BSJ Game Report: Patriots 36, Titans 13 - New England finally puts away undermanned Tennessee

FOXBOROUGH — Everything you need to know from the Patriots' win over the Titans in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:

HEADLINES

Patriots win sixth straight, on cusp of being AFC's No. 1 seed: It wasn't always pretty, despite the final score, but the Patriots finally put the feisty and undermanned Titans away in the second half to win their sixth-straight game to improve to 8-4. If the Ravens lose to the Browns tonight, New England would be the No. 1 seed in the AFC with five games remaining.

Defense gashed on the ground, but turns it over: In about 90 percent of games, allowing the opponent to rush for 270 yards and a 6.9 average would leave to a loss, somewhat decisively. But the Patriots got away with it on Sunday because both of their top remaining healthy backs, D'Onta Foreman and Dontrell Hilliard, allowed themselves to have the ball punched out by Davon Godchaux and J.C. Jackson to end promising drives. Toss in Ryan Tannehill's 4th-and-goal interception to Jackson off a tip from Devin McCourty, and you basically have the difference in the game. 

"We did some good things. We did some obviously things that are going to get you beat," said Mike Vrabel. "That is somewhat frustrating. Can't go on the road, especially against a good team, and do those types of things and have penalties and start drives on the 10-yard line. Penalties on special teams, turnovers. So you don't have to look too hard on why we lost."

"It was just a gritty win," said Devin McCourty. "I think Tennessee is very similar to us. They don’t care who isn’t playing for them. They have a style of play, they’re tough, they’re going to fight you for everything. I think obviously with Mike Vrabel being there it is just a very similar team as how we’re built and I think that’s how the game played out. Just a battle. Obviously every play defensively wasn’t what we wanted, and obviously before the half defensively we’ve got to play that better. It was just a grind-it-out game, getting a stop on the goal line, all of those things. It was just that kind of game. I think our offense battled, we battled, we came away with a victory, and we know it’s going to keep getting harder for the rest of the season. We just have to keep getting better and try to play our best ball.”

Patriots offense gets chunk plays but stall in red zone as Mac Jones struggles despite 310 yards: The good with the offense? The Patriots were able to get six big pass plays over 20 yards, and Rhamondre Stevenson and Damien Harris ran like beasts in the fourth quarter to put the game away with 7 carries for 59 yards (8.4 average). The bad? The offense was just 1 of 5 in the red zone until Harris' late touchdown when the game was over. Mac Jones had, for him, several inaccurate passes, including when he missed a wide-open Hunter Henry for a touchdown. Jones said it wasn't an issue after the game, but a lot of questions will be asked this week about Jones throwing in sub 36-degree weather. 

"The Hunter play, yeah, just didn't throw the right pass," he said. "We were on the same page in terms of what he was doing, and I got to get him the ball, could have punted it to the guy. Just get it there somehow. Wish I could get that back. I had plenty of time in the pocket with the line, doing a great job. So that's on me. The screen stuff, that's part of the game of football and passing. You have three different types, like short, intermediate or long and then the screen game so that's kind of good that we were developing that and we just have to continue to improve in that area.

New England special teams dominate Titans: Nick Folk kicked five field goals, missing only from 53, while Titans kicker Randy Bullock missed an extra point and a 44-yard field goal both off the right upright in the open end of the stadium. The Titans also had at least two special teams penalties. Gunner Olszewski averaged 11.5 on two punt returns, and gave the Patriots a big edge in kickoff returns, 28.0 average to 22.0.

TURNING POINT

Trailing 26-13 early in the fourth quarter, the Titans mounted a big 78-yard drive and threatened to take this down to the wire when they arrived at the Patriots' 2-yard for a 4th down play. The Titans elected to rollout Ryan Tannehill and he tried to find Cody Hollister in the back of the end zone. But Devin McCourty read it, got his hand on it, and JC Jackson finished the interception. That was really it, especially after Nick Folk made from 52 to make it 29-13 with 6:09 remaining.

SECOND GUESS

Not sure there was a huge second guess. The Patriots only had one bungled personnel issue that caused them to use a timeout with two many men on the field and led to Jerod Mayo and Steve Belichick not exchanging pleasantries. The Patriots' run defense was a disaster, but are you going to second-guess personnel at this point? I'm sure many of you out there will curse Josh McDaniels as the reason why the Patriots only scored one touchdown in the red zone until garbage time. I don't know. If Mac Jones is a little more accurate or daring, they probably get a couple.

Maybe we can second guess Jones for not at least trying a glove at some point, just to see if it agreed with him. But that's nit-picking.

