Brady praised the team owner Robert K. Kraft and Belichick and said he “loved the Patriots.”

“There’s nobody that’s had a better career, I would say, than me, just being with them,” he said.

But when his future with the Patriots came up again a few minutes later, Brady said: “I was proud to be a part of this team. Again, I just don’t know what’s going to happen, and I’m not going to predict it.”

He added: “I’ve loved playing for this team for two decades and winning a lot of games. I’ve always tried to do the right thing. Who knows what the future holds, so we’ll leave it at that.”

Belichick declined to remark on Brady’s future.

Since the game was just the Patriots’ fourth loss in their last 24 postseason games at home, it would very likely be a forgettable outcome in the history of the team — unless it was Brady’s last game with the franchise. Deftly mixing the run and the pass and some trick plays, New England built a 13-7 lead midway through the second quarter. The Patriots’ offense looked fluid, versatile and unpredictable — all things it had not been for most of the regular season.

In the same stretch, though, New England twice floundered near the Titans’ end zone and had to settle for field goals, which proved to be pivotal. The second time was especially damaging because the Patriots had a first down at the Titans’ 1-yard line.

Meanwhile, Henry gashed New England for 49 rushing yards in the first quarter. He ramped up that assault in the second quarter, cresting the 100-yard rushing mark before halftime. When Henry bulled his way into the end zone with 35 seconds remaining in the second quarter, he gave Tennessee a 14-13 lead it never relinquished. The Titans continued to control the line of scrimmage. New England only briefly crossed the 50-yard line once early in the fourth quarter.