The Tennessee Titans (5-2) are only one day away from their Sunday night showdown against the Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) inside GEHA Field at Arrowhead stadium.
Despite both teams entering this game with mirroring records, there aren’t many people outside of the Titans’ fanbase giving Tennessee much of a chance in this one.
Truthfully, many of their own fans are rightfully skeptical about this one as well.
We expected the Chiefs were going to be heavy favorites to begin with, but the uncertainty surrounding the Titans’ starting quarterback certainly isn’t doing them any favors, either.
Tipico Sportsbook currently has Tennessee as 12-point underdogs on the road, a spread that is actually lower than the 12.5 it started out as.
This is expected to be the Titans’ biggest test throughout their entire winning streak.
A win on Sunday night will undoubtedly shift Tennessee’s entire narrative as to what they can or cannot accomplish this season, while also giving them sole possession of the No. 2 seed and the head-to-head tie-breaker over Kansas City.
Having said all that, let’s see how our entire staff thinks Sunday’s primetime matchup will end.
Shaun Calderon
The Titans are entering one of their toughest games of the season facing a ton of adversity. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be shocked if Tennessee ends up dropping this one.
However, I think this elite Titans defense makes a statement on a national stage, while the Derrick Henry-led offense does just enough to leave Kansas City with a sixth straight victory.
Final score: Titans 19, Chiefs 17
Ryan Sikes
This game could be ugly, especially if Malik Willis ends up starting in consecutive weeks. With just one pass thrown in the second half last week, it was the Derrick Henry show.
However, the Chiefs have vengeance on their minds after last year’s drubbing in Nashville. I’m not as confident that happens in Kansas City this time around.
Again, this is largely predicated on who is under center. If Tannehill returns, his mobility could certainly hinder the ability to pick up first downs with his feet, but the passing should largely improve. That said, I don’t see this being particularly close, as the Titans’ five-game win streak comes to an end.
Final score: Chiefs 38, Titans 17
Michael Moraitis
No matter who is under center, whether it be a banged-up Ryan Tannehill or an inexperienced and unready Malik Willis, the Titans must get a great performance from Derrick Henry in this one.
Willis isn’t going to throw the Titans to a win, and Tannehill will likely be a sitting duck with limited mobility thanks to his ankle, which will present a major issue if Tennessee’s inconsistent offensive line has a bad day.
The bad news for the Titans and Henry is that the Chiefs sport the No. 3 run defense in the NFL, and this unit has had success in limiting Henry before, even when the run defense wasn’t so highly ranked.
The Titans’ defense must be damn-near perfect to overcome what is likely to be another lackluster showing from the offense. We saw it in 2021, but expecting back-to-back performances like that is expecting too much.
The Titans’ defense keeps this one close, but ultimately the team’s offensive ineptitude is too much to overcome and Tennessee’s five-game winning streak ends in Arrowhead on Sunday.
Final score: Chiefs 24, Titans 17
Tyler Rowland
The Titans have won many a game in recent years against teams no one thought they would beat, with Kansas City being at the top of that list.
The Titans’ defense always lives up to the task, creates turnovers and gets red-zone stops, and the offense creates a few explosive plays and holds the ball with Henry.
The only issue is, there are no more explosive plays in this offense. Derrick Henry does his best, but the Titans still have zero replacement for [REDACTED], who went for 8 catches and 133 yards in last year’s meeting.
I fear this putrid offense will spoil a good day by the defense and this version of the Titans without their best player, isn’t good enough to knock off Goliath the way previous iterations of the Titans have.
Final score: Chiefs 24, Titans 13
