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

My Prediction – Chiefs 35, Titans 21

Objectively speaking, the Chiefs are a far superior team to the Titans in virtually every facet of the game. They have a better all-around coach with far more experience in Andy Reid than the Titans do in Mike Vrabel. The two quarterbacks in this game aren’t even playing the same game, as a healthy Patrick Mahomes will give you MVP-caliber performances nearly every week.

You might think to yourself that the Titans defense is what could give them the edge in this game. Ironically, according to advanced statistics, the Chiefs have a better defense than they do. Believe it or not, according to Football Outsiders, the Chiefs have the 11th best defense in the league and the Titans have the 12th best defense.

The big factor here is strength of schedule, and it’s why the Titans shouldn’t even be able to make this a close game. Through nine games the Titans have only played two playoff teams from last year and are 1-1 in those contests, beating what has looked like a hapless L.A. Chargers team until the last week or so. Some of their worst losses include a 13-point defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a 16-point loss to the Denver Broncos, and a 10-point defeat to the Carolina Panthers. They haven’t faced a single team in the top-10 in total DVOA, and have only faced two teams in the top 15.

What this game really comes down to is the level of focus for the Chiefs. If the Chiefs overlook the Titans, the Titans are an NFL team and could conceivably win. I don’t see that happening, as I’m sure the return of Mahomes will inspire the rest of the roster, and the Chiefs will roll to their seventh victory in 10 games.