NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mason Rudolph told his freshman Titans coach Brian Callahan don’t worry after an incredible play by a rookie quarterback with no time to force overtime.

This time, Rudolph promised that Tennessee would win.

Nick Folk kicked a 25-yard field goal with 2:32 left in overtime and the Titans beat the New England Patriots 20-17 on Sunday, giving Callahan its first home victory this season.

“I mean, look at me,” an emotional Callahan said of the victory. “I really needed that, man. Yeah, we needed it.

The Titans (2-6) ended a three-game skid overall and at Nissan Stadium. They came in having lost three games decided by a touchdown or less this season. It was the Titans first victory since September 30.

“We all needed it,” Rudolph said.

The Patriots (2-7) got rookie Drake Maye back after North Carolina’s third overall pick cleared concussion protocol Saturday. He started after being picked off in last week’s win over the Jets and using his legs, running for a career-best and team-high 95 yards.

New England had one last chance after Maye forced overtime with a 5-yard pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. But Amani Hooker’s second interception of the game secured the Titans’ victory with 2:07 remaining.

“Now we’re starting to piece it together, and this is the result we got,” Hooker said of the Titans with a new coaching staff and many new players.

Maye blamed himself for not throwing the ball on the first down with time remaining.

“It’s just a bad decision on my part,” the rookie said.

Tennessee finished with four sacks and three turnovers turned into a touchdown from a defense that led the NFL in both fewest yards allowed and fewest passing yards. The fourth sack came when Arden Key also stripped Maye of the ball recovered at the Patriots 26 by Jeffery Simmons.

Rudolph threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrooke-Ikhine with 4:27 left for the Titans’ first fourth-quarter points since September 30.

With no timeouts, Marcus Jones, who led the AFC in punt return average, booted a punt 25 yards from midfield with 1:45 left to set up a thrilling finale between two struggling teams .

Maye led the Patriots to the Titans 5, then scrambled around looking for someone to get open. It took him 11.82 seconds to find Stevenson for the TD, the second-longest time to throw a TD pass since 2016, when the The NFL started using Next Gen statistics to follow this.

First-year Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Maye’s mental toughness and running ability gave them a chance to win. He was asked whether Maye running so much played into Mayo’s decision to kick the extra point and go to overtime rather than going for 2 and winning.

“I don’t want to get into that,” Mayo said of the Patriots’ second overtime loss this season. “That’s a good question. I just don’t want to get into it right now.

Only Jayden Daniels’ match winner for Washington last week against Chicago took longer, at 12.7 seconds. Joey Slye tied it with the extra point, forcing overtime.

Rudolph finished with 240 passing yards, starting his third straight game for Will Levis. Tony Pollard, who finished with 128 rushing yards even though he didn’t practice all week, scored the opening drive with a 32-yard run. Rudolph put the Titans up with a 9-yard TD pass to Nick Vannett.

Tennessee ran one of the worst offenses in the NFL in several categories, and the Titans needed overtime to score more than 17 points for just the second time this season.

The Titans scored first and goal twice. The first ended with a deflected Rudolph pass that was intercepted in the end zone. They settled for a 21-yard field goal by Popular, tying it at 10 in the final minute of the third after Pollard’s 8-yard run on first and goal was wiped out by a holding penalty on Josh Whyle.

Injuries

The Patriots’ Marte Mapu suffered an early neck injury but returned late in the second quarter. DE Deatrich Wise Jr., who suffered a sack in the first half, was injured late in the third. DT Jaquelin Roy left after going down with 4:40 left.

Titans S Quandre Diggs injured his left foot early in the second quarter and needed a cart to take him to the locker room. He was quickly excluded. C Lloyd Cushenberry injured his ankle late in the third quarter and did not return. Callahan said initial reports about Diggs and Cushenberry weren’t “really positive.”

Corey Levin made his season debut replacing Cushenberry. DL Jeffery Simmons injured his right leg in the final minute.

To be continued

The Patriots continue their two-game road series in Chicago, while the Titans visit the Chargers.

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