FOXBORO – Tom Brady and the Patriots didn’t look distracted on Saturday night.
Dysfunction and friction were key words surrounding this team at 1 Patriot Place over the last two weeks. Report-after-report, drama surrounded the Patriots, their quarterback, head coach and team owner.
Was this the beginning of the end?
Instead, it looks like the start of another long playoff run. [...]
FOXBORO – Tom Brady and the Patriots didn’t look distracted on Saturday night.
Dysfunction and friction were key words surrounding this team at 1 Patriot Place over the last two weeks. Report-after-report, drama surrounded the Patriots, their quarterback, head coach and team owner.
Was this the beginning of the end?
Instead, it looks like the start of another long playoff run.
We ended the 2017 regular season with questions regarding the Patriots and their future. By the end of Saturday night’s AFC Divisional matchup with the Tennessee Titans, we received plenty of answers. The Patriots put together one of their best performances of the 2017 season inside a rocking Gillette Stadium.
Armed with reinforcements, the Patriots throttled the Titans en route to a dominating 35-14 win. Led by Brady, the Pats head to their seventh consecutive AFC Championship game against the winner of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Jacksonville Jaguars matchup on Sunday.
Brady (35/53 for 337 yards and three touchdowns) put together his first 300-yard passing performance since Week 11 and answered his critics.
Even without the ESPN report, which said there was friction between Brady and Bill Belichick, the Patriots still had some worries. The offense looked inconsistent at times. The defense was the epitome of bend don’t break. Then there were the injury issues. From offense, defense to special teams, big-time players were hurt across the roster. It was assumed they’d return and everything would be fine.
As it turns out, those assumptions were right.
The Patriots got multiple players back in their lineup on Saturday and they looked like a different more efficient team. It was clear on Saturday that the Patriots did a good job of resting their injured players down the stretch.
Players like James White, who missed the last two games with an ankle injury, looked refreshed. The running back led the Patriots with two rushing touchdowns in his return. Then there was Chris Hogan, who missed seven of the last eight game with a shoulder injury. The receiver added his first touchdown since Oct. 5.
Danny Amendola also added 11 receptions for 112 yards.
The first-half performance from White and Hogan had the Patriots in the driver’s seat in the first half on Saturday. The effort was needed, too, as the Patriots started off slow and in a 7-0 first-quarter deficit.
The Titans took the first lead of the game after Marcus Mariota orchestrated a 95-yard touchdown drive. Mariota converted two third downs on the drive – one with his legs and another with his arm – before hitting Corey Davis for a 15-yard touchdown at 1:14 of the first quarter. Any good feelings Tennessee had quickly vanished after that.
Brady & Co. knotted up the score on the next series. Dion Lewis jumpstarted everything with a 31-yard pass play that was originally called a touchdown, but called back. Lewis caught a 14-yard reception to set up a first and goal on the next play. Two plays later White took a short Brady pass five yards for the score at 13:18 of the second quarter.
Brady got the ball back with nice field position (at the 48-yard line) and were in the end zone in six plays. Once again, White plowed into the end zone – this time on a 6-yard run at 9:20 of the second quarter to give the Pats a 14-7 lead.
Things got wacky on the next Patriots drive. After going three and out, Geneo Grissom was flagged for false start on the punt. The official changed the call to neutral zone infraction on Titans safety Brynden Trawick, giving the Patriots a first down. That’s all Brady needed. The offense came back out and marched down the field for another touchdown - a 5-yard touchdown reception by Hogan at 1:52 of the second quarter – to take a 21-7 lead.
By the time the second half rolled around, the Patriots defense looked dominating. The unit sacked Mariota eight times, a playoff franchise record, and stymied running back Derrick Henry. The offense continued to move at an efficient pace with multiple players getting involved. Brandon Bolden scored a 2-yard touchdown run at 4:02 of the third to give the Pats a 28-7 lead.
By the time the fourth quarter came, Brady was in the middle of one of his best performances of the season. He bypassed the 300-yard mark en route to extending the Patriots lead to 35-7. The quarterback hit Rob Gronkowski for a 4-yard touchdown at 10:22 of the fourth quarter.
Music blasted throughout the PA system as the Gillette Stadium literally shook. Fans chanted, ‘MVP!’ as the Patriots continued to press their foot on the gas pedal. Healthy and focused, there was no stopping this team on this night.
Not with this quarterback.