SB Nation Boston - Patriots 34, Titans 13: Tom Brady, New England Beat Tennessee In Season Opener

Patriots Vs. Titans: Five Things We Learned In New England's Victory

2012-09-11T20:35:59Z

We all knew what to expect from the likes of Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez during the Patriots' season opener against the Tennesee Titans at LP Field in Nashville on Sunday. It would be another 200-plus yard, multiple touchdown afternoon for the longtime New England signal caller in an impressive 34-13 victory. As opposed to giving you the rundown on Brady's performance, I'll give you a look at five lesser-known facts/observations from Sunday's season opening contest.

1) Have The Patriots Found Their True Number One Back?

Second-year runner Stevan Ridley's performance on Sunday was nothing short of exceptional. His 21 attempts for 125 yards with a 5.95 yards-per-carry average were good for career highs in every major statistical category. Not only were Ridley's numbers impressive, but he most certainly passed the eye test. One drive, late in the third quarter, in particular sticks out where the Titans knew the Patriots were going to run the ball, but still couldn't stop Ridley. His explosive speed and willingness to absorb contact make him the perfect hybrid running back for the New England offense. It's still early, but if Ridley can continue to churn out this type of production, Bill Belichick may have finally found his number one man out of the backfield.

2) Brandon Lloyd Makes Up For Shaky Start With Strong Performance

When Tom Brady and Brandon Lloyd missed on what would have been a 60-plus yard touchdown play early in the game's opening quarter, football fans all across New England must have been overcome with nightmares of the last man to wear Lloyd's number 85 jersey for the Patriots, the always-enigmatic Chad Johnson -- or Chad Ochocinco, whatever name he's going by these days. Fortunately enough, Lloyd would bounce back strong, leading all receivers in the game with five catches for 69 yards. Moving forward, Lloyd doesn't exactly have to be a game-breaking pass-catcher in the Pats' offense to be an effective player. His job is to keep defenders honest and open up the middle of the field for Gronkowski, Hernandez and Wes Welker. If he continues to perform at this level, he'll have been a successful addition to this team.

3) Replacement Officials Better Than Expected, But Far From Perfect

On Tennessee's opening drive, second year quarterback Jake Locker nearly connected with rookie wide out Kendall Wright for what would have been a touchdown and a 7-0 Titans' lead. The pass would end up incomplete, but not without what looked like clear pass interference by Devin McCourty. After all, New England's third-year corner didn't even make an attempt to turn around and look for the ball. Later in the game, McCourty would be the controversial figure once again, after failing to reel in what looked to be an easy interception. When No. 32 went to the ground and lost control of the ball, the referee ruled the play an interception, but immediately blew his whistle, despite no Tennessee player ever coming into contact with McCourty. Certainly an interesting situation if I've ever seen one. Luckily, the refs overturned the call to an incomplete pass after a review in the replay booth.

4) Patriots Rush Defense Tremendously Impressive

Just three seasons ago, Titans' tailback Chris Johnson registered a 2,000-yard rushing season. A remarkable feat that few have ever been able to accomplish. However, none of that seemed to matter to the youthful and explosive Patriots' front seven. On each play, Johnson was bottled up for either a short gain or a loss, accumulating a grand total of four rushing yards on 11 attempts. Rush defense like that hasn't been seen in these parts in quite some time, and if it continues, could provide the Patriots with another invaluable dimension to their defense.

5) ... But Pass Defense Is Still A Work In Progress

Don't get me wrong, the pass defense certainly looks much improved when compared with its performance from all of last year. However, they did surrender almost 230 yards through the air to a man making his first ever start in the NFL, including a couple of lapses in coverage that led to game-changing plays. Nate Washington's 24-yard grab on a critical fourth-and-short help set up Tennessee's first score of the afternoon. Later, Washington would beat a pair of New England defensive backs for a 29-yard touchdown. Overall, Sunday was a step in the right direction for New England's secondary, but a lot of work remains to be done if the Pats are going to compete with the NFL's elite offensive squads.

Final - 9.9.2012	1	2	3	4	Total
New England Patriots	7	14	7	6	34
Tennessee Titans	3	0	7	3	13

Complete Coverage >

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.

