Titans end 3-game losing streak with OT win over Patriots: Key takeaways

By Joe Rexrode, Chad Graff and Lauren Smith

Mason Rudolph threw two touchdown passes, Nick Folk hit the go-ahead field goal in overtime and Amani Hooker finished with his second interception of the day as the Tennessee Titans cruised to a 20-17 overtime win over the New England Patriots in Nashville .

The Titans (2-6), who ended a three-game losing streak with the win, led in the first half after Rudolph's 9-yard touchdown pass to Nick Vannett on the game's opening drive.

The Patriots (2-7) didn't reach the end zone until the second half and eventually took their first lead on a 1-yard scoring run by Rhamondre Stevenson midway through the third quarter, but Tennessee tied Folks' first late in the quarter two field goals.

Rudolph's 6-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine five plays after a Patriots turnover put the Titans back in the lead with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Then rookie quarterback Drake Maye responded by leading New England with a late 11-play scoring drive and sending the game into overtime.

With four seconds left, Maye hit Stevenson on a 5-yard touchdown pass with no time left in regulation, and the Patriots tied the game on the extra point.

Folk then kicked the go-ahead 25-yard field goal, completing a 13-play drive that lasted more than seven minutes in the first overtime series. Hooker ended the game when he intercepted Maye's final pass on New England's drive three plays later, ending the game.

Drake Maye goes deep… CHOSEN by the Amani whore!

Hooker's 2nd INT of the game seals it @titans win! pic.twitter.com/Nb3fZz7ksW

– NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

Rudolph threw for 240 yards and the two touchdowns in the win, while Tony Pollard had the best rushing performance of the season and Westbrook-Ikhine scored a touchdown for the fourth straight year.

Titans safety Quandre Diggs was carted to the locker room in the second quarter and was sidelined with a foot injury. Center Lloyd Cushenberry III was sidelined in the second half with an ankle injury.

Westbrook-Ikhine has a touchdown in four straight games! To give this one @Titans the leadership!

📺: #NEvsTEN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/0cSV4tvgDF

– NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

Rudolph to Westbrook-Ikhine, the new Nashville connection

It took DeAndre Hopkins being traded and disappointing first-round pick Treylon Burks being injured again, but once again the Titans see they have a reliable playmaker (to be fair) in former undrafted free agent Westbrook-Ikhine , that is that of the current coaching staff). first year with him).

Westbrook-Ikhine, a proud Indiana football graduate, had five catches for 50 yards and the go-ahead score in the fourth.

Then Pollard's run (28 carries, 128 yards) dominated overtime. Rudolph had a good day as Will Levis (shoulder) was out again. Whenever Levis can return, he should start. And pass it on to Pollard. And targets Westbrook-Ikhine. — Joe Rexrode, senior writer from Tennessee

Titans show some pass rush… before moving a pass rusher?

Arden Key has been on a roll the last few weeks and made a huge play in the fourth quarter by sacking and stripping Maye, a mistake that ended up in the hands of Jeffery Simmons to give the Titans the go-ahead touchdown.

Of course, the Titans had to get to Maye again before the touchdown to force overtime. Key sniffed him. Still, Key, Simmons and Harold Landry all ended up with a sack, and two of those three players could potentially move to a strong contender by the trade deadline.

Key is the most likely, with a limited return likely, but if a team is willing to take on Landry's contract, he could give the Titans a prominent draft pick in return. – Rexrode

Patriots offensive problems

The Patriots' offense feels broken at this point and relies entirely on Maye's legs. The running game was non-existent, the passing game was difficult, the offensive line allowed a lot of pressure and the offense only worked when Maye got to it well.

He finished with 95 rushing yards on eight scrambles, easily having more yards than running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who had 16 yards on 10 carries. (Maye's total was the most rushing yards by a Patriots quarterback this century.) On the Patriots' only touchdown drive, 36 of the Patriots' 70 yards came from Mayes scrambling.

On the bright side, that's a nice dimension he offers and he can be a really good threat as he develops. On the other hand, it is a big problem that the offense only works when the quarterback is in the scramble.

Maye completed 29 of 41 passes for 206 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions and coughed up the ball on a strip sack that led to the Titans' go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Right now the whole offense is based on him making a difference. – Chad Graff, Patriots beat writer

DRAKE MAYE! RHAMONDRE STEVENSON! @PATRIOTS Tie it up! pic.twitter.com/ThCEJxhA0b

– NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2024

Where is New England's ground game?

It's not easy to single out one aspect of the Patriots as the biggest problem, but let's focus on the running game.

The Patriots built this roster and plan based on the idea that they would run it well. They knew there would be some lulls, with an offensive line that isn't particularly good at pass defense and a group of receivers that could be considered the worst in the league. But they always thought they could do it well.

Instead, Sunday's running game was a complete disaster (aside from Maye's scramble). They had 12 designed runs that were only 15 yards long. After starting the season running the ball well, the unit has struggled since Week 3. In the last seven games, they have exceeded 115 rushing yards just twice.

They have a lot of problems offensively, but a lot of them were at least to be expected. There were no problems during the game. – Graff

Required reading

(Photo: Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)