NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans coach Brian Callahan did everything he could to hold back the emotions after his team’s 20-17 overtime win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Callahan got choked up as he described the second win of his career. It was a different feeling from when he got his first win five weeks ago against the Miami Dolphins.
“I mean, look at me. I needed it bad, man,” Callahan said after the game. “It was, yeah, we needed it.”
The win wasn’t an easy one. Tennessee held a 7-3 lead at halftime but fell behind after the Patriots opened the second half with a 12-play drive that covered 70 yards over seven minutes and 21 seconds that made the score 10-7. The Titans answered with their own seven-minute drive resulting in a 21-yard field goal to tie the game.
“He puts his heart and soul into this,” quarterback Mason Rudolph said. “Everything is just the first time for him. He needs to have a cold one tonight to enjoy himself and take the edge off because it’s a lot.”
Callahan praised his team’s resiliency having fought through injuries to veteran starters such as Quandre Diggs and Lloyd Cushenberry III. Team captain Jeffery Simmons said the way the players helped pick each other up when times got hard showed they’re a connected team that has each other’s back.
The Titans allowed a game-tying touchdown with time expiring in regulation, forcing the game into overtime. But they bounced back and drove down the field to set up another field goal by Folks, this one from 25 yards out in overtime making the score 20-17. The defense redeemed themselves when an interception by Amani Hooker closed the game out. The win puts the Titans record at 2-6.
The adversity started during the week leading up to Sunday’s game. The Titans had 10 players that missed time or were limited in practice. Running back Tony Pollard was one of the seven players that still played against New England. He finished with 128 rushing yards, the first 100-yard rushing performance of the season for the Titans.
Callahan had to once again fight the tears as he described Pollard’s contribution.
“Tony Pollard, just to point out, I mean 154 total yards in practice once this week,” Callahan said. “He’s everything that our locker room is about.”