The Tennessee Titans will face their toughest test since Week 2 when they take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday in Week 8.
The Titans didn’t do so well in their last measuring-stick game in the aforementioned Week 2, losing to the Buffalo Bills, 41-7.
If the Titans want to prove they are indeed capable of competing for a title this year, they’ll have to come out and have a big performance against the Chiefs.
While both teams sport a 5-2 record and lead their respective divisions, the Chiefs have looked much better doing it. The Titans, on the other hand, have gotten a slew of ugly wins, and those wins have come against teams that are not in the same stratosphere as Kansas City.
This matchup may also have serious playoff-seeding implications down the line. The Titans currently sit in the No. 2 spot in the conference, while the Chiefs are No. 3. The winner will own the head-to-head tie-breaker.
Now, let’s look at some reasons for optimism and concern for the Titans in Week 9.
Concern: Chiefs' offense
The Chiefs come into this game averaging a league-best 31.9 points per contest and rank second in passing yards and total yards per game.
Kansas City lost Tyreek Hill during the offseason, but this offense continues to chug right along. The last thing the banged-up Titans can do is afford to get into a shootout with a far superior offense, which brings us to our first reason for optimism (and concern)…
Optimism and concern: Titans' defense
Tennessee’s defense has been great this year, and especially during the five-game winning streak. The pass-rush has continued to make an impact, and the secondary has been improving.
At its best and healthiest, the Titans’ defense has the pass-rush and secondary to keep the Chiefs’ offense in check, something we saw last season when Tennessee limited Kansas City to just three points.
Unfortunately, the secondary will be without two key members, as starting safety Amani Hooker and slot cornerback Elijah Molden both won’t play.
Hooker has been ruled out with a shoulder injury he suffered in Week 8, while Molden was designated to return from injured reserve but isn’t expected to be activated.
Filling Molden’s spot has been difficult this season but the Titans looked to have their solution the last two weeks when they deployed Hooker in the slot and Andrew Adams at safety.
That won’t be an option this week, though, which means we’ll likely see more of Terrance Mitchell and/or Caleb Farley, both of whom have struggled.
Another concern is outside linebacker Bud Dupree, who popped up on the injury report with an illness and is now questionable. On the bright side, outside linebacker Rashad Weaver will play after sitting out last week.
The biggest question mark on defense is Jeffery Simmons, who didn’t practice all week and is listed as questionable. Simmons followed the same path last week before suiting up and playing at a very high level, though.
With how poorly the offense has played this season, the Titans are going to need a big effort from their defense to keep the score low and within reach.
Not having Hooker will make that more difficult, and if Dupree and/or Simmons sit as well, this defense is going to have an even tougher time.
Concern: Chiefs' run defense
After finishing in the bottom half of the league in terms of run defense last season, the Chiefs have greatly improved in that area this year, ranking No. 3 in the NFL.
We reached out to Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman for our “Behind Enemy Lines” segment this week and asked him what the biggest reason is for the improvement.
“Defensive line coach Joe Cullen,” Goldman answered. “He’s been a big-time difference-maker when it comes to the defensive line’s play in both the run game and the passing game. Veteran guys like Chris Jones and Frank Clark have been raving about him and the young guys have taken to him and his coaching style as well. He really seems to coach them in a way that is bringing out the best in that group.”
It goes without being said that the Titans desperately need to get things going on the ground with how bad their passing attack has been — and that’s especially true if Ryan Tannehill plays hurt or Malik Willis starts.
Optimism: Derrick Henry
While the Chiefs’ success against the run is a major concern, this is Derrick Henry we’re talking about here. As long as Henry is on the field, the Titans have a good chance to have success, stacked boxes or not.
In three games since 2019 (including playoffs), Henry is averaging 114.3 rushing yards per game against the Chiefs, but that number is a bit inflated after he dropped 188 yards on KC in Week 10 of 2019. In the other two contests, Henry has tallied 69 and 86 yards, respectively.
But Henry has been arguably the hottest running back in the NFL with four straight 100-yard performances, including a 219-yard showing in Week 8 against a far inferior run defense in the Houston Texans’.
The Titans are going to need a blow-up game from Henry against one of the best run defenses in the NFL. The good news is the Chiefs won’t have Frank Clark, which will be at least somewhat of a blow to their run defense.
Concern: Ryan Tannehill's injury
Tannehill has been battling an ankle injury the past two weeks, which forced him to miss Week 8 and has him as a game-time decision in Week 9. So, the Titans are staring down the barrel of having Tannehill play hurt or starting Malik Willis in his place.
The problem with Tannehill playing hurt is that his mobility will be limited, which means he’ll be a sitting duck if Tennessee’s offensive line has a bad day, which is very possible any given week.
On the flip side, Willis showed he wasn’t ready last week, and that doesn’t figure to get any better against the Chiefs in front of a raucous crowd in Arrowhead on a national stage.
But the Titans may have no choice. At least a healthy Willis will have a better shot to escape the pocket and make plays if things go south. Tannehill won’t have that luxury if he suits up.
Whatever the case may be, the Titans’ struggling passing attack doesn’t figure to get any better in either scenario, further stacking the deck.
Optimism: Titans rising to the occasion
Mike Vrabel-led Titans teams have a knack for winning games when nobody expects them to. The Chiefs have found that out a few teams since 2019.
That said, this isn’t the same Titans team we saw in 2019, 2020, and even 2021. This group has far more issues to overcome overall, something we’ve seen time and time again this season.
Do the Titans have another one of those upset wins in them for this week? Only time will tell, but at this point even playing a close game against the Chiefs would amount to a minor victory for this banged-up group.
