Locked on Chiefs – Stopping the Titans smash-mouth running game

The Chief’s face a difficult test Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

While the Titans third-ranked rushing offense has been well publicized, that is not the entire story. DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry earned their reputation as a formidable rushing duo, averaging 144.5 yards rushing per game. The Titans average an impressive 4.7 yards per carry this season as a team.
 

Playing without Derrick Johnson for the first time this season will be difficult to overcome against such and efficient rushing attack. Ramik Wilson will have to step up his game in Johnson’s absence. To this point, no roster move has been made to put Derrick Johnson on IR. When that does occur, the likely corresponding move will be to promote a player from the practice squad. Although, that player may not necessarily be a linebacker.

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Although he is injured, Johnson has no plans to retire. In fact, it seems he will stay engaged with this team throughout the rest of the season. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton said Thursday that he sees his role as player-coach a benefit for the young linebackers who will have to play.

Sutton described it as “Once he gets settled down and gets squared away, I mean during the week talking to them about, ‘Hey, these formations equal this. Hey, this is what you’ve got to be ready for.’ Let them hear it from a different voice, see it through his eyes. Like I’ve said, he’s broken a lot of huddles throughout his day, and so, I think he can kind of have that calming effect by saying, ‘Hey, you can do this, this is how you play that and go like that.’ That’s kind of how I envision it. I think he wants to stay part of this.”

On the Flipside

The Titans rushing defense should not be overlooked. They also rank 3rd in the league in stopping the run. For the year, they allow an average of just 86.6 yards rushing per game. The Chiefs running attack could struggle against this unit. However, there should be plenty of opportunities for Alex Smith and Tyreek Hill in the passing game.

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Locked on Chiefs is a daily podcast show that drills down to the bottom line and gives you a 360-degree view of the Kansas City Chiefs.  Take a few minutes to hear about your Chiefs each day. We want to cover the topics you want to hear about. So reach out to us on twitter @LockedOnChiefs with questions and for up to the minute analysis and episode information.

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