Chiefs vs. Titans: Ryan Tannehill’s quiet productivity and other storylines

The Kansas City Chiefs schedule continues Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. What are the major storylines heading into the game?

Oftentimes, when you reflect back on championship teams, there tends to be one or two defining moments or wins during their championship season. These moments are usually those in which backs were against the wall, but in spite of that, the team showed a unique will and focus to get the job done. These wins are important because, down the road, when these player’s backs are again inevitably against the wall, they can find great confidence in having overcome these past obstacles.

I think we just witnessed one of these moments in the Kansas City Chiefs victory over the Minnesota Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. In a stadium unusually lacking the dominant red and gold, the red in this case replaced with purple, this Chiefs team found something within themselves that allowed them to overcome the odds and defeat a team that has a pretty good chance of playing into February.

The Chiefs defense was absolutely dominant when the team needed them the most, forcing a dynamic Vikings offense to punt the ball eight times during the game. They forced the Vikings to punt on four of their final five possessions, with two of those critical defensive stands coming at the end of the game when it mattered most.

The offense responded in kind. With three seconds left, reliable kicker Harrison Butker delivered what seemed like one of the biggest wins in quite some time for a beleaguered roster. What should frighten every opponent who saw this play out is that the Chiefs are now set to get back the reigning MVP and the NFL’s best player. It also looks like he finally has a defense for the first time in both his professional and collegiate career.

Week 9 was one of those wins that makes you proud to be a Chiefs fan. There’s still a lot of work to be done if this team is going to accomplish their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl. Yet, this win should give all in the Kingdom confidence that this team, with a healthy Patrick Mahomes, can achieve that very goal.

While the opponent on Saturday doesn’t have the success of most of the teams the Chiefs have faced this season, no one in the NFL should be overlooked. Any given Sunday, a team full of former college all-stars can put together a performance to beat even the most talented teams. You can be sure Reid and company won’t be taking this Titans team lightly. With that said, what are the story lines to know heading into this contest?

Derrick Henry is on pace for a career year

Derrick Henry is one of the most physically imposing running backs in the entire league. Imagine trying to tackle a 6’3″ 247-pound man who runs a 4.5 second time in the 40-yard dash and has enough explosion to propel his hulking figure over three feet vertically and over 10 feet horizontally from a stationary position. Let’s just say I’m glad it’s not me out there trying to tackle him on Sundays.

Henry has had a slow start to his career, not completely atypical of Alabama running backs due to their traditionally high usage over several years in college. However, last season he turned a corner rushing for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career with an impressive 4.9 yards per carry and 12 touchdowns in only 12 starts. This season he’s on pace to set personal bests in carries, rushing yards, receptions, and receiving yards. He’s not as dynamic as some of the other running backs the Chiefs have faced, but he’s no slouch.

In fact, some Chiefs fans may remember the last time the defense faced Henry and how things went rather poorly. In 2017, the Chiefs fell at home in the playoffs to the Titans after leading 21-3 at half. There were several reasons for this loss, including losing Travis Kelce to injury, but one of the biggest reasons was Henry had a breakout game. He ran for 156 yards on only 23 carries, an average of 6.8 yards per carry.

The Chiefs defense has turned a corner the last three games, but it would be easy enough to overlook the Titans. Henry is not a player that should be overlooked.