10, at 5:30 of the first quarter, quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Firkser.
The Patriots instantly responded to take a 10-7 lead as they leaned on the run game. Sony Michel kicked off the drive with a 25-yard run. Edelman took a jetsweep five yards into the end zone at 14:57 of the second quarter.
The Patriots extended their lead to 13-7, but it was a disappointing end to a promising offensive drive. Mohamed Sanu kicked things off with a 24-yard punt return to set up the Patriots at the 47-yard line. A 12-yard pass to Rex Burkhead set up a first-and-goal from the 1-yard. Despite burning two timeouts, the Patriots only moved backwards and settled for a 21-yard Folk field goal at 2:16 of the second quarter.
It was a frustrating sequence for the offense as the defense held the Titans to two three-and-outs in a row with the Patriots gaining just three points in that span.
The Patriots inability to score from the goal line hurt them as the Titans came roaring back to take a 14-13 lead before the half. With 35 seconds left in the second quarter, Henry rushed in for the 1-yard score.
Henry had 128 of the Titans 169 total yards in the first half.
The Patriots first drive of the second half ended with a small chorus of boos as punter Jake Bailey stepped out on the field. Two plays after a bad N'Keal Harry drop, Watson's 38-yard gain, on third down, was wiped out due to an ineligible man downfield penalty on Shaq Mason. Brady's next pass went for -4 yards to White to end the drive. This was another example of the offense not being able to respond after getting a defensive stop.
Following another defensive stop, the next Patriots drive ended with another Bailey punt. More boos rained down following Brady's third-down incompletion.
The defensive effort didn't stop. Duron Harmon intercepted Tannehill on the first play of the fourth quarter to give the offense the ball back at the 41-yard line. Chants of 'Brady! Brady!' could be heard in this drive. They quickly died down as the Pats wasted golden field position, punting from midfield.
Following another defensive stop, the Patriots got the ball back with 4:44 remaining. Once again, the drive ended with a Bailey punt.
The Titans got the ball back with 3:10 left in the game, up by two. Faced with a third-and-8, with 2:54 remaining. Tannehill hit Firkser for an 11-yard gain to keep the chains moving and the clock draining. An 11-yard run by Henry, on the next play, did the same. With 1:11 left, the Titans faced another third down as the Patriots burned their final timeout.
The Titans punt was downed at the 1-yard line.
Brady took the field with 15 seconds remaining. Chants of 'Brady! Brady!' filled the stadium again. They didn't last long.
