The Patriots played their first wild-card playoff game in 10 years on Saturday night against the Titans. It became their last game of the 2020 NFL playoffs after No. 3-seeded New England was upset, 20-13, by No. 6-seeded Tennessee. With the victory, the Titans advance to a divisional round matchup at the Ravens next Saturday (8:15 p.m. ET, CBS).
With the loss, the Patriots won't repeat as Super Bowl champions. They instead will face plenty of questions about whether their future will hold any more rings for coach Bill Belichick, with or potentially without quarterback Tom Brady.
MORE: Where will Tom Brady play in 2020?
Here are the three most important takeaways from Saturday night's wild-card game in New England.
Tom Brady's frustrating season ends with an uncertain future.
By every metric, Brady had a shaky 2019 season. With the calendar flipped to 2020 and the stakes raised for the playoffs. he dug deep with a gritty passing performance (20-of-37, 209 yards. INT, no TDs, 5.6 yards per attempt, 59.4 rating), but despite a few jaw-dropping throws, the game mirrored his struggles from the regular season, down to the game-sealing pick six with six seconds remaining in the game.
Now come all the questions about Brady's pending free agency. He wants to keep playing (and starting) for someone in 2020, but Belichick and the Patriots, possibly looking for an upgrade at the position, can't be ruled out of wanting to move on from Brady.
So Brady might have just played his last game as a Patriot in Gillette Stadium or anywhere. Should he and New England part ways, he will be looking for a good coaching situation, some solid offensive support and a team ready to win now. The outcomes are endless, with retirement being the most unlikely scenario.
At 42, Brady did his best with a limited supporting cast and a compressed offense. For the first time in a long time, he is a highly dependent QB. Now he'll get to choose how to go out as a six-time Super Bowl champion.
MORE: Ranking 2020 free-agent QBs, including Brady
Derrick Henry's prolific season continues with more money in his future.
Henry built on winning the regular-season rushing title (1,540 yards, 16 TDs) with 182 more yards rushing, 22 yards receiving and a TD against a usually stout Patriots run defense. With the Titans' season still alive thanks to his performance, it delays his critical pending free agency. Tennessee has every intention of re-signing the lifeblood of its offense and making Henry one of the game's highest-paid backs.
Ryan Tannehill is sure to be re-signed as the quarterback for 2020 and beyond as the team moves on from Marcus Mariota, also a free agent. But Tannehill's success in his breakout resurrection in Tennessee was based on the strength of Henry and the running game. Henry will be hard to stop for the Ravens in the divisional round.
Henry celebrated his 26th birthday in style by adding a few more dollars to his next deal. And he can push to have a 2,000-yard campaign with one more big game when his team needs him most next week.
Mike Vrabel's coaching chops are confirmed with a bigger chance in his future.
Go figure: Belichick went down against one of his prized former players, linebacker/occasional touchdown-scoring tight end Mike Vrabel. The Titans coach did his job better than Belichick on Saturday, grinding away with a run-heavy game plan with Henry, backed by tough, sound defense and superb special teams led by punter Brett Kern.
Vrabel managed the clock well and proved his mettle in a second-half battle of attrition. He was fine going all Henry for a two-minute drill to end the first half, which ultimately produced the go-ahead TD. He got his team up to play at a high level, with the Titan Way getting the better of the Patriot Way from which it was modeled.
Many questioned the move to fire Mike Mularkey after he lost to New England after guiding the Titans to their most recent playoff win at Kansas City. But Vrabel has proved to be an upgrade, installing a culture of mental and physical toughness that allowed his team to both surge into the playoffs and win in the playoffs.
Vrabel won't get much coach of the year love, but he is a rising superstar in the profession as Belichick's best protege.
