Dec 27, 2009; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) call out against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots Celebrate 16-Year Anniversary of Historic Win Over Titans

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Jennifer Streeter | Last updated Oct 18, 2025 6:00 PM ET

16 years ago today on October 18, 2009, Tom Brady threw for six touchdown passes to catapult the New England Patriots to a 59-0 win over the Tennessee Titans.

Of those six, five came in the second quarter alone — an NFL record for one period. The six touchdowns thrown in total tied Brady's own Patriots record, and the 59-point margin matched the largest since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. At the time, this was the Titans' worst loss in franchise history since they began play back in 1960 as the Houston Oilers.

The 35-point second quarter, in which the Patriots' offense got into the end zone five times in a single period — will go down in NFL history books for the rest of time.

OTD in 2009, @TomBrady threw 5 TDs in the second quarter vs. the Titans #NEvsTEN 10/19 on CBS pic.twitter.com/vvnMpDvAem
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 18, 2025

That game, the Pats also set the record for the largest halftime lead in NFL history, going into the break up by a score of 45-0.

Brady found wide receiver Randy Moss for two long TDs, one from 40 yards out and another from 28. Fellow receiver Wes Walker scored twice while running back Kevin Faulk managed to haul in a touchdown pass as well. All of this was accomplished at Gillette Stadium in front of a crowd of 68,756.

The Stakes for the 2025 Matchup Against Tennessee

The Patriots and Titans will face off in Week 7, which will mark New England head coach Mike Vrabel's first return trip back to Nissan Stadium since being fired by the Titans. He was let go by the organization in January 2024 after six seasons with them. Vrabel then spent the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching and personnel consultant on Kevin Stefanski's staff before he was hired by the Patriots in January 2025.

Vrabel went 54-45 with three playoff appearances in six seasons with the Titans from 2018 to 2023. His 54 wins are the third-most in Tennessee history.

This latest matchup for the Patriots comes after the Buffalo Bills handed the Patriots the top spot in the AFC East after losing 24-14 to the Atlanta Falcons in primetime last week.

The Titans host the Pats after firing Vrabel's replacement, Brian Callahan, earlier this week. Mike McCoy, who was the San Diego Chargers' head coach from 2013 to 2016, has taken over as Tennessee's interim option.

For New England fans, they can only hope Week 7's 2025 matchup against the Titans will be known as another Patriots classic.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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