Greg M. Cooper/USA Today Sports, via Reuters
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots’ quest for a record seventh Super Bowl championship ended abruptly Saturday night at Gillette Stadium with a 20-13 upset loss to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round of the N.F.L. playoffs. The defeat for the defending Super Bowl champions was a startling setback at home, where New England has won 20 out of 24 postseason games over the last two decades.
The defeat may signal the beginning of the end for the celebrated Patriots partnership between Coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady, a combination that has made the team America’s foremost sports dynasty of this century.