When he was a player with the New England Patriots, Mike Vrabel was a versatile linebacker who moonlighted as a touchdown-catching tight end. In the meeting rooms, Vrabel was not just on top of his work, he was one of the very few players who could make fun of coach Bill Belichick and get away with it.

Vrabel also seemed destined to one day be a coach, and earlier this year became a head coach for the first time. On Sunday, he faced his former coach for the first time.

Titans dominate on both sides of the ball

Though there was a large and loud contingent of New England fans in Nashville, they left disappointed.

The Titans dominated on both sides of the ball, winning 34-10.

Tennessee held the Patriots to just 3-of-15 third-down conversions, just 40 total rushing yards, sacked Tom Brady three times and allowed him to convert barely half of his passes, a win that got the Titans over .500 at 5-4.

The loss ended a six-game win streak for New England.

Pupils excelling against Belichick

It’s the second time this year the Patriots have faced a first-year head coach with strong ties to their franchise; in Week 3, they played a primetime game against former defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, who is with the Detroit Lions.

It was arguably the best performance of the season for Detroit, as they got their first win under Patricia with a 26-10 victory.

Vrabel, former Patriots defensive coordinator Dean Pees, and former New England players Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan and Dion Lewis are all with Tennessee now, and all got to relish the win. Vrabel admitted earlier in the week that he didn’t speak to Belichick for months after he was traded from the Patriots to Kansas City in 2009, though they’ve since mended fences.

Titans jumped on New England early and never let up

The Titans did what all teams try to do, particularly against the Patriots: they jumped on them early and never let them in the game.

Thanks to Darius Jennings taking the game’s opening kickoff out past midfield, Tennessee began its first possession on the New England 40. The Titans covered the remaining distance to the end zone in seven plays, taking a 7-0 lead just 3:24 into the game.

Tennessee was up 17-3 at the end of the first quarter, and 24-10 at the end of the first half. The defense shut out New England in the second half.

It earned Vrabel a big embrace from Belichick at midfield:

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