AFC Conference Championship: Titans @ Chiefs

[The Accountant]

This is going to be a good one.

[thenwhatjk]

Titans

[ninjacookies]

Really intriguing matchup.

I think the same script holds true as I predicted last game: if Henry gets close to 200 yards again, that will mean they controlled the TOP and slowed the game enough that Mahomes doesn't have the ability to be vintage Mahomes. Additionally, I think the Titans defense is much better than the Texans. Today was a complete fold, the magnitude of which we probably will never see again.

If the Chiefs somehow find a way to slow Henry down or make him look somewhat human, they should win quite handily.

[no10pin]

I think Henry is going to get his yardage, but I'm hoping the Chiefs can keep the points manageable.

If they give up 180 to Henry but keep the points in the mid-20s, I think they win.

[dbpsooner]

Don’t the Titans prefer to play zone defense? If so, I don’t see how they slow down this KC offense. Should be another fun high scoring game.

[no10pin]

Also, it would be really helpful if Chris Jones was able to play next week.

[dbpsooner]

Looks like an opening line of 7.5.

[Onepocketj]

Really intriguing matchup.

I think the same script holds true as I predicted last game: if Henry gets close to 200 yards again, that will mean they controlled the TOP and slowed the game enough that Mahomes doesn't have the ability to be vintage Mahomes. Additionally, I think the Titans defense is much better than the Texans. Today was a complete fold, the magnitude of which we probably will never see again.

If the Chiefs somehow find a way to slow Henry down or make him look somewhat human, they should win quite handily.

Don't really think that's true. Didn't they have less time of possession the last two weeks and Henry had monster games both times?

And obviously Mahomes doesn't need much time anyways. Look what he did in one quarter today.

[pazerbaijan]

Mike Vrabel was heartbroken when he got traded to the Chiefs back in 2009. He wouldn't talk to Belichick for a few years after that happened.

It's not relevant, but you'll probably hear it mentioned on the pregame show a few times.

https://sportscardalbum.com/c/u386jy93.png (https://sportscardalbum.com/card/u386jy93)

[hxcmilkshake]

Looks like an opening line of 7.5.Titans plus the points and over 51

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[ninjacookies]

Don't really think that's true. Didn't they have less time of possession the last two weeks and Henry had monster games both times?

And obviously Mahomes doesn't need much time anyways. Look what he did in one quarter today.

Looks like they did against the Pats, but didn't dominate TOP against the Ravens (wasn't lopsided though).

That said, their defense is very disciplined. They're one of the least blitzing teams and stay in their lanes and try to keep the pocket covered from all angles without over pursuing. Bend but don't break.

They're going to need to have the run game and that defense playing at optimal levels, but I do think they have a decent shot in this game. They've had the tougher path in the AFC playoffs and have made both squads look extremely pedestrian. I don't think what they've done up til now is a fluke.

[rman112]

I think we see much more "normal looking" passing numbers out of the Titans this week.

[rman112]

Looks like they did against the Pats, but didn't dominate TOP against the Ravens (wasn't lopsided though).

That said, their defense is very disciplined. They're one of the least blitzing teams and stay in their lanes and try to keep the pocket covered from all angles without over pursuing. Bend but don't break.

They're going to need to have the run game and that defense playing at optimal levels, but I do think they have a decent shot in this game. They've had the tougher path in the AFC playoffs and have made both squads look extremely pedestrian. I don't think what they've done up til now is a fluke.

How the Titans handle the Chiefs speed on offense will be the decider, IMO.

[jarrodsalas]

I think we see much more "normal looking" passing numbers out of the Titans this week.

Pats had the number one ranked pass defense. I don’t think it matters. Yes they shut Tannehill down but they still have to respect the run.

[rman112]

Pats had the number one ranked pass defense. I don’t think it matters. Yes they shut Tannehill down but they still have to respect the run.

Yeah, Pats/Ravens D vs. Chiefs D is apples to tuna fish. I just think they look to attack through the air much more often in search of big plays.

[coltsnsox07]

Tanny 8/15 72 yards vs NE, then 7/14 88 yards vs Ravens.
I was half joking when I said that's one drive for Mahomes, but it's friggin true.
KC will win and Tennessee turns back into a pumpkin.

[88horsepower]

As much as I’ve been impressed by Tennessee, I think the Chiefs won’t be denied a Super Bowl this time. Chiefs by two scores.

[thenwhatjk]

How the Titans handle the Chiefs speed on offense will be the decider, IMO.

How will they do this though ugggg

[oplum29]

Tanny 8/15 72 yards vs NE, then 7/14 88 yards vs Ravens.
I was half joking when I said that's one drive for Mahomes, but it's friggin true.
KC will win and Tennessee turns back into a pumpkin.

Titans defense gave up 12 points to the Ravens, a season low. they are legit, and Tannehill hasn't had to put up huge numbers, and they are still winning.

don't care about yards passing, i see three total touchdowns while Lamar Jackson had 3-4 turnovers.

[rman112]

How will they do this though ugggg

Good question. Who would've thought they'd shut down the Ravens, though? They'll have to get creative, and probably blitz a little more. Tackling and trying to keep everything in front will be important.

Hardman scares me. Adoree will probably be on Tyreek again, and he's their only speed corner.

[starfox]

Pats had the number one ranked pass defense. I don’t think it matters. Yes they shut Tannehill down but they still have to respect the run.They didn't shut Tannehill down. Henry was just the way to go to get the win. Tannehill has played well since becoming the starter. The stats and wins suggest this. Just like Tannehill needs Henry, Henry needs Tannehill. If Henry was on your team this time of year, what would you do? But there will come a time where Tannehill will have to make a pressure packed throw this postseason. I'm confident he can do it.

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[JWBlue]

I actually gives the Titans a chance.

Chiefs gave up the 4th worst YPC in the NFL at 4.9.

Unfortunately the Titans defense is nothing special and that could be a big issue.

Chiefs are probably going to have to do the Titans a few favors like they did with HOU today.

[rman112]

They didn't shut Tannehill down. Henry was just the way to go to get the win. Tannehill has played well since becoming the starter. The stats and wins suggest this. Just like Tannehill needs Henry, Henry needs Tannehill. If Henry was on your team this time of year, what would you do? But there will come a time where Tannehill will have to make a pressure packed throw this postseason. I'm confident he can do it.

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The chunk passing plays they were carving teams up with in the regular season will be there for the taking this week. Both the Pats and Ravens had both quality and depth in the secondary. Chiefs are a much different story, especially without Thornhill. They should be able to get both the deep balls AND those mid YAC crossers that they love. The middle should also be open for guys like Jonnu and Firkser. Their options aren't limited like they've been the past 2 games.

[PelicanFly]

Hard to imagine the Chiefs losing after what I saw today. Titans will have to slowly grind it out and keep Mahomes off the field. Hard to do.

[starfox]

Hard to imagine the Chiefs losing after what I saw today. Titans will have to slowly grind it out and keep Mahomes off the field. Hard to do.The Texans had a 24 - 0 lead and choked it away. Do you think the Titans would choke away the same lead? The Chiefs had better score early and often.

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[starfox]

I actually gives the Titans a chance.

Chiefs gave up the 4th worst YPC in the NFL at 4.9.

Unfortunately the Titans defense is nothing special and that could be a big issue.

Chiefs are probably going to have to do the Titans a few favors like they did with HOU today.The Titans' defense gave up 13 points against the Patriots and 12 against the Ravens. That may not be special to you, but I say it gives them a good chance to win. If the Titans can hit Mahomes and cover Kelce enough, they'll win. I'm confident in saying this.

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[jasonm2121]

Titans all day, KC can’t stop Henry and Tenn plays defense

[starfox]

Titans all day, KC can’t stop Henry and Tenn plays defenseThe Titans can win it, but they need to hit Mahomes and contain Kelce.

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[rman112]

The Titans can win it, but they need to hit Mahomes and contain Kelce.

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If they can get Jayon Brown back, that would be a big boost. They were able to shut Andrews down, but Kelce is a different beast.

[starfox]

If they can get Jayon Brown back, that would be a big boost. They were able to shut Andrews down, but Kelce is a different beast.Kelce went nuts today. But the Texans choked away a 24 point lead. I don't think the Titans choke away a lead of 14. Not with that running game and Tannehill just waiting to get the green light.

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[rman112]

Kelce went nuts today. But the Texans choked away a 24 point lead. I don't think the Titans choke away a lead of 14. Not with that running game and Tannehill just waiting to get the green light.

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Even after seeing what the Chiefs did today, I weirdly have more confidence in the Titans D vs. the Chiefs than I did coming into the Ravens matchup.

