Here are the winners and losers from the New England Patriots’ stunning 20-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
Loser: Tom Brady, QB
The Gillette Stadium crowd chanted, “BRADY, BRADY, BRADY,” when their quarterback threw the ball from the 1-yard line with 15 seconds left in the game.
And he threw a pick-six. It might be his last throw for the Patriots.
The game felt over even before the interception. But that play put an exclamation mark on the win and left a question mark on Brady’s future in New England. Brady is set to enter free agency in 2020 after having one of the worst seasons of his career statistically. He finished this game 20 of 37 for 209 yards and the interception.
The Patriots quarterback looked nothing like Tom Brady. When he got the ball with four minutes left in the game, New England went three-and-out — though Julian Edelman dropped a pass that would’ve been a first down. It was a strange sight. What might be stranger? Brady in a different uniform next season.
Loser: Everyone trying to tackle Derrick Henry
Arm tackles were no use. Sometimes, quality form tackles weren’t any good either. The NFL’s leading rusher powered through the line of scrimmage, showed burst on the edge and even caught the ball for good measure. All the while, Patriots defenders bounced off his thighs.
.@KingHenry_2 picks up 29 yards!@Titans driving at the two-minute warning. #Titans #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #TENvsNE on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/EF5fHZbZSf pic.twitter.com/mDpwY3cGS5— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2020
His running style is familiar for New England. Former Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount did something similar when he played at Gillette Stadium. In particular, there were flashbacks to Blount’s game against the Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs in 2015, in which he had 24 carries for 166 yards and four touchdowns. But Henry was probably more explosive and just as powerful on Saturday night. He finished the night with 34 carries for 182 yards and a touchdown.