Poll

Which new Patriot was most impressive in Sunday's 34-13 victory?

Chandler Jones

32 votes

Dont'a Hightower

9 votes

Brandon Lloyd

13 votes

Tavon Wilson

1 votes

55 votes | Poll has closed

Chandler Jones Nominated For NFL Rookie Of The Week

2012-09-11T15:20:15Z

The New England Patriots first-round draft pick Chandler Jones looks like a good selection for the squad after one week of play, which earned him a nomination for the NFL Rookie of the Week award.

The rookie out of Syracuse forced a fumble and recorded a sack as well as five tackles in Sunday's 34-13 romp over the Tennessee Titans. Jones has earned an early starting spot for the Pats and troubled a Titans offensive line trying to protect Jake Locker in his first NFL start to no avail.

It's an uphill battle for Jones to actually win the award -- Washington's Robert Griffin III might have that one locked up after leading his team to an upset victory with over 300 yards passing and two touchdowns against the Saints -- but it's nice to see him earn a little bit of recognition for his standout play in Week 1.

For more on the Patriots, head over to Pats Pulpit and continue to check out SB Nation Boston.

NFL Injury Report, Patriots, Week 1: Tom Brady Breaks Nose, Maybe

2012-09-10T14:27:04Z

Tom Brady's nose injury might not be the best news for the companies that pay him to sponsor their products, but for the most part, the New England Patriots escaped Week 1 unscathed.

Brady was unsure after the game whether his nose was broken when Titans defensive end Kamerion Wimbley sacked him in the second quarter. Regardless, he continued to play, bloody nose and all, with a bandage on the wounded area of his face.

"I have no idea what a broken nose feels like," Brady said. "It'll be fine. I need some of that anyways."

There was some concern surrounding right guard Dan Connolly, who left in the third quarter after a head injury. But the offensive lineman, who missed two games at the end of the 2010 season with a concussion, passed all the necessary tests and does not have a concussion, meaning he'll be available to play going forward.

For more on the Patriots, head over to Pats Pulpit and continue to check out SB Nation Boston.

Patriots Vs. Titans: Pats Pulpit Weighs In

2012-09-10T12:20:15Z

The New England Patriots started the season off in fine fashion against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, winning 34-13 at LP Field.

The Patriots were expected to win this game according to many of the experts and did so without leaving much doubt as to what the outcome would be throughout the game.

Over at Pats Pulpit, Greg Knopping sums it up nicely including his breakdown of the offensive showing:

It wasn't the most dominating game, as the game was more competitive than the score suggests. Nonetheless, the Patriots found ways to execute on both sides of the football. On offense, the Patriots were led by running back Stevan Ridley, who produced 125 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. It's early, but Ridley looks as good as one could imagine on offense. Quarterback Tom Brady also looked sharp for most of the game, completing 23 of 31 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns, one to each of his tight ends, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez.

Brady may not have had one of his 400-yard days, but he was effective as always while picking apart the Titans' defense. It was without question an impressive showing that has the greater New England area feeling good about the Patriots' prospects.

For more on the Patriots, please be sure to check out our blog Pats Pulpit and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

Patriots Vs. Titans: New England Displays Healthy Balance In Victory

2012-09-10T12:00:38Z

You could have compare the New England Patriots' makeup last year to a hippo and a toy poodle sharing a see-saw. On one side, you had this mammoth, overpowering offensive unit. On the other, you had a young and mediocre defense. David and Goliath, to some extent.

It's still early, but the gap between the two has seemingly shrunk (maybe it's even been erased).

New England showed a healthy balance on both sides of the football in its 34-13 victory against the Tennessee Titans in Sunday's season opener in Nashville, Tennessee. Start to finish, the offense put on its usual show and the defense kept pace.

Of course, Tom Brady is the offense. Brady didn't match his astronomical stats from last year's opener, but his 236 passing yards, two touchdowns and his 74 percent completion rating certainly got the job done. Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez did their thing, with Gronk making six grabs for 60 yards and a score and Hernandez essentially doing the same (except he only had 59 receiving yards ... slacker). Brandon Lloyd debuted well, too, leading all receivers with 69 yards.