[Soxfanguy]

On one hand Patrick Mahomes

On the other hand Derrick Henry

[Onepocketj]

Kelce went nuts today. But the Texans choked away a 24 point lead. I don't think the Titans choke away a lead of 14. Not with that running game and Tannehill just waiting to get the green light.

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First the Titans have to get a 14 point lead which may not be easy. And if they get down by 14 it gets a whole lot uglier.

[blackbears86]

It seems like a lot of people here are hedging their bets: "the Chiefs should win, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Titans win"



Count me as one of them. If the Chiefs come out with a big lead (14 or more) I say game over, as the Titans are not a "catch up" team, and I still don't have faith Tannehill can carry them.


On the other side, if the Titans get a lead, I don't think that Chiefs line will contain Henry and we could see another 200 yard game from him.



Should be interesting.

[sigmachi]

I think the Titans win a close one. 28-24 ish. They have won their last 4 against KC including 3 IN KC. The Titans are a team you don't want to play in the cold weather this late into the postseason when your bodies are tired and sore and worn down. You will be going against a nasty OL and a 6'3" 250 lb Running Back who is faster than your RB's and bigger than your Linebackers. New England's "super bowl" defense couldn't stop him, Baltimore stuck with a loaded box all night...couldn't stop him. He's seeing the holes better than he's ever been.

Oh and Andy Reid is still coach of KC...it's not the playoffs if he's not bungling up something at the end of the game.

[Earlsnake07]

So so so much bad mojo from Tenn @ KC games.

Looking back at some of the ways KC lost to them (watch the game from earlier this year or the Mariotta pass to himself for a TD a few years ago) this is a retribution game.

Cut the head off the snake....the snake dies - gotta stop Henry. If Tannehill beats the Chiefs than so be it....can't let DH dominate.

[arod305]

Tenn doesn't have enough fire power to beat the Chiefs at home IMO. If the Chiefs win the toss they need to get the ball and score early. Its hard for Henry to beat you if you're up 10+ points. Chris Jones playing will be a huge factor.

[kyle1707]

Can’t believe I am saying titans

[davidantx]

On Paper the Chiefs should win this, but the Titans have it right now. AKA the Washington Nationals this year. Never under estimate magic. They are the best team "right now" and that is big in the post season.

[rman112]

So so so much bad mojo from Tenn @ KC games.

Looking back at some of the ways KC lost to them (watch the game from earlier this year or the Mariotta pass to himself for a TD a few years ago) this is a retribution game.

Cut the head off the snake....the snake dies - gotta stop Henry. If Tannehill beats the Chiefs than so be it....can't let DH dominate.

How do you stop Henry, though?

[SleeperCards]

How do you stop Henry, though?

Kerrigan him in the locker room or pray for a hamstring flare-up?

[ninjacookies]

How do you stop Henry, though?

Beli-boi is a grandmaster wizzard (noracist) at scheming to stop or at least limit the effectiveness of the opposing team's primary weapon. Didn't seem like he had an answer for Henry.

Perhaps the Chiefs somehow figure it out, but I have a hard time seeing him getting under a buck fifty this game. But...that will all depend on the game script and if the Chiefs can somehow get out to a large early lead. I just can't foresee a scenario where that Titans D pulls a Texans though. Their postseason thus far has been summarized by bend, but don't break.

[silverandblack]

Aj Brown could have a monster game in this one to go along with Henry, The Chiefs defense is by no means great and I can see Tennessee scoring a bunch.

[rman112]

Beli-boi is a grandmaster wizzard (noracist) at scheming to stop or at least limit the effectiveness of the opposing team's primary weapon. Didn't seem like he had an answer for Henry.

Perhaps the Chiefs somehow figure it out, but I have a hard time seeing him getting under a buck fifty this game. But...that will all depend on the game script and if the Chiefs can somehow get out to a large early lead. I just can't foresee a scenario where that Titans D pulls a Texans though. Their postseason thus far has been summarized by bend, but don't break.

It appears that Belichick put more emphasis on stopping their big play passing game than going all out to limit Henry.

[Earlsnake07]

How do you stop Henry, though?

Honestly......no idea

Last time they played he had 23 carries, 181 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Dude is a BEAST and everyone knows it.

My hope for the game is to get a few defensive stops early and get them out of the clock grinding running mode

[rman112]

Honestly......no idea

Last time they played he had 23 carries, 181 rushing yards and 2 TDs. Dude is a BEAST and everyone knows it.

My hope for the game is to get a few defensive stops early and get them out of the clock grinding running mode

Chiefs D has improved since then, though. They need Jones back, but IMO it's not enough.

Both offenses can light up the drive on just a play or two. Should be fun!

[HBMC]

On Paper the Chiefs should win this, but the Titans have it right now. AKA the Washington Nationals this year. Never under estimate magic. They are the best team "right now" and that is big in the post season.

The amount of wishcasting in this thread is amazing.

"The Titans scored four touchdowns during their win Saturday night. Three of those drives started on Baltimore's side of the field, with the Titans cashing in on possessions of 20 yards (after they recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble), 35 yards (a Jackson interception off a Mark Andrews drop, with a curious penalty tacked on for Jackson's tackle attempt at the end of the play), and 45 yards (the first failed fourth-and-1 opportunity)."

The 20 yard TD drive occurred right after Jackson was sacked and he fumbled. The Titans then proceeded to use 6 plays to get that TD. This put them up 28-6.

The 2nd TD mentioned here occurred after a bobbled pass from Andrews was picked by Byard at the 19 and returned to the 50, in which Lamar Jackson earned a 15 yard penalty after the play. That is 46 yards of free field position, for nothing. Tennessee then plodded forward with Henry Runs of 3, 9, 7 and 1 yards respectively, 3rd & 2 and Tannehill scrambles OOB for 3 yards. Onwuasor gets pegged for a Personal Foul and another 6 yards gets shaved off from the 12. Another Henry run to the 4, a minus 8 yard sack and a butt TD from Jonnu Smith in the back of the Endzone for their first TD.

The 45 Yard TD was a simple blown coverage. Not much to say about it except Lamar Jackson could've fallen for a 1st Down instead of trying to hero ball a 4th & 1.

How on Earth is any of this repeatable?

10:01 in the 3rd Quarter, Derrick Henry had 56 yards rushing, 27 of which had come on one carry (on which the drive ended on a punt anyways). His rushing stats were skewed by three huge chunk plays. 66, 27 and 23 yard runs accounted for almost 60% of his rushing totals and only one of which actually was netted on a scoring drive. His YPC outside of big chunks was 2.9.

Tennessee had 11 Drives total, 7 of which started on their side of the field. Only one of those resulted in points and that was the drive that had the 66 yard run by Henry. The other three scores occurred from 45 yard, 20 yard and 35 yard drives. They aren't a threat to kick FG's, so that completely limits their offense in the middle part of the field (35-to-35) and changes a lot of decision making when presented with 4th downs on their opponent's side of the field.

Baltimore played like absolute crap and lost by 16 (which could have been less by simply taking what was given to them, but hey, ANALytics came back to bite them in the ass). They still put up over 500 yards of offense and had multiple opportunities to score points inside the Red Zone (even with the score being too much at that point) and were 0:3 in Turnover ratio, including a turnover inside of their own Red Zone.

I think people are suffering from recency bias and a narrative they want to believe about the Titans. I like looking at data, how they play and how their opponents have played.

I do think Tennessee has played very well this post season, but to expect this to continue when they were playing a compromised offense in New England and a limited passing game in Baltimore (I.E., one that cannot survive outside of running the ball) is ludicrous.

I do not know how they're going to cover all of KC's weapons or account for Mahomes, who is a far superior passer to Jackson. If they drop 7 or 8, they are going to get an endless dose of Kelce and Williams tearing them up underneath and picking apart soft parts of the zone. Hill and Mahomes love zone coverage as Hill can tear through it due to raw speed. I doubt Tennessee's 3rd & 4th CB's can cover Robinson or Watkins very easily either.

Bracket Hill and pay, soft bracket Kelce and pay harder.

Should be fun.

[rman112]

I'm struggling to understand the point of your post.

It seems as if you've completely forgotten what the offense did in the regular season since Tannehill took over. He, and they, were dominant. You're acting as if all they can do is run, simply because it's what they've chosen to do against 2 very good defenses. Ones that are head and shoulders above the Chiefs (secondary especially, and even moreso without Thornhill).

They simply haven't had to take chances in the passing game. No one has stopped Henry. So why would they force balls into tough coverage? There wasn't a reason to. That's how you get that Tannehill pick on a forced ball to Davis.

