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Titans end 3-game losing streak with OT win vs. Patriots: Key takeaways

4 November 2024Last Update :
Titans end 3-game losing streak with OT win vs. Patriots: Key takeaways

By Joe Rexrode, Chad Graff and Lauren Smith

Mason Rudolph threw two touchdown passes, Nick Folk kicked the go-ahead field goal in overtime and Amani Hooker ended the game with his second interception of the day as the Tennessee Titans picked up a 20-17 win in overtime over the New England Patriots in Nashville.

The Titans (2-6), who ended a three-game losing streak with the victory, led throughout the first half following Rudolph’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Nick Vannett on the game’s opening drive.

The Patriots (2-7) didn’t reach the end zone until the second half, eventually taking their first lead on a 1-yard scoring run by Rhamondre Stevenson midway through the third quarter, but Tennessee tied the score late in the quarter on the first of Folk’s two field goals.

Rudolph’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine five plays after a Patriots turnover gave the Titans the lead again with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Then rookie quarterback Drake Maye answered by leading New England on a late, 11-play scoring drive to send the game to overtime.

With four seconds remaining, Maye connected with Stevenson on a 5-yard touchdown pass with no time left in regulation, and the Patriots tied the game on the extra point.

Folk then connected on the go-ahead 25-yard field goal to complete a 13-play drive that took more than seven minutes off the clock on the first overtime series. Hooker ended the game when he intercepted Maye’s final pass on New England’s drive three plays later to end the game.

Rudolph threw for 240 yards and the two touchdowns in the win, while Tony Pollard posted a season-best rushing performance and Westbrook-Ikhine had a receiving touchdown for the fourth consecutive game.

Titans safety Quandre Diggs was carted to the locker room in the second quarter and ruled out with a foot injury. Center Lloyd Cushenberry III was ruled out in the second half with an ankle injury.

Rudolph to Westbrook-Ikhine, the new Nashville connection

It took DeAndre Hopkins being traded and disappointing first-round pick Treylon Burks getting hurt again, but once again, the Titans are seeing they have a reliable playmaker in former undrafted free agent Westbrook-Ikhine (to be fair, this is the current coaching staff’s first year with him).

Westbrook-Ikhine, a proud alum of Indiana football, had five catches for 50 yards and the go-ahead score in the fourth.

Then the running of Pollard (28 carries, 128 yards) dominated overtime. Rudolph had a solid day with Will Levis (shoulder) out again. Whenever Levis can return, he should start. And keep handing to Pollard. And targeting Westbrook-Ikhine. — Joe Rexrode, Tennessee senior writer

Titans show some pass rush … before moving a pass rusher?

Arden Key has been on a tear the past couple weeks and made an enormous play in the fourth quarter, sacking and stripping Maye, a fumble that ended up in the hands of Jeffery Simmons to set the Titans up for a go-ahead touchdown.

Of course, the Titans needed to get home one more time on Maye before the touchdown to force overtime. Key whiffed on him. Still, Key, Simmons and Harold Landry all ended up with a sack, and two of those three players could potentially be moved by the trading deadline to an edge-needy contender.

Key is the most likely, with limited return likely, but if a team is willing to take on Landry’s contract, he could bring the Titans a prominent draft pick in return. — Rexrode

Patriots offense struggles

The Patriots offense at this point feels broken and solely reliant on Maye’s legs. The running game was non-existent, the passing game struggled, the offensive line allowed a bunch of pressure and the offense only worked when Maye scrambled well.

He finished with 95 rushing yards on eight scrambles, easily finishing with more yards than running back Rhamondre Stevenson’s 16 yards on 10 carries. (Maye’s total was the most rushing yards by a Patriots quarterback this century.) On the Patriots’ lone touchdown drive, 36 of the 70 yards from the Patriots came via Maye’s scrambling.

On the positive side, that’s a nice dimension he provides and can be a really good threat as he develops. On the flip side, though, it’s a big problem that the offense only functions when the quarterback is scrambling.

Maye completed 29-of-41 passes for 206 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and coughed up the ball on a strip-sack that led to the Titans’ go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Right now, the whole offense is predicated on him making something happen. — Chad Graff, Patriots beat writer

Where’s the New England ground game?

It’s not easy to pick out one aspect of the Patriots as the biggest problem, but let’s focus on the running game.

The Patriots built this roster and scheme around the idea that they’d run it well. They knew they’d have some lulls with an offensive line not great in pass protection and a group of receivers that might rank as the worst in the league. But they always thought they could run it well.

Instead, the running game was a total disaster Sunday (outside of Maye’s scrambling). They had 12 designed runs, which went for only 15 yards. After starting the season off running the ball well, the unit has had issues since Week 3. They’ve eclipsed 115 rushing yards just twice in the last seven games.

They’ve got a lot of problems on offense, but at least a lot of those were expected. The issues in the running game weren’t. — Graff

Required reading

  • NFL Week 9, trade deadline live updates: Latest news, rumors, grades and coverage maps
  • He called Patriots games during the dynasty years. What’s the job like now?
  • Regrading the Patriots’ 2024 NFL Draft class: A+ for Drake Maye, but poor marks elsewhere
  • Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft should stop dragging Jerod Mayo into silly Patriots spat

(Photo: Johnnie Izquierdo / Getty Images)

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