Pats pound Titans

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – This was the history-making Tom Brady everyone remembers.

And those were the hapless Tennessee Titans fans are beginning to expect.

Brady threw six touchdown passes – five in one quarter, an NFL mark – and the Patriots sent the Titans plummeting to a new low in their winless season with a 59-0 win on a snowy Sunday.

Brady threw those five passes in the second quarter and the Patriots built the biggest halftime lead in league history, 45-0. The six touchdown throws tied Brady’s own Patriots record. And the 59-point margin matched the largest since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, the Los Angeles Rams’ 59-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons in 1976. The last time there was a greater margin of victory was in 1940 when the Chicago Bears defeated the Washington Redskins 73-0 in the NFL Championship game.

“Every week we’re learning something more about ourselves and what we can do,” Brady said. “There’s no doubt a game like this can give you a lot of confidence.”

The Patriots (4-2) gained a club-record 619 yards, with Brady completing 29 of 34 passes for 380 yards and matching the number of scoring passes he totaled in his first five games.

Sunday’s performance was, by far, his best of an inconsistent comeback year after a knee injury ended his 2008 season in the opener.

“Back to his old self,” said Wes Welker, who caught 10 passes for a career-high 150 yards and two touchdowns.

It was the worst game in what has become an increasingly terrible season for the Titans (0-6), who have lost their last three by 20, 22 and 59 points after posting the NFL’s best record, 13-3, last year.

They took their worst loss since they began play in 1960.

“I’ve been playing sports since I was 8,” Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck said, “and never have I experienced something like that.”

Patriots 59, Titans 0

 NE—Maroney 45 run (Gostkowski kick)

NE—FG Gostkowski 33

NE—Moss 40 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Moss 28 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Faulk 38 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Welker 30 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Welker 5 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Moss 9 pass from Brady (Gostkowski kick)

NE—Hoyer 1 run (Gostkowski kick)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Tennessee, Johnson 17-128, Ringer 7-47, White 6-15, Hall 1-5, Collins 3-(minus 1), Young 2-(minus 1). New England, Maroney 16-123, Green-Ellis 7-67, Faulk 1-5, Hoyer 6-(minus 2).

PASSING—Tennessee, Young 0-2-1-0, Collins 2-12-1-(minus 7). New England, Brady 29-34-0-380, Hoyer 9-11-0-52.

RECEIVING—Tennessee, Hall 1-15, Washington 1-(minus 22). New England, Welker 10-150, Moss 8-129, Edelman 6-43, Aiken 4-30, Faulk 3-54, Maroney 3-10, Green-Ellis 2-11, Morris 1-3, Baker 1-2.

MISSED FIELD GOALS—New England, Gostkowski 39 (WR).