Perhaps even more encouraging than the passing game (which, based on last year's results, appeared to have a below average day in terms of total yardage) was the ground attack. Steven Ridley made sure that his fellow second year back Shane Vereen wouldn't get the chance to start in the foreseeable future, scampering for a career-high 125 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries. Two other backs saw time in the backfield, with Danny Woodhead picking up 20 yards on six carries and Brandon Bolden totaled 11 yards on five rushes. All told, the Pats had 162 rushing yards, accounting for 41 percent of the offense. Considering last year's Pats team averaged 110 yards on the ground (and the fact that Vereen still hasn't played), that's pretty encouraging.

Now, as long as No. 12 is under center, the Patriots won't be a run-first kind of team. But the ability to successfully run the football coupled with Brady being Brady helps to confuse the defense and give the Patriots another way to move the ball. Even more offense. That's a scary thought, isn't it?

Defensively, aside from the game's opening drive and a handful of others throughout the game, how could you not like what you saw? New England's defense picked off Titans quarterback Jake Locker (specifically, rookie safety Tavon Wilson), rookies Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower combined for a strip sack and a touchdown and it held back Chris Johnson (this guy) to four rushing yards -- four! -- on 11 carries. Oh yeah, and it only gave up thirteen points.

Again, it's important to stress that it's really, really early. We're one game into the regular season, and the Patriots didn't exactly beat the Green Bay Packers here. There will be plenty more challenges and tests for this offense and defense, but if what we saw on Sunday becomes a trend, there's a darn good chance that New England will be playing a football game on February 3rd.

Final - 9.9.2012	1	2	3	4	Total
New England Patriots	7	14	7	6	34
Tennessee Titans	3	0	7	3	13

Complete Coverage >

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and team blog, Pats Pulpit.

Patriots Vs. Titans: Is New England Trying To Phase Out Wes Welker?

2012-09-09T22:45:03Z

Put on your conspiracy theory hats for a minute, would you? Wes Welker, the man who has been without a doubt the most consistent wide receiver in recent years for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, was targeted five times during Sunday's season opening 34-13 win over the Tennessee Titans. He had three catches for 14 yards. Fourteen yards.

We are talking about Mr. 100, remember? Tom Brady's favorite target that many expect to grab 100 footballs over the course of a season and the guy who has recorded 1,000 or more receiving yards in three of the four seasons he's been in New England. Yeah, that guy.

Yet, here he is having little impact on the game. And do you know what? The Pats didn't even need him (to be fair, Welker's presence alone demands attention, opening up opportunities for others -- Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez, Brandon Lloyd, Chad Ocho... er, nevermind). Still the Patriots won -- big -- without Welker.

Maybe he just wasn't part of the game plan this week? Sure, that's possible. Or maybe, just maybe, this was designed by Bill Belichick and the Patriots' brass to phase out Welker.

We all know that Welker is looking for big money, and that's part of the reason why the Pats slapped the franchise tag on him this season. In case you didn't know, the Patriots aren't particularly fond of paying their stars big money. If the passing game worked out like it did on Sunday every game, then let's face it: there's no need for Welker. It is what it is, right Bill?

Maybe Belichick wanted to see if the offense could survive without Welker, and with Gronk, Hernandez and Lloyd all in the fold, it appears that it can. Of course, the only way to really know if the offense can survive without Welker is to actually be without Welker. Perhaps Bill wanted to test out that idea. If he did, well, it worked.

If this is truly the case, then it would mean one of two things. Number one, there wouldn't be a need for Welker anymore, so why spend the money? Number two, it might drive Welker's price tag down if he did want to remain with the Patriots (if it happens, why would he?).

Do I actually believe this? I'm not sure, probably not. It isn't very likely that this is happening, but if you think about it, it makes a little bit of sense. What do you think?

Final - 9.9.2012	1	2	3	4	Total
New England Patriots	7	14	7	6	34
Tennessee Titans	3	0	7	3	13

Complete Coverage >

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.

