On the play in question, Wade lined up as a receiver to the right side on third and 1. As the handoff went to Titans running back Travis Henry to that side, Wade blocked toward the middle of the field, lunging low at Harrison's legs. Harrison went down with a thud, banging the field with his right fist. He never returned, and it was unclear how serious he was injured after the game.
Belichick felt the play was illegal, because players aren't allowed to block below the waist from the outside part of the field to the inside part.
After the play, linebacker Tedy Bruschi charged toward the Titans bench before being restrained, and thus the tone was set for what turned out to be a game that some Patriots felt wasn't played with dignity by their opponent.
"There were some dirty things going on," said defensive end Ty Warren (seven tackles, a sack). "It was their last game; they're not playing for much. You expect more out of them, character-wise."
Wade defended his block on Harrison, which came on the Titans' "16 stretch" running play, before taking a shot at Harrison by saying "he takes full advantage of being able to hit somebody in the face."
The emotions were still bubbling over in the locker room after the game, with Bruschi and linebacker Mike Vrabel among those snappily refusing comment.
Meanwhile, the Titans had their own issues with the Patriots, as linebacker Keith Bulluck felt New England's final touchdown -- a Vinny Testaverde 6-yard strike to Troy Brown with 1:45 left that extended Testaverde's record for consecutive seasons with at least one touchdown pass (20) -- was an act of poor sportsmanship.
"I think it was [expletive], and as long as I am here I will always remember that," Bulluck said.
