Amidst all of the tribulations that the Tennessee Titans (3-11) have been forced to cope with throughout this tumultuous season, the last thing they wished to witness was an injury to franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota. 

However, that is just what occurred in Tennessee's 33-16 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots (12-2) on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as Mariota suffered a game-ending knee injury after being sacked by Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins in the first half, the extent of the injury unknown. 

Despite losing the time of possession battle, New England seemingly controlled the momentum of the contest throughout, forcing three turnovers in the game while holding the Titans to just 58 yards of total offense in the first half. 

Quarterback Tom Brady, who was listed on the injury report as questionable with an illness, recovered to pioneer the Patriots to a convincing win to keep his team in control of the first seed in the AFC playoff picture, completing 23 of his 35 pass attempts for 267 yards and two touchdowns. 

Wide receiver Brandon LaFell emerged for 88 receiving yards on four catches while running back James White continued to cement h is value as a pass-catching option out of the backfield with 71 yards and a touchdown on seven catches, all of which came in the first half for New England. Tight end Rob Gronkowski played a crucial role as well, catching five balls for 54 yards and a touchdown. 

The Patriots receiving assistance in the rushing game from an unheralded source, as running back Joey Iosefa, activated off of the practice squad prior to the contest, rushed 14 times for 51 yards. Brandon Bolden added 36 rushing yards on 10 attempts. 

For Tennessee, backup quarterback Zach Mettenberger took over for the injured Mariota in the second quarter, completing 20-of-28 passes for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. Wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham garnered a game-high 113 yards on six catches while tight end Delanie Walker continued his exceptional season with two touchdown grabs. 

New England began the game on an ideal note, limiting the Titans to a three-and-out before driving 79 yards on 11 plays on their opening drive with Brady hitting Gronkowski from five yards out with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead. 

The Patriots commenced the second quarter with a bang as well, as defensive end Chandler Jones stripped the ball from Mariota on a pass attempt with defensive end Akiem Hicks recovering the ball in the end zone for a touchdown to provide New England with a 14-0 lead. 

After a muffed punt by New England punt returner Danny Amendola, who proceeded to leave the game with a knee injury, Titans kicker Ryan Succop delivered a 49-yard field goal to lessen the deficit to 14-3, however, Patriots kick returner Keshawn Martin responded with a 75-yard return on the ensuing kick. 

This return set up New England at the TEN 30-yard line, and Brady capitalized on the opportunity by hitting White on a 30-yard screen pass for a touchdown to give his team a 21-3 lead. 

The Patriots continued to add to the advantage, driving 37 yards on eight plays on their subsequent possession after stopping the Titans on downs to set up a 43-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 1:43 remaining in the first half. 

Tennessee opened up the second half with their best drive of the game, with a 30-yard reception by Green-Beckham pacing a seven-play, 59-yard drive which concluded in a seven-yard touchdown catch by Walker to cut the gap to 24-10 early in the third quarter. 

However, the Patriots answered with a lengthy 11-play, 60-yard drive of their own which ended in a 38-yarder by Gostkowski with five minutes left in the third to give New England a 27-10 lead. 

Tennessee appeared to be threatening early on in the fourth quarter, however, a deep ball from Mettenberger intended for wideout Harry Douglas in the right corner of the end zone fell short, intercepted by cornerback Malcolm Butler for his second pick of the season. 

Despite the momentum shift, the Titans proceeded to inject some fear into the minds of Patriots fans, as Walker began the ensuing Tennessee drive by evading five New England defenders en route to a 57-yard touchdown reception with just under seven minutes remaining. 

However, Succop missed the subsequent extra point, and Brady essentially put the game in his back pocket by leading the Patriots on a nine-play, 57-yard drive which lasted 3:22, ending on a 42-yard field goal by Gostkowski to push the lead to 30-16 with 3:30 left in the contest. 

To add insult to injury, Collins then proceeded to intercept a Mettenberger pass at the NE 33-yard line on the following Titans drive, creating an opportunity for a 32-yarder by Gostkowski after a 51-yard return. 

Game Notes: In addition to Amendola, the Patriots also lost safety Patrick Chung to a hip injury in the fourth quarter, the extent of the injury unknown.