This one hurt.
The New England Patriots appeared to be on the verge of a dramatic comeback victory against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye led the team on a late fourth-quarter drive to tie the game up and send it into overtime.
However, the defense gave up a field goal on the opening drive of the extra quarter, and Maye threw an interception to officially bring an end to the Patriots’ run. They dropped their seventh loss of the season and fell in defeat 20-17 on the road.
Many of the same issues continue to haunt the Patriots, particularly along the offensive front. The defense also struggled against the run, and the receivers didn’t do much to help Maye in this matchup, either.
Here are the studs and duds from the game:
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Jahlani Tavai needed a bounce-back performance, and he got it in style in Sunday’s game against the Titans. He led the Patriots’ defense with seven tackles, and he robbed Tennessee of a potential scoring drive by picking off quarterback Mason Rudolph in the end zone. It was an impressive performance on an ugly day of football.
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Bryce Baringer has been one of the most reliable players for the Patriots this season, but it’s clear Sunday’s game against the Titans wasn’t his day. The second-year specialist had a couple of awful punts, including one that only went for 15 yards. Those plays helped set the Titans up in good field position against the Patriots’ defense.
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It was another disappointing day for rookie wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, who was only targeted once in the game. He finished with no catches and two penalties. There were high hopes for Polk coming into the season, and he hasn’t come close to living up to any of them. At this point, it feels as if he needs one thing to go right for him so he can start to build some confidence at the NFL level.
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It looked like the Patriots were starting to turn a corner with the offensive line struggles, but it was back to square one against the Titans. The line got bullied so badly that coach Jerod Mayo made the decision to move Mike Onwenu back inside at guard to stop the bleeding.
Titans defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons was a nightmare throughout the game, particularly in the interior, and the Patriots wanted to put their best offensive lineman on him. That still didn’t stop the Titans from wreaking havoc with four sacks and nine quarterback hits.
Maye’s incredible mobility probably saved the game from being a complete disaster.
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Marcus Jones is one of the most electric returners in the NFL. He averaged 34.5 yards on two punt returns with one going for 44 yards. His return late in the fourth quarter set the team up for the game-tying drive that sent it into overtime.
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Brenden Schooler plays like a man with his head on fire on special teams. He was flying down the field to make plays against the Titans. He drew a holding penalty on one play and then hit Titans’ return man Jha’Quan Jackson so hard that his soul seemed to leave his body at the start of overtime.
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One of the most disappointing drives of the game was the one in overtime for the Titans. They dominated in the trenches and slowly powered their way down the field by leaning on the rushing attack. If not for a botched snap, the Titans might have ended the game on the first drive in overtime.