Brown has 13 yards receiving in the 2 wins. 13!!! KC doesn't offer a counter to him in the secondary that NE or BAL did. I have mentioned it a few times, but the passing lanes will be open this week.

KC's run defense is a a sieve going up against a dominating run game right now. Not even stacking the box worked for 2 of the league's best defenses.

You also seem to be minimizing the fact that Baltimore's offense was the best in football. And they scored 12 points. Titans are playing their best defensive football all year.

Some of the "analytics" you're using make no sense whatsoever. Henry's YPC with his best runs taken off? Lol.. And you're actually presenting that as some type of legitimate analysis.

Now.. KC's offense is no joke. But what we have seen is that Vrabel tailors every gameplan specifically to the opponent. It worked to a T last week. The tight ends were the biggest passing threat, so they went super heavy with defensive backs. He took a guy in Dane Cruikshank who had played 19 snaps the first 17 games, and played him 26 snaps last week.

They continue to adjust. They will adjust again this week. I bet you could've pulled out 10 pages worth of analytics to say the Ravens would wipe the floor with them, right? Come playoff time, there's no analytics for momentum or confidence.

[rman112]

Mark Andrews didn't drop that ball either, btw.

[rman112]

Your post makes less and less sense the more I read it.

"10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Henry had 56 yards yards.."

1. As if that's some type of low number..
2. Henry's ran for 1212 yards this year in his 17 games .. in the second half of games! It's been that way his whole career. You don't need any fancy stats to see why he becomes more effective as the game goes on.

I've watched all the games this year. He starts slow, gets going, and by the time he's in the zone, the defense is gassed, and no one wants to tackle him. It's happened over and over and over and over.

You just use "I prefer analytics" as a way to pick and choose what you want to highlight, or ignore.

[rman112]

"How on earth is any of this repeatable?"

You do realize they have the rushing champ and the QB with the highest passer rating (and yards per attempt/completion), right?

[arod305]

I am a Homer, but try to stay objective in analyzing match ups. I just don't think the Titans have enough fire power to score with KC. I get Henry/Vrabel will control TOP, but it takes Kansas City no time to score. I understand their D is better than the Texans, but Patty lit them up for 446 when he was still hobbled. I was at that game and it wasn't a game for 3 Quarters nor should it of became one. If they try to play zone the whole time it won't even be a contest. Also, the Titans better not kick FG in the redzone or they're done.

I will be the first one to eat crow if I am wrong, but I don't think its a very close game. I think people forgot how good Patrick Mahomes is. He didn't have to do much the last 6 weeks as they weren't in close games. In addition, he was far from healthy. The Chiefs D has been really good after the Bye. They gave up 17 pts vs the Texans, you can't blame them for the blocked punt or Hill muffing the punt. I just think KC wants it more and is at home. Mahomes is going to be a man on a mission to get the bad taste out of his mouth from last AFCG.

[NoleinJax]

Cinderella goes home. KC is winning it all.

[rman112]

I am a Homer, but try to stay objective in analyzing match ups. I just don't think the Titans have enough fire power to score with KC. I get Henry/Vrabel will control TOP, but it takes Kansas City no time to score. I understand their D is better than the Texans, but Patty lit them up for 446 when he was still hobbled. I was at that game and it wasn't a game for 3 Quarters nor should it of became one. If they try to play zone the whole time it won't even be a contest. Also, the Titans better not kick FG in the redzone or they're done.

I will be the first one to eat crow if I am wrong, but I don't think its a very close game. I think people forgot how good Patrick Mahomes is. He didn't have to do much the last 6 weeks as they weren't in close games. In addition, he was far from healthy. The Chiefs D has been really good after the Bye. They gave up 17 pts vs the Texans, you can't blame them for the blocked punt or Hill muffing the punt. I just think KC wants it more and is at home. Mahomes is going to be a man on a mission to get the bad taste out of his mouth from last AFCG.

Run the ball and eat the clock is not the only offense the Titans have. I believe they were right at the top of the league as far as explosive pass plays go since Tannehill took over.

It was actually the Chiefs game that they started to take that next step offensively, IMO. Once they hit that Raymond deep ball on PA and scored on a Firkser pass the next play, it was a different offense. That one play was the turning point.

[rman112]

Also, not sure where you're getting the idea that it wasn't a game through three quarters. It was a 2 point Chiefs lead after the 3rd. Their biggest lead in the 3rd was 6 points, or 9 early in the 4th.

[no10pin]

I think it's a coin flip honestly. I have Chiefs-inspired PTSD when it comes to playoff games, so I'm not able to throw out 25 years of under-achieving just because of Sunday.

I think KC can still win if and when Henry goes off, because even with him being a beast, it's only resulted in 24 points a game for the playoffs. The offense that we saw for the last 41 minutes had better show up though.

[rman112]

I think it's a coin flip honestly. I have Chiefs-inspired PTSD when it comes to playoff games, so I'm not able to throw out 25 years of under-achieving just because of Sunday.

I think KC can still win if and when Henry goes off, because even with him being a beast, it's only resulted in 24 points a game for the playoffs. The offense that we saw for the last 41 minutes had better show up though.

Chiefs D has certainly improved, but I don't see how they can be compared to the Patriots or Ravens D.

[arod305]

Also, not sure where you're getting the idea that it wasn't a game through three quarters. It was a 2 point Chiefs lead after the 3rd. Their biggest lead in the 3rd was 6 points, or 9 early in the 4th.

Go back and watch that game... the chiefs did everything imaginable to lose that game. That 4th quarter was one of the worst displays I’ve seen from a NFL team

[arod305]

Chiefs D has certainly improved, but I don't see how they can be compared to the Patriots or Ravens D.

Yep, and neither of those offenses touch a healthy Chiefs... Pats are atrocious on O and Lamar had 3 turnovers and much like Ten not built to play from behind

At the end of the day, QBs win playoff games. I’ll take Mahomes at home vs Tannehill on the road any day of the week.

[rman112]

Go back and watch that game... the chiefs did everything imaginable to lose that game. That 4th quarter was one of the worst displays I’ve seen from a NFL team

I watched the whole thing. I still don't know what that special teams intentional grounding was.

[no10pin]

Chiefs D has certainly improved, but I don't see how they can be compared to the Patriots or Ravens D.

They aren't quite as good, but this later-season version is better than people give them credit for.

If you take out the late pick-6, Tennessee averaged 21 points on offense in those two games. Even if KC is 7-10 points worse than that, I think they can still win. Give Tennessee 31 points and I think it's a 50/50 shot.

Or, there can be a series of fumbles, dropped passes and blocked kicks, and then all bets are off.

[rman112]

Yep, and neither of those offenses touch a healthy Chiefs... Pats are atrocious on O and Lamar had 3 turnovers.

At the end of the day, QBs win playoff games. I’ll take Mahomes at home vs Tannehill on the road any day of the week.

I think the gap between Titans O > Chiefs D is bigger than the gap between Chiefs O > Titans D.

Lamar did have 3 turnovers. But it's easy to say that after the fact. They were the scariest offense in football.

[Siberian13]

NFL hoping Mahomes wins it all or Rodgers.

[rman112]

They aren't quite as good, but this later-season version is better than people give them credit for.

If you take out the late pick-6, Tennessee averaged 21 points on offense in those two games. Even if KC is 7-10 points worse than that, I think they can still win. Give Tennessee 31 points and I think it's a 50/50 shot.

Or, there can be a series of fumbles, dropped passes and blocked kicks, and then all bets are off.

Chiefs don't have the personnel to take away the intermediate and deep passing game away like the Pats/Ravens. My point was moreso that just simply talking about the previous 2 games ignores the last 7+ where Tannehill led the league in yards per attempt, and yards per completion. They haven't lost that ability. It hasn't been necessary, through a combination of defensive matchups, Henry's success, and score/situation.

[sigmachi]

Also, not sure where you're getting the idea that it wasn't a game through three quarters. It was a 2 point Chiefs lead after the 3rd. Their biggest lead in the 3rd was 6 points, or 9 early in the 4th.

yeah I'm trying to figure that one out too. As a Titans fan I guess it's just ingrained in me (especially lately) that the Chiefs aren't beating TN because they haven't in quite a while. Playoff Andy Reid shows up, poor clock management and bad decisions doom him once again. Titans win a close one.

[dbpsooner]

The more I look at this game the more I think KC wins convincingly. Tennessee seems to really struggle with speed. That is one of KC strengths. Further, Mahomes torches zone def. Titans offense only scored 7 points in the first half at home against a shell of this current KC team earlier this year. If they can't match KC early they will be out of the game before half time. Henry will get his but I don't see Tennessee matching score for score.

