Titans present plan to slow down Tom Brady

This included a series of exotic blitzes, delays, stunts and counters to surprise Brady and his linemen. And in high school, the Titans disguised their covers and changed assignments at the last second so as not to warn them of their intentions.

Due to frequent changes, Brady kept the ball one or two more beats, which allowed the defenders of the pass to harass the quarterback. The Titans fired it three times and hit it another six times. Brady completed 51% of his passes, a record of the season, while he only amassed 245 yards and no touchdowns with a 70.6 rating. The 10 points collected by the Patriots equalized at the bottom of the season. And the three goals on 20 of the Patriots on the third declines fell well below their average pass rate of 42.3%.

"We have not done anything good today, so everything was a problem," said Belichick at his post-game press conference. "They were better than us in this zone (third tries), with a lot of others. … The Titans were clearly the best team and deserved to win. They did it, deeply.

It was not altogether surprising to see the Patriots fight early against the Titans. Tennessee have the best defense in the league, limiting their opponents to just over 17 points per game. But the extent of the struggles of New England made eyebrows. Generally, teams attack New England and make the Patriots waver. But Belichick, Brady and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels get so used to adapting to what their opponents throw at them that the original game plans are rendered useless.

The Titans managed to keep a long lead throughout the match.

On the defensive, Vrabel and Pees followed the same pattern as former Patriots defense coordinator Matt Patricia and became a Lions coach earlier this season to defeat the Patriots their second defeat of the season. Apart from the two Belichick disciples, only Doug Marone of Jacksonville has been able to beat the Patriots this season. His defense also often put pressure on Brady.

But few mistakes have appealed to Matt's creativity, as Matt LaFleur, who played an offensive game strategy with a variety of looks and wrinkles. Tennessee has thrown everything on the Patriots, from hunting jets to reading scenes and to wild cat formations.

In Tennessee's wide-ranging attack outside wide receiver Corey Davis and his seven catches for 125 yards and one touchdown, none of the Titans' players managed to score brilliant numbers. Two backs rushed for just under 60 yards each, and none of the other six caught more than 45 receiving yards.

Vrabel downplayed the importance of beating his former team. Asked about it, he said, "Look, I'm happy to be above .500. It is a good football team that we played today and that we beat. He stated that he had learned a lot during his stay in New England, but that he feels honored and privileged to be part of the Titans organization.

This game actually entailed an additional incentive for members of the Titans organization. That Vrabel, Pees and general manager Jon Robinson have entered the match with a chip on the shoulder facing their former team, to several former Patriots players who have joined the Titans – cornerback Malcolm Butler, the half Dion Lewis, cornerback Logan Ryan and offensive guard Josh Kline – done.

Belichick is content to let these players go free agency rather than meet their contractual requirements. As is often the case, he opts for the most affordable route, believing that his coaches and he can promote and integrate virtually everyone into their systems without wasting time.

Because of these decisions, Lewis told reporters that he wanted to make sure his former employers were paying.

"Yes, it's personal," he told reporters after the match. "That's what happens when you go cheap. You get your (expletive) kick. "

With the game almost over, Vrabel and his coaches had a great time with the Patriots.

In search of a spark in the fourth quarter, McDaniels claimed a double reverse pass to Brady. The quarterback caught up but stumbled and fell short of the first. Shortly after, when they needed a first try, the Titans called the same coin. Quarterback Marcus Mariota grabbed Darius Jennings' pass and had 21 yards.

Asked about the last movement of the trolls, Vrabel managed to keep his face impassive. He explained that each team had gadgets in their back pocket. But then he added, "I wanted to see if it looked better than theirs."

Like just about everything the Titans did compared to the Patriots, they certainly did.