FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots shook off a rusty first quarter and dominated the Titans the rest of the way, riding a 21-point second quarter outburst to a 35-14 win and a spot in next week’s AFC title game at Gillette Stadium.
New England will play the winner of Sunday’s Jacksonville-Pittsburgh’s divisional playoff contest for a berth in Super Bowl LII. It’ll mark the seventh straight trip to the AFC championship for the Patriots.
Tom Brady spread the wealth in the romp, as three different pass catchers — Danny Amendola, Dion Lewis and Rob Gronkowski — finished with at least five receptions. Lewis accounted for 141 yards from scrimmage (62 rushing, 79 receiving), while Gronkowski, James White, Brandon Bolden and Chris Hogan all had touchdowns. Brady went 35-for-53 for 337 yards with three touchdowns.
Tennessee and Marcus Mariota looked good out of the gate, as the young quarterback led the Titans on a scoring drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to Corey Davis to make it 7-0 with 1:14 left in the first.
But things started to turn in the Patriot favor at the end of the first quarter, as Lewis attached jumper cables to Gillette Stadium. He caught passes of 31 and 14 yards on the next drive, a sequence that was capped off by a 5-yard shovel pass from Brady to White for a score with 13:18 left in the second quarter. The Patriots defense forced a quick punt, and punched it into the end zone to go ahead on a 6-yard run by White with 9:20 left in the quarter to go up 14-7.
The key sequence of the game? That came midway through the second. With New England holding a seven-point lead, Tennessee looked to be in position to potentially tie the game when the Pats were forced to punt the ball away deep in their own territory — Ryan Allen was standing on his own goal line. But a neutral zone infraction prior to the punt was good enough to give New England a first down. The Pats made the Titans pay for their mistake, as New England went on a 16-play, 91-yard drive that was capped off by a 4-yard pass to Hogan to make it 21-7 with 1:52 left in the first half.
The Patriots piled on midway through the third quarter with a nine-play drive that ended with a 2-yard run from Bolden, the first touchdown of his playoff career. That made it 28-7 with just over four minutes left, kickstarting a Gillette Stadium dance party and sparking talk about who the Pats be facing in next Sunday’s AFC title game.
New England added a fourth quarter touchdown when Brady lifted a floater to Gronkowski, a 4-yard touchdown pass in the corner of the end zone that made it 35-7 with 10:22 left in the game. A late Mariota-to-Davis touchdown pass with just under two minutes left ending the scoring.
Updates...
11:39 p.m.: That'll do it. Pats win, 35-14.
11:35 pm.: Corey Davis comes down with it, toe-tapping and coming down with the score. 35-14 with 1:55 left. First fourth-quarter touchdown yielded since Nov. 26 for the Patriots.
11:33 p.m.: Two-minute warning. Brady yukking it up on the sidelines. Hugging his offensive linemen -- all of them. Hoyer looking ready if he gets the call.
11:29 p.m.
Gronk va manger Amendola pic.twitter.com/U3kZyMRlne
— NFL France (@FirstDownFR) January 14, 2018
Brady TD ➡ Gronk!! pic.twitter.com/XLHkL3rKFJ
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
BOLDEN!! pic.twitter.com/E92AMk026d
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
Brady ➡ Hogan TD pic.twitter.com/0lwJqgbigs
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
Cooks! pic.twitter.com/kpJ7czcQnd
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
James White's TD! #GOPATS pic.twitter.com/r02pgGoELx
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
Doesn't count as a TD, but nice screen pass to Lewis. pic.twitter.com/9oipr7Xwh3
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
Brady ➡ Gronk pic.twitter.com/IlFNWBkSlR
— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) January 14, 2018
Meanwhile, in Foxboro... #GoPats
Coming up NEXT on @nfloncbs. #TENvsNE pic.twitter.com/sUAa4bmkP8
— NFL (@NFL) January 14, 2018