Houston was a better team than Tennessee this year and we saw what KC just did to them. In fact, I believe the line should be higher this week than it was last week given they are playing a weaker opponent. Recency bias in favor of Tennessee has certainly given this line value imo.

Tennessee has had a nice playoff run. But the Pats were simply not a good team down the stretch due to their limitations on offense. Baltimore got completely away from their game plan due to the Ingram injury and there was no excuse for them to come out trying to throw over 50 times. The stars have aligned but that should end this week.

Final prediction:

KC 38
Ten 21

[arod305]

Also, not sure where you're getting the idea that it wasn't a game through three quarters. It was a 2 point Chiefs lead after the 3rd. Their biggest lead in the 3rd was 6 points, or 9 early in the 4th.

yeah I'm trying to figure that one out too. As a Titans fan I guess it's just ingrained in me (especially lately) that the Chiefs aren't beating TN because they haven't in quite a while. Playoff Andy Reid shows up, poor clock management and bad decisions doom him once again. Titans win a close one.

You guys are correct, I went back and looked a little closer. I guess it seemed like a game they should've never lost, but due to Andys awful time/play management, the special teams throw away that would of put us up 8 with 1:30, and then the debacle on the last FG.

I do think these are two different teams from back then. I am excited for Sunday and we will see what happens. The Chiefs at +7-8 is crazy to me, but lets hope Vegas gets it right ;). One thing I will say about the Titans is I really enjoyed their fans when in Nashville. I hope they're treated the same in Arrowhead!

[Brian48]

I think the Chiefs will take this game, but would love to see an upset. This Titans team reminds me a lot of that old school, smash mouth, over achieving '01 Pats team.

[starfox]

Yep, and neither of those offenses touch a healthy Chiefs... Pats are atrocious on O and Lamar had 3 turnovers and much like Ten not built to play from behind

At the end of the day, QBs win playoff games. I’ll take Mahomes at home vs Tannehill on the road any day of the week. Quarterbacks don't win playoff games. Teams do. Nobody has been playing better team ball than the Titans have in the playoffs. Nobody has a better resume. The Titans are a sixth seed beating the third and first seeds. Brady rarely loses in the wildcard, but he's at home now. Jackson, the obvious MVP, is doing something besides getting ready for another postseason football game. The Chiefs are not unbeatable; they have some level of fail in them. Just look at the game against the Titans in the regular season. With a 24 - 0 lead, the Texans let them off the hook. If the Chiefs get down by just 13, and Henry is on, I like the Titans' chances. None of these teams are unbeatable. Tannehill is playing well, although he hasn't passed a lot in the last two games. The defense is playing like a closed fist. The coaching is not letting up once the team has a lead.
I like the Titans chances of winning it all as much as the other three teams. Quarterbacks don't tackle or run punts back; teams do. It'll take more than just a hot quarterback or running back to win this game. It will be won by the team with the most guys contributing and making the least amount of mistakes. Titan up!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Rip67vdub]

BO hoping Mahomes wins it all or Rodgers.


Fixed it for ya :)!

[pcptrade]

Chris Jones is going to be a key factor. It was Mahomes-Kelce-Williams last game. I have a feeling it will be Mahomes-Tyreek this upcoming game. Sammy Watkins performance will also play an important role.

[rman112]

You guys are correct, I went back and looked a little closer. I guess it seemed like a game they should've never lost, but due to Andys awful time/play management, the special teams throw away that would of put us up 8 with 1:30, and then the debacle on the last FG.

I do think these are two different teams from back then. I am excited for Sunday and we will see what happens. The Chiefs at +7-8 is crazy to me, but lets hope Vegas gets it right ;). One thing I will say about the Titans is I really enjoyed their fans when in Nashville. I hope they're treated the same in Arrowhead!

As far as the Titans go, I stopped paying attention to point spreads a while ago. When Mariota was the guy, they seemed to always win the games they weren't supposed to, and lose the games they were favored in. Things have kinda just kept going on that way. I believe the Pats were a 5 point favorite, and the Ravens a 9 point favorite.

[rman112]

Chris Jones is going to be a key factor. It was Mahomes-Kelce-Williams last game. I have a feeling it will be Mahomes-Tyreek this upcoming game. Sammy Watkins performance will also play an important role.

It doesn't seem as if he'll be back. 3 potential days of practice starting today, so we'll see.

I think that if he can play, the biggest chance he has to make an impact is as a pass rusher. I just don't see him changing the rushing attack, if at all. But the Titans been very leaky in pass protection at times.

[dbpsooner]

Chris Jones is going to be a key factor. It was Mahomes-Kelce-Williams last game. I have a feeling it will be Mahomes-Tyreek this upcoming game. Sammy Watkins performance will also play an important role.

I agree on Hill. Titans have no one to match him. Hardman is another guy I could see having a couple really big plays. That Titans D just struggles so much with speed.

[arod305]

Quarterbacks don't win playoff games. Teams do. Nobody has been playing better team ball than the Titans have in the playoffs. Nobody has a better resume. The Titans are a sixth seed beating the third and first seeds. Brady rarely loses in the wildcard, but he's at home now. Jackson, the obvious MVP, is doing something besides getting ready for another postseason football game. The Chiefs are not unbeatable; they have some level of fail in them. Just look at the game against the Titans in the regular season. With a 24 - 0 lead, the Texans let them off the hook. If the Chiefs get down by just 13, and Henry is on, I like the Titans' chances. None of these teams are unbeatable. Tannehill is playing well, although he hasn't passed a lot in the last two games. The defense is playing like a closed fist. The coaching is not letting up once the team has a lead.
I like the Titans chances of winning it all as much as the other three teams. Quarterbacks don't tackle or run punts back; teams do. It'll take more than just a hot quarterback or running back to win this game. It will be won by the team with the most guys contributing and making the least amount of mistakes. Titan up!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I 100% disagree with you on this. QB's win playoff games, hence why the AFC Superbowl representative since 2002 (minus 2012 exception) was named Brady, Manning, or Big Ben. You think Tannehill or heck Alex Smith could come back from 24-0 down to score 51 points... You think anyone besides a handful of guys comeback against the Falcons like Brady did? God No.

[rman112]

No practice for Jones today.

[deansayso]

Whichever team scores more points will probably win this game. It could be the Titans or the Chiefs.

[no10pin]

Whichever team scores more points will probably win this game. It could be the Titans or the Chiefs.

Thanks Booger!

[Willikn]

Titans' resume says they needed the Texans to rest their starters week 17 just to get into the playoffs. Also says this is their fourth straight road game. Body of work, taking KC and it isn't close. 3-0 turnover advantage probably not coming this week.

[rman112]

Titans' resume says they needed the Texans to rest their starters week 17 just to get into the playoffs. Also says this is their fourth straight road game. Body of work, taking KC and it isn't close. 3-0 turnover advantage probably not coming this week.

This is dumb. You're assuming they lose to the starters.

And they actually would've gotten in even if they lost Week 17.

[Willikn]

This is dumb. You're assuming they lose to the starters.

And they actually would've gotten in even if they lost Week 17.

Rephrase. The appearance was.. etc etc. I will assume they'd have struggled with the starters since they lost at home to them a few weeks earlier.

Sticking hard on the "four straight road games". It is my money so I'll risk it with my limited knowledge.

EDIT: Don't know if the Raiders still had a shot with a Titans loss, but they definitely didn't with a Titans win. Maybe they finish the Denver game differently.

[deansayso]

Thanks Booger!

It's between me and Sergio Dipp to replace him so I thought I'd try out some commentary here

[rman112]

Rephrase. The appearance was.. etc etc. I will assume they'd have struggled with the starters since they lost at home to them a few weeks earlier.

Sticking hard on the "four straight road games". It is my money so I'll risk it with my limited knowledge.

It was a 3 point game with a huge 14 point swing on a pretty unlikely play. But I'm not sure why that game would trump what's happened since.

[no10pin]

It's between me and Sergio Dipp to replace him so I thought I'd try out some commentary here

I think it should be the boom-goes-the-dynamite guy. I would definitely watch that.

[rman112]

Rephrase. The appearance was.. etc etc. I will assume they'd have struggled with the starters since they lost at home to them a few weeks earlier.

Sticking hard on the "four straight road games". It is my money so I'll risk it with my limited knowledge.

EDIT: Don't know if the Raiders still had a shot with a Titans loss, but they definitely didn't with a Titans win. Maybe they finish the Denver game differently.

Raiders needed a Colts win.

Jaguars winning eliminated the 8-8 Steelers.

