Three Studs, Three Duds From Patriots’ Overtime Loss To Titans

A very ugly football game turned into a thriller, but the Patriots were on the wrong side of an overtime verdict at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

Drake Maye led a game-tying drive late in the fourth quarter against the Titans, but Tennessee responded by marching down the field on the first possession of the extra frame and kicking a go-ahead field goal. New England failed to match or score a game-winner and suffered a 20-17 loss.

Here were the bright spots and lowlights from the Patriots’ latest outing:

STUDS
Drake Maye
The rookie quarterback wasn’t perfect and committed three very avoidable turnovers. But he showed a ton of heart one day after clearly concussion protocol and made some big-time plays on the touchdown drive that forced overtime. Maye finished the day with 206 passing yards, 95 rushing yards and one ridiculous touchdown pass.

Jahlani Tavai
The under-appreciated linebacker was all over the field. Tavai led the visitors in total tackles (11, including a tackle for loss) and robbed the Titans of a scoring opportunity when he intercepted Mason Rudolph in the end zone. With several key defensive players out for New England, Tavai has stepped up.

Hunter Henry
Henry has been a favorite target for whoever’s been behind center for the Patriots. The veteran tight end caught seven of eight passes thrown his way for a team-high 56 yards. Henry, playing in his eighth NFL season, continues to lead New England in all receiving categories.

DUDS
Patriots’ rushing attack
Yes, Rhamondre Stevenson scored both of New England’s touchdowns, but it was a very bad day on the ground for the Patriots’ backs The trio who saw action Sunday (Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, JaMycal Hasty) combined for 15 rushing yards, 80 less than Maye. For Stevenson, it was his lowest single-game rushing total since December 2022.

Patriots’ offensive line
Between a slew of penalties and fairly weak protection (four sacks), it wasn’t a very good day for the big boys in front of Maye. The struggle prompted Alex Van Pelt and company to make an early game tweak to the O-line, something that’s become far too regular for New England.

Patriots’ pass rush
The Titans entered Week 9 just outside the NFL’s top 10 of most sacks allowed. But the Patriots failed to capitalize, resulting in a largely stress-free day for Rudolph. In turn, the veteran signal-caller spread the wealth by connecting with seven different receivers for 240 and throwing two touchdown passes