Pats-Titans: Bill Burt's 5 quick takes

Nov. 29—Here are my five quick takes from the Patriots 36-13 win over the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday:

Play of game: Jackson strip

While J.C. Jackson is closing in on an offseason that could include a massive Brinks Truck delivery to his bank account, his ability to intercept passes rivals anybody in the NFL, adding a league-leading seventh to his ledger. But that was more on Devin McCourty, tipping an errant throw by Ryan Tannehill, and all Jackson did was catch the ball that came to him.

His biggest contribution was his punching out a ball from D'Onta Foreman while gaining 30 yards. It looked a lot like Dontrell Hilliard's 68-yard touchdown run near the end of the half, before being stripped. Equally as vital was Jalen Mills diving on the ball, working hard to stay in bounds, which he did, completing the heist and keeping the score at 19-13.

The Titans never really recovered as the Patriots scored just over five minutes later on Kendrick Bourne's nifty 41-yard catch (slant over middle) and run down the right sidelines. While Jackson will get credit for the pick, his punch probably keyed the win as much as any play.

Bourne's identity growing

Kendrick Bourne is becoming a game-changer as a Patriots wide receiver. The former 49ers wide receiver is becoming a No. 1 option with five more receptions, 61 yards and two touchdowns yesterday, including a 41-yarder that looked like a 10 yarder before he turned up field (with a nice block from Jakobi Meyers, who basically got in the way) for the score that put the game away, 26-13. He was a No. 4/5 option in San Francisco, but he's getting big-time receptions during crunch time with the Patriots.

"I feel like I'm getting better and more confidence," Bourne said. "It's really the entire group. We feel like we're getting better and better."

With five games remaining Bourne is closing in on career highs in receptions (49), yards (667) and already tied his touchdown mark.

Mills finally making plays

If there has been on free agent who has progressed the least, most people would probably point to cornerback Jalen Mills, who has been on the wrong end of a lot of big plays, particularly in September and early October. Against the Titans he was among the best, securing the loose ball that J.C. Jackson punched out on a long, 30-yard run by D'Onta Foreman. Mills had to jump on the ball, which was near the Titans sidelines, and keep his entire body inbounds before controlling the ball. He did and the game changed.

Mills also had two passes defended, both on third down. The Patriots have had issues at the opposite corner, but Mills cleaned a lot of that up against the Titans.

Pats have house cleaning to do

Who needs Derrick Henry? Well, the Titans running game didn't miss him at all. They finished with 270 yards rushing, usually a barometer for winning, but never had a chance after that early fourth quarter punchout/fumble. The Patriots appear to have game-planned that way, allowing the Titans to move the ball while shutting down the short passing game of Ryan Tannehill. The Patriots rush defense hasn't been great all season, ranking 19th overall (115.8), but they no-doubt will drop a few spots.

Is this enough to be concerned? A little bit. If this were the Buffalo Bills or Baltimore Ravens, allowing 180 yards-plus, it's probably a loss with those "elite" quarterbacks living off the benefit of play-action passes. Again, the strength of the Patriots defense is the back-seven, but there needs to be some focus on the front four with two tough games (at Buffalo, Dec. 6; at Indianapolis, Dec. 18). Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux admitted the rushing totals were embarrassing but the final score is the true indicator. Maybe. But it had better be better if the Patriots are true late January contenders.

Tannehill fails the test

How does Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill not make big play after big play with the run support he had against the Patriots — 39 rushes, 270 yards? That almost always spells victory in the NFL, consistent with ball-control, clock control and clutch passing due to the linebackers coming to respect the run. Yet the Titans didn't even try to throw the ball. Tannehill only threw 21 passes, completing 11. He had an interception, but that was tipped in the end zone. It doesn't matter if Derrick Henry is playing or not, you can't win if you can't throw the ball with that kind of success running it.

Juxtaposition him with Mac Jones, who had no run support (Pats RBs had 27 yards rushing entering the fourth quarter), yet he had a career day completing 23 of 32 passes for a career-high 310 yards and two touchdowns. A rookie Mac Jones! This doesn't bode well for the future of Titans football. Running the football simply isn't enough and we saw that at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.