[thenwhatjk]

It’s an incredible parlay to hit: nobody thinks they can win AND nobody wants them to win

[Willikn]

It was a 3 point game with a huge 14 point swing on a pretty unlikely play. But I'm not sure why that game would trump what's happened since.Doesn't trump. Part of the body of work.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[rman112]

Jones was out again today, and I think it would take some type of miracle for him to be active come Sunday. The clip of him today on the sidelines did not look good.

That means the Chiefs will have to send blitzers to get to Tannehill (which will be necessary for them, IMO). But that will also open up the screen game, which has been very effective for the Titans.

[mortatort]

I'm struggling to understand the point of your post.

It seems as if you've completely forgotten what the offense did in the regular season since Tannehill took over. He, and they, were dominant. You're acting as if all they can do is run, simply because it's what they've chosen to do against 2 very good defenses. Ones that are head and shoulders above the Chiefs (secondary especially, and even moreso without Thornhill).

They simply haven't had to take chances in the passing game. No one has stopped Henry. So why would they force balls into tough coverage? There wasn't a reason to. That's how you get that Tannehill pick on a forced ball to Davis.

Brown has 13 yards receiving in the 2 wins. 13!!! KC doesn't offer a counter to him in the secondary that NE or BAL did. I have mentioned it a few times, but the passing lanes will be open this week.

KC's run defense is a a sieve going up against a dominating run game right now. Not even stacking the box worked for 2 of the league's best defenses.

You also seem to be minimizing the fact that Baltimore's offense was the best in football. And they scored 12 points. Titans are playing their best defensive football all year.

Some of the "analytics" you're using make no sense whatsoever. Henry's YPC with his best runs taken off? Lol.. And you're actually presenting that as some type of legitimate analysis.

Now.. KC's offense is no joke. But what we have seen is that Vrabel tailors every gameplan specifically to the opponent. It worked to a T last week. The tight ends were the biggest passing threat, so they went super heavy with defensive backs. He took a guy in Dane Cruikshank who had played 19 snaps the first 17 games, and played him 26 snaps last week.

They continue to adjust. They will adjust again this week. I bet you could've pulled out 10 pages worth of analytics to say the Ravens would wipe the floor with them, right? Come playoff time, there's no analytics for momentum or confidence.

Analytics are interesting but in no way are they immune from confirmation bias. Recency bias is probably more reliable than confirmation bias in predicting future performance :p


And to downplay Henry's running yardage when he's the league leader is also amusing. Not you... the person you were responding to.

[HBMC]

It seems as if you've completely forgotten what the offense did in the regular season since Tannehill took over. He, and they, were dominant. You're acting as if all they can do is run, simply because it's what they've chosen to do against 2 very good defenses. Ones that are head and shoulders above the Chiefs (secondary especially, and even moreso without Thornhill).

No, I'm not.

The short fields (and Defensive or Special Teams TD's) and fluky one play drives are not easily repeated against sound teams. The Titans are beholden to Henry running the ball effectively for this overall plan to work, this is why when they're forced to actually drive the ball they struggle to score points. I'm sure you are banking on their Defense slowing down the Chiefs, it isn't going to happen. I had a gander at some of their other games and I am seeing a pattern, the Titans have had quite a few D/ST TD's (and some short fields) and one play explosive scores that have been a major factor in limiting Tannehill's exposure. He's lit up some garbage secondaries but that should be expected.

They simply haven't had to take chances in the passing game. No one has stopped Henry. So why would they force balls into tough coverage? There wasn't a reason to. That's how you get that Tannehill pick on a forced ball to Davis.

Okay, I could counter that Tannehill is a far inferior QB to Watson and KC mitigated Houston's passing offense pretty handily. More details lower in the post.

Here's the problem with Tennessee being tethered to the run, they have to run the ball to be successful, much like Baltimore and New England. That can be a great weapon in the post season if the team is scoring on every drive.

KC doesn't need to run the ball to move it at will. Mahomes' numbers have been lower than last year because the team has been focused on staying balanced down the stretch. They can run the ball effectively, but they're not married to it. Damian Williams has been great down the stretch and provides a great weapon out of the backfield (who is also very fast).

Tennessee doesn't kick FG's (at least they have shown zero interest in doing so), and that limits how you can score drive by drive. Baltimore killed themselves by not taking the points when given to them (which would have allowed them to potentially maintain field position after said FG's, which given Tucker's ability, should have been easy makes for him). It wasn't like Tennessee was willing the ball down the field on every drive.

Baltimore had drives that ended at:

TEN 36 INT
BAL 41 Downs
TEN 31 FG
TEN 4 FG
TEN 18 Downs
TEN 31 INT
TEN 16 Downs
TEN 21 Downs

That is likely 9 points left on the field. No telling what might've been with the turnovers. The Titans never pulled away from Baltimore to the point that they should have forgone the points. Especially with Tennessee struggling to drive the ball. Once they got down 28-6, it was too late, but at the point where it could have been 14-9 (hardly reason to panic at all score wise), they really screwed themselves.

Which leads to my next point: The first KC vs. Tennessee match up. KC had three drives end in Tennessee territory at the 12, 23 and 25. They kicked three FG's and this was with Mahomes' knee still being vulnerable. Mahomes' being healthy at minimum shaves a play or two off of drives, particularly as the game wears on, players that have been forced to try and keep up with Tyreek Hill, Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman are gassed beyond belief.

The last time these two teams played, Hill had 157 yards. No I know you're a fan, but do you honestly think the Titans have anyone who can cover Hill at all? No one in the NFL does one-on-one. Hell the venerable Patriots used two guys at all times to try and take him away.

Brown has 13 yards receiving in the 2 wins. 13!!! KC doesn't offer a counter to him in the secondary that NE or BAL did. I have mentioned it a few times, but the passing lanes will be open this week.

Brown had one catch for 17 yards against KC the last time they played. Unless you think he's on the same plane as someone like Nuk Hopkins (who had a nice stat line that was mostly hollow in reflection of last week's game), I wouldn't expect that to change much. Barring long plays (which are unpredictable, which is why I will explain why I factor them out in my analysis below), KC is going to make the Titans earn every yard they get through the air.


KC's run defense is a a sieve going up against a dominating run game right now. Not even stacking the box worked for 2 of the league's best defenses.

The last bad game they had was against Tennessee. They've been shutting down a lot of rushing attacks, and this is without the Chiefs blowing people out either. They've also been working on making theirs just a wee bit more effective.

You also seem to be minimizing the fact that Baltimore's offense was the best in football. And they scored 12 points. Titans are playing their best defensive football all year.

They're the most effective at putting up a lot of yards and getting points when they could exploit Play Action and Misdirection. Jackson is not on the same plane as Mahomes as a passer and I am pretty sure everyone who is an honest observer would say that.

Jackson's deficiencies as a passer include poor tight window throws, slow decision making and inaccuracy when his mechanics are poor. He showed that in spades last Saturday. He is not built to throw the ball over 50 times in a game at this stage in his career.

Some of the "analytics" you're using make no sense whatsoever. Henry's YPC with his best runs taken off? Lol.. And you're actually presenting that as some type of legitimate analysis.

No, those are called outliers, when seeking the average (or efficient) performance of something, you tend to weed out the worst and best results of that said item as they skew the stats both directions. Long runs and long passes are not something that is predictable or consistent, it is completely random. It would be like hitting a grand slam every time you're at the plate in baseball, it isn't repeatable.

I'm being generous leaving the negative runs and no gains out of the equation. Granted, these are Henry's stats in a nutshell (lots of little rushes with a huge one mixed in), so if a team just plays sound football (nothing special and tackle), he won't be rolling out with his huge TD runs and will plod along for 3-4 yards per carry on average like he always has. If he's not getting TD's, the Titans are in big trouble IMO.

Now.. KC's offense is no joke. But what we have seen is that Vrabel tailors every gameplan specifically to the opponent.

He doesn't have the personnel to match up to KC, none of their CB's can cover Tyreek Hill one-on-one and if they bracket him with a safety, someone is going to get open. I don't see how they're going to cover Kelce, Hill and Robinson and Hardman while also being able to stop Mahomes from rushing against Dime defense.

This also doesn't factor in that Mahomes is money against zone and he can extend plays and create impossible to defend passing angles just by being himself. Tyreek Hill also is fast enough that he can cut through zones like they aren't there.

The tight ends were the biggest passing threat, so they went super heavy with defensive backs. He took a guy in Dane Cruikshank who had played 19 snaps the first 17 games, and played him 26 snaps last week.

The Ravens got by with this offense because of deception and misdirection, their WR corps outside of Brown is pretty blah and that was evident in the game against the Titans.