Patriots Vs. Titans Final Score: New England Defeats Tennessee, 34-13

2012-09-09T20:05:18Z

Early season rust? Forget about it. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots performed like a well-oiled machine throughout the majority of their season opener against the Tennessee Titans, coming away with a 34-13 win Sunday afternoon at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee.

After surrendering a field goal (Rob Bironas from 28 yards out) with 8:47 left in the opening quarter, New England's offense went on a roll and scored 21 unanswered points to bring an 18-point lead into halftime. Tennessee's offense picked up in the second half, with the Titans scoring 10 points, but New England was able to maintain its distance and notch its first win.

New England's offense came up empty on its first drive, which featured a touchdown drop by new wide receiver Brandon Lloyd (five catches, 69 receiving yards) on a deep ball from Brady (23-for-21, 236 yards, two touchdowns), but Brady led the Pats on a 67-yard drive late in the first, culminating in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Brady and Aaron Hernandez.

Brady reached a couple of milestones in the first quarter, topping 40,000 passing yards in his career and moving into fifth place on the NFL's all-time touchdown list with his 301st passing score (to Hernandez), jumping ahead of John Elway (not bad for one quarter, huh?).

The Pats' second touchdown came on defense, with rookies Chandler Jones and Dont'a Hightower teaming up to force a fumble and recover it for the score. Jones forced the fumble from Titans quarterback Jake Locker (23-for-32, 229 passing yards, one touchdowns) in his own end zone and Hightower picked it for the score at 11:16 of the second quarter. At the other end of the quarter, Brady again led the Patriots on a 67 yard drive and found Rob Gronkowski (six catches, 60 receiving yards) for a two-yard score.

Tennessee's offense was able to heat up at the start of the third quarter as Locker led his troops downfield on an 80-yard drive before throwing a 29-yard touchdown pass to Nate Washington at 10:25, cutting the Titans' deficit to 11 points. New England canceled out that score at the end of the quarter, when Stevan Ridley (who topped 100-yards on the drive and finished with a career-high 125 rushing yards) punched it in from one yard out.

Bironas made another field goal from 24 yards out with 9:20 remaining, but two field goals from Stephen Gostkowski (25 yards at 4:19 and 31 yards at 0:35) sealed the deal.

Matt Hasselbeck, the Boston College alum and former Seattle Seahawks quarterback, replaced Locker after a left shoulder injury in the second half and completed 6-of-11 passes for 43 yards. Chris Johnson, the Titan's star running back, was held to four yards on 11 carries. Jared Cook lead the Tennessee receivers with 64 yards on four receptions.

New England heads home to Gillette Stadium to face the Arizona Cardinals next Sunday.

FINAL	1	2	3	4	Total
New England Patriots	7	14	7	6	34
Tennessee Titans	3	0	7	3	13

Complete Coverage >

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit.

Patriots Vs. Titans Score Update: Stevan Ridley, Pats Lead 28-10 After Three Quarters

2012-09-09T19:21:20Z

After a dominating first half performance, one in which they built themselves a 21-3 lead, the third quarter of their match-up with the Titans didn't exactly go as the Patriots planned.

After their opening drive of the half stalled near midfield, New England was forced to punt the ball back over to the Titans. Jake Locker and co. wouldn't waste any time, immediately gashing the Patriots' defense for multiple big gains in the passing game.

Tennessee would complete their 80-yard touchdown drive in just four plays when Locker connected with eight-year veteran Nate Washington for a 30-yard score.

Another Patriots' punt would result in the Titans taking over from inside their own 10-yard-line. On the second play of the drive, we'd see the most comical moment of the afternoon when a replacement official ruled in favor of a Devin McCourty interception that was quite obviously an incomplete pass.

On their final drive of the quarter, the Patriots would show the world a previously unseen dimension of their offense. Smashmouth football and hard running from second-year tailback Stevan Ridley would lead to New England's fourth touchdown of the day and a 28-10 advantage after 45 minutes of action.

For more New England Patriots coverage, visit our team page and blog, Pats Pulpit. To stay updated on the season-opener against the Titans, stick with this StoryStream.