FOUR UP

Jakobi Meyers: Had five catches for 98 yards and had three of the Patriots' top five biggest plays as he was able to find a lot of open space in the Titans' secondary. Meyers also had a key block on Kendrick Bourne's 41-yard touchdown catch and run. And he made this ridiculous catch on a ball that should have been intercepted.

“I was just chasing him across the field and I really didn’t want to go upfield because I thought it was going to be a penalty so I tried to just stick my arm out there and get a pass break up or something like that," said Titans safety Kevin Byard. "I just have to make those plays. No excuses.”

Kendrick Bourne: Had two really incredible touchdowns, one in the back corner of the end zone and another catch and run where he eluded two tackles and broke another. 

"I definitely thought I was going to get hit," Bourne said. "Shoutout to Jakobi [Meyers] with the great block. That was what made the whole play. He’s been doing that his whole career, blocking really well, and he caught a really good block right there. Giving that extra effort he gave really spurred me, so shoutout to him, but just a good play overall by the whole group.”

JC Jackson: Forced a big fumble and picked off the Titans' last chance. All the guy does is make big plays. His contract price tag goes up every day.

"See ball get ball," Jackson said. "He didn't have good ball security. As a defense we talk about creating turnovers every day. We practice punching the ball, catching picks. What you do in practice carries over to the games.”

Nick Folk: His four field goals gave the Patriots a huge advantage over the Titans. Folk tied the team mark of five 50-yard field goals in a season set by Stephen Gostkowski in the 2013 season. 

THREE DOWN

Defensive line: The Patriots tried all sorts of different combinations but, let's face it, when you give up 270 rushing yards, you're getting your butt kicked up front.

Isaiah Wynn: Seemed to have a tough time, on occasion, holding up against the rush and also opening holes in the run game. Patriots rank 25th in the league on runs over left tackle.

Mac Jones: If he's better on key plays early, the Patriots win the game easily. But he got sped up a bit and got hit again on two avoidable sacks and signaled for a first down when he was 2 yards short. "You’re talking about the one I ran on and thought I got the first down? … Just a rookie mistake," he told reporters with a laugh.

"He will put us skill guys in position to make plays," said Meyers. "It's up to us to support him and lift him up when he gives us a chance. It's all about helping him out because we know he will give us a chance to make plays.”

INJURIES

None.

STAT PACK

• Patriots win sixth in a row – 15th winning streak of six or more since 2001. Green Bay is next with eight.
• Patriots surpass 2020 season win total of 7 wins with 8th win of the year. 
• Patriots improve to 6-1 in the AFC.
• Patriots finish the month of November 4-0 for 28th undefeated month since 2000. 
• Matthew Slater plays in 100th regular-season game at Gillette Stadium.
• Matthew Judon now has 11½ sacks. 
• Kendrick Bourne has second career two-touchdown game.
• J.C. Jackson has best two-year interception total in team history. 
• The Patriots defense had two sacks against Tennessee and now has 30 sacks for the season. It is the 20th time under Bill Belichick that the team has reached at least 30 sacks.
• It was the 22nd time in team history that the Patriots have recovered at least three fumbles and first since recovering three fumbles vs. Las Vegas on Sept. 27, 2020. It is the 17th time under Belichick that the Patriots have recovered three or more fumbles in a game.

- Patriots Media Relations.

TOP PLAYS

THREE TAKES BEDARD WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

Mike Vrabel can coach, man: I don't even have the time to list all the good players the Titans were missing in this game but if his idiot kicking doesn't double doink the right post, and his running backs ever learned how to carry the ball properly, the Titans probably lead that game at some point in the second half and take the Patriots down to the wire.

Not an overly impressive win, but important: There will be lots to nitpick about this game in the next couple of days — and I'll be doing that, don't you worry — but even though they were playing the football equivalent of the Nashville Sounds and not Titans, the Patriots will carry something from this game. That Titans team is tough as hell, similar to those old Ravens teams that would keep coming at the Patriots. And that New England found the ability to fight through their issues and take care of business ... this was similar to a playoff game. A good lesson learned for all.

Yeah, Mac Jones and the cold will be a topic ... until he ends it: Jones was off today, there's no question about it. And he didn't seem to be pressured all that much. He had a lot of passes sail high. He had a screen that he threw into the ground that was nearly a disastrous lateral. He could have just had a 300-yard bad day, which I'm guessing it was. But the questions are legit. 

"We practice in similar conditions and it will continue to get colder," Jones said. "I love that we get to practice outside and then that will happen a lot more and it will be a lot colder, so yeah."