What is the answer for a WR corps that is five deep and all of them are fast? Sammy Watkins is the "slow" WR of the group and he runs a 4.43, he has become their 5th option due to injuries and other players being hot, but he's not to be ignored.

They continue to adjust. They will adjust again this week. I bet you could've pulled out 10 pages worth of analytics to say the Ravens would wipe the floor with them, right?

I have been quietly skeptical of the Ravens on this forum (there aren't a lot of my posts about Jackson being deficient, but they do exist, admittedly my posting has slowed this year due to other commitments) because they are predicated on running the ball (to set up Jackson for high percentage throws). He shredded teams who couldn't defend his athletic TE's, but teams who could either get ahead of Baltimore early (thus taking the run and offensive pacing out of Baltimore's hands) or force Jackson to throw the ball a lot had success against them this year. KC beat them by getting ahead and holding on, and this included a miracle Jackson 4th down conversion late in 4th that extended an eventual TD drive.

Baltimore abandoned the run early against TEN and they also had a gimpy RB in Ingram. Combine that with Jackson's poor showing and turnovers and it was a perfect storm for the team to play like crap. 0-4 on 4th Downs and leaving all kinds of FG's on the field made the game look a lot worse than it was. They relied so hard on not doing what made their team good that they couldn't overcome Jackson's poor play.

Come playoff time, there's no analytics for momentum or confidence.

Which is rah rah BS, that is pure sports talk pabulum (a replacement or placeholder for something people don't care to call luck). Guys not doing their jobs well is what kills football teams in the postseason. KC was well on their way to doing that against Houston before they woke up. Baltimore forgetting that they're playing football and not efficiency ball killed them.



"10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter, Henry had 56 yards yards.."

If they were supposed to be running a team out of their own building, that isn't that impressive IMO. His first big blast was a 66 yard play off of a missed tackle. Prior to that he had a 23 yard run and bunch of little stuff.

1. As if that's some type of low number..

See above, the score was 14-6 with two short field TD's thrown in for good measure. This was also right after Baltimore decided to go for it on 4th Down at the TEN 18.

2. Henry's ran for 1212 yards this year in his 17 games .. in the second half of games! It's been that way his whole career. You don't need any fancy stats to see why he becomes more effective as the game goes on.

While that number is impressive, that won't will your team three or four scores in a quick enough manner to be a factor if they're down. Because that is exactly how KC will win. Henry could run his ass off and eventually score a TD in a six or seven minute drive, but they Chiefs could match it in two minutes. I have no faith in TEN's Defense to slow down a healthy Mahomes, hell they let Jackson carve them for over 500 total yards and he's not nearly the QB Mahomes is (he also doesn't have the offensive personnel Mahomes does either).

I've watched all the games this year. He starts slow, gets going, and by the time he's in the zone, the defense is gassed, and no one wants to tackle him. It's happened over and over and over and over.

The Titans Secondary is about to find out the real meaning of this when they've been trying to play laterally (which Baltimore doesn't do well with their WR's and NE lacks any kind of personnel to do) and vertically for two or three quarters with the track star squad. Adoree Jackson is nursing a bad foot and two of the Titan LB's are dinged up. I'm sure they'll make a go of it as best they can, but that's a tall order for those guys.


"How on earth is any of this repeatable?"

You do realize they have the rushing champ and the QB with the highest passer rating (and yards per attempt/completion), right?

Rushing champ with 96 carries in the last three games (32 against a Texans squad resting their dudes and two against teams in the playoffs who cannot will themselves down the field through the air).

My point about repeatability has to do with holding an offense as dynamic as KC's to limited field position play like Baltimore. It also has to do with short field TD's (TEN scored thrice against Baltimore because of those, they got one TD on one drive that started on their side of the field). Now I don't know about you, but that stat stand out like a sore thumb.

Passer Rating to justify Tannehill? Please tell me how it is calculated and how poor of a measure it is afterwards. Particularly if the QB in question throws few passes and also has multiple TD's in that equation.

Have a gander at what Watson did in the game against KC with superior WR talent and a much better toolbox as a QB. The numbers look great upon first inspection, but tear them apart:

1st Half
Drive 1: 66 yards, 75 yards total (54 on a TD) 7-0
Drive 2: 5 yards, 29 yards total (Punt) 14-0
Drive 3: 4 yards, 6 yards total (short field TD) 21-0
Drive 4: 23 yards, 38 total (FG) 24-0
Drive 5: 0 yards, 6 yards total (Fake Punt Fail) 24-7
Drive 6: 19 yards, 27 yards total (Punt) 24-21
Drive 7: 38 yards (one completion), 44 yards total (Missed FG) 24-28

Seven drives, 14 points. 10 if you consider the short field a gimmie.

2nd Half
Drive 8: 9 yards, 3 yards total (penalty and sack) (Punt) 24-34
Drive 9: 80 yards, 75 yard drive (sack built in) (TD) 31-41
Drive 10: 33 yards, 33 yards total (Turnover on Downs) 31-48
Drive 11: 27 yards, 33 yards total (Turnover on Downs) 31-51
Drive 12: 85 yards, 68 yards total (Turnover on Downs) 31-51

Five drives, 7 points.

Now, Houston knew they could not cover Kelce at all, this is why they were desperately trying to match TD's with KC as the game wore on. As the threat of the run went away, so did Houston's chances of winning. Watson had the lion's share of his passing yards when the game went away from Houston.

The Chiefs' Defense held Houston to 17 points on their own accord. A Special Teams TD and a muffed punt spotted at the 6 are hardly their fault (and it would have been special for them to hold the Texans to a FG as opposed to a TD). The Titans have a mixed bag of WR's who aren't on the same level of Houston's and their QB is playing well when he isn't asked to win the game.

The Chiefs quietly had the 7th best Defense in Points allowed. The Chiefs are also in the top 10 in passing defense from a DVOA (6th) and raw numbers perspective (8th).


Go back and watch that game... the chiefs did everything imaginable to lose that game. That 4th quarter was one of the worst displays I’ve seen from a NFL team

One of the absolute worst games they played this year and they still could have won it with a 3rd down conversion.

[HBMC]

And to downplay Henry's running yardage when he's the league leader is also amusing. Not you... the person you were responding to.

When his rushing stats go like:

3
0
45
1
5
2
3

It is hard to call that an average. Look at his logs, they're really quite telling.

A competent football team can mitigate that by tackling better (or at least rallying to the player and slowing him enough to make a tackle at a reasonable gain).

[rman112]

You realize they put up 28 against the Saints without Henry, right? And were driving to tie or take the lead late before a questionable H2H hit/fumble.

[rman112]

When I see you talk of overemphasizing Henry's shorter runs, I question if you've actually watched him play. Or why he is so effective. Or why he forces so many missed tackles. Or why he is so difficult to tackle when he gets past the LOS to linebackers and backs. Or how well they've blocked for him.

[rman112]

You seem to be pretty confident the Chiefs can just magically wrap him up and shut things down. The Ravens thought the same. As did the Patriots. As did everyone else..

[rman112]

Houston's offensive and passing DVOA ratings were significantly lower than the Titans.

Texans:
Total - 17th
Passing - 15

Titans:
Total - 6th
Passing - 6th

This counts 6 Mariota starts. While I respect the Chiefs, you're highlighting their positives, and the Titans negatives

[rman112]

A competent football team can mitigate that by tackling better (or at least rallying to the player and slowing him enough to make a tackle at a reasonable gain).

Gee.. I'm sure no coaches or players in the regular season or playoffs thoughts of that before.

Playing TOO hard against the run is how the Chiefs will get beat on the YAC crossers that the Titans love. Ravens ran a ton of stacked box, and I'm pretty sure they're competent. Henry faced the most stacked boxes all year, with the most success.

Stopping Henry is most certainly not at easy as you are trying to make it seem. If it was, we wouldn't be discussing the Titans right now. And rushing the ball is not their one trick pony.

[bigp621]

Tenn doesn't have enough fire power to beat the Chiefs at home IMO. If the Chiefs win the toss they need to get the ball and score early. Its hard for Henry to beat you if you're up 10+ points. Chris Jones playing will be a huge factor.

This year when TN beat the Chiefs, the Chiefs was up 9 points and they kept feeding Henry. Tannehill Threw for 2 TD's that game and Henry had 2 TD's and a 188 yards. The Titan's D in the playoffs has played much better than during the season. They have to work on tackling Henry in practice. So tackling Hill, Williams, Kelce and Mahomes is chump change compared to Henry. Watch the Baltimore Game. Every time they tackled someone it was popping. They hit Mahomes like that he won't make it through the game.

