Titans pleased, but not satisfied after win over Patriots

Titans coach Mike Vrabel posted himself outside locker room following Tennessee's win off field. Between flood of high-fives and hugs, Vrabel mostly said, “Thank you” as his smiling players streamed by. last player to come down corridor was running back Derrick Henry. When he locked eyes with his coach, he beamed as well and began shouting, “We want more! We want more!" before pair eventually shared ir own embrace.

Tennessee's methodical effort against defending Super Bowl champion Patriots and league's top-ranked defence was one of biggest surprises of Saturday's opening day of playoffs. But Titans me one thing clear afterwards: y feel like ir best football is still ahe of m. y vanced to face AFC top seed Baltimore in divisional round.

“That's way we like it. We don't want anything easy. We want it gritty, we want it dirty," said Henry, who carried 34 times for 182 yards and a touchdown.

Henry, whose 444 scrimm yards rank second in Super Bowl era for a player in ir first three career playoff games, said y weren't fazed playing against a Patriots team that h motivation after losing to Titans during regular season last year. It was a game that also could have potentially been a quarterback

“We knew what of game this was going to be. We knew this was a hostile environment," Henry said. “We knew this was a different of team in playoffs. But we just h to play our game. t worry about outside ise. Just do what we needed to do."

Titans also did it same way y did it in winning seven of ir 10 games to qualify for playoffs: grinding out points through Henry and riding resurgent play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who is 8-3 since taking over starting role from 2015 first-round pick Marcus Mariota.

Tannehill led NFL during regular season with a career-best 117.5 passer rating, and also led league averaging 9.6 yards per pass attempt. He was just 8 of 15 for 72 yards and an interception Saturday night, but stayed poised and kept ball moving — which limited number of possessions for Patriots.

Tennessee's 72 passing yards are fewest by any team in a playoff win since 2009 Ravens (34) against Patriots in 2009 wild-card round.

Combined with his time as Miami's starter, Tannehill w has five victories over New England. Including playoffs, those are second-most wins of any quarterback during Belichick and Bry era, behind only Peyton Manning's six.

“I'm so proud of this team," Tannehill said. “It was ugly at times offensively. But we kept fighting and found a way to make a couple of plays at end."

biggest of night came on Patriots' final possession of night — after All-Pro Brett Kern's 58-yard punt put ball at 1 — when cornerback and former Patriot Logan Ryan intercepted Bry and ran it in for a 9-yard touchdown.

defence also h a goal-line stand in second quarter that limited New England to a field goal just before half.

“This is amazing. But it's t over," tackle Taylor Lewan said. “ last two deces, y've been greatest team in football. We played good football. We took care of ball and our defence stepped up when y needed to. offence stepped up. And w we play Ravens."