3 Keys to a Patriots Victory Review: Wild Card vs. Titans

Here's how the Patriots fared in their three keys laid out for them prior to their first-round loss to the Titans.

The New England Patriots' season ended Saturday night after losing to the Tennessee Titans by a score of 20-13 in the Wild-Card round of the postseason. It was a frustrating end to a frustrating season after a dominant 8-0 start for New England. 

Let’s review how the Patriots fared in their three keys to a victory vs. the Titans.

1) Stephon Gilmore vs AJ Brown

As expected, Stephon Gilmore bounced back from his poor performance vs. Miami and held superstar rookie AJ Brown to only one catch for four yards. Part of Brown’s low production was a combination of coverage by Gilmore, and the Titans really focusing on the running game.

Tennessee didn’t ask quarterback Ryan Tannehill to do much, as he 15 passies, and completed eight of them for 72 yards. Tannehill’s job was to not lose the game for Tennessee, and he did just that. He even threw a touchdown on a great pass while staring down a blitz and hit tight end Anthony Firkser in the back of the end zone.

It is ironic that if Gilmore played this well the week before vs. the Dolphins, perhaps New England wouldn't have had to play a game this past week.

2) Contain Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry staked his claim as best running back in the league with a dominant performance in Gillette Stadium. Henry ran wild to the tune of 182 yards on 34 carries and a touchdown. It felt like Henry ran for five yards every time before he was even touched by a Patriots defender.

The game plan was clear for Mike Vrabel and the Titans: ride Derrick Henry. Henry seemed to get stronger as the game went on. Henry is a combination of speed and power that Tennessee hopes can carry them further in the playoffs. Right from the start he ran with ease against the Patriots defense, and there was nothing New England could do about it. 

3) A big game for Julian Edelman

It was asking a lot for Julian Edelman to carry the Patriots through four rounds of playoff football without much offensive help around him. The injuries clearly affected Edelman’s play towards the end of the season, which was also evident in the Wild-Card round. 

Edelman finished with three catches for 30 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also had a key drop late in the fourth quarter that would have resulted in a first down and kept the drive going for New England.

Though he did finish the regular season with 100 catches and a career-high in yards, leading the league in drops is what ultimately stood out for Edelman in the Patriots' final game of the 2019 season.