[mortatort]

We should discount Henry until he can run for 30 yards on just about every running play.

[mortatort]

Henry has a 5.1 rush avg for the entire season.

Forest... trees... etc etc

[arod305]

This year when TN beat the Chiefs, the Chiefs was up 9 points and they kept feeding Henry. Tannehill Threw for 2 TD's that game and Henry had 2 TD's and a 188 yards. The Titan's D in the playoffs has played much better than during the season. They have to work on tackling Henry in practice. So tackling Hill, Williams, Kelce and Mahomes is chump change compared to Henry. Watch the Baltimore Game. Every time they tackled someone it was popping. They hit Mahomes like that he won't make it through the game.

This is one of the worst football takes I've seen in a while. This will be my last post in this thread until after the game. However, relating this game to the previous match up is irrelevant. 1. These teams are both much different than week 10. 2. This game is in Arrowhead 3. You gotta catch Tyreek Hill to tackle him

We will see what happens, if Ryan Tannehill comes in and beats Mahomes on his own field than you guys deserve a trip to Miami. However, I don't see it happening. The Titans are 0-5 when down 10 pts or more, that could very easily happen against the Chiefs quickly. Good Luck to both teams and safe travels to any Titan fans coming up, the weather in KC is rough today.

[bigp621]

This is one of the worst football takes I've seen in a while. This will be my last post in this thread until after the game. However, relating this game to the previous match up is irrelevant. 1. These teams are both much different than week 10. 2. This game is in Arrowhead 3. You gotta catch Tyreek Hill to tackle him

We will see what happens, if Ryan Tannehill comes in and beats Mahomes on his own field than you guys deserve a trip to Miami. However, I don't see it happening. The Titans are 0-5 when down 10 pts or more, that could very easily happen against the Chiefs quickly. Good Luck to both teams and safe travels to any Titan fans coming up, the weather in KC is rough today.

How is it one of the worse you seen in a while? I know both teams are different now. TN is a lot better than what they had been, the D is playing at a higher level. Thing is people have doubted TN in both playoff games. Far as catching hill, yea you are right but one of those over the middle routes he will get popped. Nobody seen TN going to NE or Ravens and beating them. Haters will hate. If the weather is rough and bad this weekend then we will see a lot of Henry.

[Brian48]

Tannehill doesn't have to win this game. He just has to not F up and lose it. I wouldn't be surprised if he has another sub-100 yard game and the Titans still win.

[rman112]

Tannehill doesn't have to win this game. He just has to not F up and lose it. I wouldn't be surprised if he has another sub-100 yard game and the Titans still win.

If there's a bet for that, take the (way) over and win yourself some cashola..

[Willikn]

Tannehill doesn't have to win this game. He just has to not F up and lose it. I wouldn't be surprised if he has another sub-100 yard game and the Titans still win.

I sure would. Pats strong pass D and terrible offense, yes. Ravens with three turnovers and two failed 4th and 1 plays, yes. Against the Chiefs much more will be needed. It will be available, but needed I think.

Over/Under on Tannehill passing yards at around 220. Over is usually the square side but I still think it is one of the best sides this weekend.

[Willikn]

If there's a bet for that, take the (way) over and win yourself some cashola..

Ha! We agree

[mortatort]

Against the Chiefs much more will be needed. It will be available, but needed I think.



I agree with that. And yeah it's there, as evidenced by the Saints/Titans match up in week 16. Titans took a loss but still put up a hell of a game against one of the best teams in the NFL and completely without Henry. They have lots of weapons that they just haven't had to use in alot of games.

[rman112]

Looks like the forecast is for a clear day on Sunday. Both offenses should be able to show out. Catching the ball is a bitch when it's that cold, though.

[49erRCCollector]

I have no idea what to make of this game/matchup. The Titans seem to be rolling, and believing. Even after the Pats win, no one was taking them seriously. No way the Chiefs sleep on them but... I guess we’ll see how good they really are.

[mortatort]

Here's an interesting stat that massages my confirmation bias.

Drives stopped in FG range (FGA) during 2019 regular season

TEN - 18
KC - 48

And sure there are several ways to interpret this stat. That said, there's alot to study about how to stop KC when they've got a drive going.

[MRSPORTSCARD]

Kansas City Chiefs

[RedSoxFan28]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOlIRZgXUAMrs8r?format=jpg&name=medium

[ninjacookies]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOlIRZgXUAMrs8r?format=jpg&name=medium

Yeah...this looks like it will end well for FC.

[rman112]

Derrick Henry is in an absolute zone, and opposing defenders continue to verbally disrespect him. They're just asking for it.

Earl Thomas on Derrick Henry’s big game against Patriots: “Guys didn’t see too interested in tackling him. Our mindset is a little different.”

Also, Earl Thomas:
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AgonizingFaithfulIceblueredtopzebra-size_restricted.gif

[majestik101]

ETIII's best days are behind him and is also pushing 31 years old. Not exactly a spring chicken.

[rman112]

ETIII's best days are behind him and is also pushing 31 years old. Not exactly a spring chicken.

All the more reason not to open your yap. Worked out very poorly for Earl.

[rman112]

I also like the little turn Earl does. I've heard the term "business decision" a lot recently.

"Our mindset is a little different", he said..

[majestik101]

All the more reason not to open your yap. Worked out very poorly for Earl.

Oh I'll be bringing my yap tomorrow during the AFC Championship. Just you wait.

Yap yap yap yap yap yap :)

[rman112]

Oh I'll be bringing my yap tomorrow during the AFC Championship. Just you wait.

Yap yap yap yap yap yap :)

Seek help.

[Antoniow11]

KC 42-0

[mortatort]

Derrick Henry is in an absolute zone, and opposing defenders continue to verbally disrespect him. They're just asking for it.

Earl Thomas on Derrick Henry’s big game against Patriots: “Guys didn’t see too interested in tackling him. Our mindset is a little different.”

Also, Earl Thomas:
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AgonizingFaithfulIceblueredtopzebra-size_restricted.gif

I was looking at that gif earlier today. I wonder why Thomas looked over his left shoulder(?). Weird play.


And yeah everyone knows majestik is gonna flap nonsense. I like him but he needs to reach higher up on the joke tree :p

[ToppsCollector1]

With that game against the Patriots, Vrabel showed he learned a lot from Belichick

I say they win and play the 49ers

[rman112]

The first active/inactive news I've seen (between a bunch of Titans questionables, and Jones for KC) is that Jayon Brown will play.

[blackbears86]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EOlIRZgXUAMrs8r?format=jpg&name=medium




Bulletin board material for the titans.


I was reading somewhere Henry averaged 7.3 yards per attempt against the Chiefs in the week 10 match-up.


Should be interesting.


EDIT: Oops, my bad, it was 8.2 YPC

[davidantx]

Vrabel on the sidelines in shorts, doing push ups

[rman112]

All of the Titans that were questionable are active, including Adam Humphries making his return. Chris Jones will be active for KC.

[imbluestreak23]

I'm excited

[Earlsnake07]

All of the Titans that were questionable are active, including Adam Humphries making his return. Chris Jones will be active for KC.

All hands on deck

[rman112]

All hands on deck

For sure. With Jones especially, it makes sense. If there's even a minimal chance he can contribute, you see what you can get from him.

[rman112]

Wind chill is at 6. Woof.

[dave2424]

30 min

[dave2424]

Wish Tony Romo did all the games

[silverandblack]

Gonna be tough tackling Henry in that cold weather

[dave2424]

Gonna be tough tackling Henry in that cold weather
Frank Clarke said no problem

[dave2424]

Frank Clarke said no problem
Dumb, keep your mouth shut, but seems like every game he is talking trash to someone.

[rman112]

Frank Clarke said no problem

** Looks at last time they played **

I don't know, Frank..

[silverandblack]

Frank Clarke said no problem

We will see

[imbluestreak23]

Gotta say, if the Chiefs lose I’m all in on the Titans after that promo. Eff Wisconsin and Cali

[JWBlue]

I hope I am wrong about this because I want the Titans to win.

They might have very little chance of winning. It has nothing to do with talent. The NFL suits and FOX want Mahomes in the SB for ratings and dollars. When they want something it usually happens.

[BostonNut]

Why did Tyreek Hill just pretend to be a urinating dog? :confused:

[Hollywood42]

I gotta root Titans here and hope they run the table, but wouldn't mind seeing the Chiefs in the big game either

That anthem singer was stellar

[Onepocketj]

Dude killed that National Anthem

[rman112]

Decent start.

[Rabs]

Decent start.

Did it with the passing game. Tanny already has 50 yards.

[silverandblack]

1 on 1 Aj Brown is going to have a day

[rman112]

Did it with the passing game. Tanny already has 50 yards.

I had been telling anyone that would listen that they'd throw it more today.

[rman112]

1 on 1 Aj Brown is going to have a day

No Gilmore/Jackson or Peters/Smith today.

[Siberian13]

Fun start for titans but good stop by chiefs.

[rman112]

Very good, very good..

[Onepocketj]

Start with another drop. Great

[rman112]

Start with another drop. Great

Was a bad throw.

[BeastMode27]

Henry is marketable. Would be nice to see a running back given more exposure.

[mortatort]

Start with another drop. Great

Kelce did that last week the first couple of passes and then tightened up real nice.

[Rabs]

Nice pick!

[rman112]

Can't force it. Just can't do that.

Got lucky. Incomplete.

[Rabs]

Maybe not a catch.

[Rooftop]

Run the fu#$in ball

[rman112]

I think they're getting away from the run a little TOO much. Make KC pick their poison more.

[imbluestreak23]

Dude, TN looking solid. Dont pack the box and Henry trucks you.Pack the box and make Tannehill look like Joe Montana.

Pick your poison.

Good news is, TN could score a FG every drive, it likely still won't be enough to outpace the expected KC TD rate.

[rman112]

Muy bueno.

[Rabs]

KC defense lol.

[rman112]

Shades of a Dee Ford.

[rman112]

Keep running it at 'em.

[imbluestreak23]

KC D is leaving 3 receivers in man coverage w/ 1 safety deep. This could be bad lol

[rman112]

I don't like these play calls at all.

[rman112]

Humph! Welcome back.

[rman112]

Titans YAC monsters will kill you in space.

[rman112]

!!!!!

[Siberian13]

More of 81 please

[majestik101]

takes sip of water

*ahem

YAP.

[Rabs]

KC gonna spot them 24 again?

[SirTommyWinAlot]

Never trust an andy reid team in the playoffs.lol

[HeadstrongRSS]

Let's go! Down with the overrated Mahomes!!!!!

[rman112]

Dang. The Game song from 2003? I am f*cking in!!!

[KhalDrogo]

Another sloppy start from KC.

[ninjacookies]

Henry will not be denied.

Now the disciplined defense just needs to play disciplined.

[Cavaliercards]

Tanny for Super Bowl MVP ;)

[Melagoo]

KC will probably win but the Titans are looking good early ...

[Prospectorsadvantage]

Let's go! Down with the overrated Mahomes!!!!!

:doh:

[Earlsnake07]

KC gonna spot them 24 again?

Just 17

Another sloppy start from KC.

All.....damn....season

[ninjacookies]

Tanny for Super Bowl MVP ;)

Show off the chrome stash. :)!

[silverandblack]

KC won’t be able to make a big come back like last week if the Titans get too far ahead. Henry will pound and kill clock

[r0yals2012]

I am not liking this start by the Chiefs


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[Melagoo]

Henry will not be denied.

Now the disciplined defense just needs to play disciplined.

I like how they are using him ... so far

[Rooftop]

#TakeEverything

#GiveEmNothin

[myerscards]

Who ever sold Highend Mahomes cards here lately maybe getting a return package. Not as described.

[daviswr7]

Cmon guys we did this all Last week..let’s reel it in till at least the second half

[rman112]

Logan Ryan does the CB blitz as good as anyone in the league.

[rman112]

100 mph ball from Mahomes for no reason.

[rman112]

Short. They'll go.

[Rabs]

Go for it!

[rman112]

Long 2..

[Cavaliercards]

Show off the chrome stash. :)!

Cant gotta wade through all these worthless Mahomes cards to get to them

[BeastMode27]

That 4th down a momentum changer. They will score here

[rman112]

Gotta wrap up against these guys. Williams having success inside makes things a lot easier for KC.

[imbluestreak23]

Best defense against Henry might be long sustained time draining drives, just like what TN wants to do against Mahomes.

I like it. Keep Henry on the sidelines and let that offense get cold and tight.

[Rabs]

Speed kills.

[HeadstrongRSS]

The Chiefs are just so fast. Best TE in the league, best and fastest top 3 WRs in Hill, Hardman and Watkins, a great and versatile RB, solid OL and best scheme in the league. Must be nice to be Mahomes.

[GOWIFB]

Wow that Mahomes pass reminded me of the Rodgers pass from earlier this year. Looked like he was just throwing it away but hit a receiver in the corner. Just barely missed getting the feet in.

[rman112]

Awkward Chiefs owner gif

[majestik101]

Speed is going to kill the Titans. They have no answer for it.

[Rabs]

Counts as a pass TD.

[r0yals2012]

Cheetah!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ninjacookies]

D broke that time.

[rman112]

Losing Rashaan Evans would be tough.

[hxcmilkshake]

That's a pass?

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[anusinha]

Even when Mahomes is throwing it away, he is still dangerous. Dude is crazy.

[RedSoxFan28]

Was a bad throw.

Shhhh, it was a perfect throw, Chiefs WRs/TEs suck

[ninjacookies]

Cant gotta wade through all these worthless Mahomes cards to get to them

groumdhogs day.gif

[SirTommyWinAlot]

Awkward Chiefs owner gif

surrounded by some quality p....eople.

[Onepocketj]

REEEEEKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rman112]

Nice play call. Pruitt runs with cement galoches, though.

[HeadstrongRSS]

I hate when that pregnant woman beater and child abuser scores.

[mc1]

The Chiefs are just so fast. Best TE in the league, best and fastest top 3 WRs in Hill, Hardman and Watkins, a great and versatile RB, solid OL and best scheme in the league. Must be nice to be Mahomes.

https://media3.giphy.com/media/kc0kqKNFu7v35gPkwB/giphy.gif?cid=19f5b51a8732c88d0d39c2e05d2d70de00193fa4d344b9e5&rid=giphy.gif

[Prospectorsadvantage]

Who ever sold Highend Mahomes cards here lately maybe getting a return package. Not as described.

Is that you Epkay

[rman112]

Well that was a waste.

[cinnakaok]

10-7 titans after 1. Got to be happy with the start of your them

[Boo]

Who ever sold Highend Mahomes cards here lately maybe getting a return package. Not as described.

Classic myers post:doh:

[Rabs]

Who wants a pet bear?

[imbluestreak23]

10-7 titans after 1. Got to be happy with the start of your them

If I'm KC, I"m also happy with that after Q1.

-Lost the TOP battle
-Didn't stop TN in the slightest
-Every offensive possession went to 3rd or 4th down, keeping the drive on edge

KC still ramping up, TN playing really at full capacity, so far I'd be A-okay with that

[rman112]

A little too slow, Firkser.

[Rabs]

Tanny missed him for a TD.

[rman112]

Dang. Just overshot that. He was open.

[rman112]

Dee Ford!

[Rabs]

Good lord with the offsides.

[rman112]

Looking good, Humph. That's why they got him. Short 3D conversions.

[rman112]

It feels like every Henry touch has a chance for 6..

[RW3FAN]

The Chiefs are just so fast. Best TE in the league, best and fastest top 3 WRs in Hill, Hardman and Watkins, a great and versatile RB, solid OL and best scheme in the league. Must be nice to be Mahomes.

Best TE?
Kittle says hello from SF.

[r0yals2012]

Seriously enough with the encroachment. This is the most Chiefs thing ever


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[Boo]

It feels like every Henry touch has a chance for 6..

Not really

[FBallHobbies]

Thought Henry would have taken it in right there

[rman112]

That hurts. Conklin struggling.

[ninjacookies]

Tannyboi looking sharp. wtfbbq.

[Copeskey45]

Romo is an idiot.

[rman112]

Good Lord, Mathieu. Wow!!

[Rabs]

Honey Badger don’t care!

[BeastMode27]

Bs call

[cinnakaok]

Tannehill just hung Davis out to dry on that one

[Boo]

Should have been picked

[Rabs]

3rd and long. Just run it and take the FG.

[oplum29]

that holding call was huge

[rman112]

Chiefs D straight up KILLING themselves.

[ninjacookies]

Massive penalties on both sides.

[cinnakaok]

Another huge penalty

[Boo]

Chiefs can't stop being morons

[rman112]

Yep. Right call.

[Rabs]

The Chiefs D is killing themselves with penalties wow.

[r0yals2012]

What the heck is wrong with our defense smh


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[SirTommyWinAlot]

Kansas City's goofy.

[rman112]

Titans sacrificing Mariota to die for a 1D.

[majestik101]

MRIota sighting....