The Chiefs loss to the Titans in Week 10 should aide them when preparing for the AFC Championship Game. A cautionary tale.
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs played the Tennessee Titans, during Week 10 this season, they came out with a 35-32 defeat. That was also the last time the Chiefs lost.
In a continuation of what many have dubbed Kansas City’s “Revenge Tour,” the Chiefs line up to face a second consecutive team in these playoffs against whom they’ve already lost this season. This time, the game will decide the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl.
Without a doubt, the entire Chiefs organization will use the film from that game as preparation and motivation for what amounts to the biggest game ever hosted at Arrowhead Stadium.
As the team looks forward to the challenge that is the Tennessee Titans, what can the players and coaching staff take away from the first game to help this time around?
When Special Teams are In Play…
The 2019 season has not been Dave Toub’s best look. The Chiefs special teams coach has seen a significant regression relative to 2018; and it’s no coincidence that we did not hear his name mentioned in this year’s head coaching carousel as we have in year’s past. From muffed kicks/punts to blocked field goals and punts, nearly every game has featured some sort of special teams miscue.
But that does not mean they have not also had their share of big plays. Special teams play provided several sparks on Sunday, from a huge kick return by Mecole Hardman to a well-read fake punt to forcing a fumble on a kickoff return.
It may be too much to ask to see a perfect game from the special teams, but there are three things the Chiefs must learn from the Week 10 game against Tennessee:
First, for whatever reason, they are susceptible to blocked kicks this season. The punt and field goal units have both given up blocked kicks, and Tennessee is adept at capitalizing on this weakness. They literally ended the last matchup with a blocked kick. Toub has got to change up blocking schemes this week relative to Week 10 (and last week) to avoid giving Tennessee a spark. Mistakes like that cost teams trips to Super Bowls.
Second, the Chiefs should be aggressive when Tennessee is kicking the ball. Go after them. Not only is the offensive line a struggle in pass/kick protection for the Titans, but their kicker has also not attempted a field goal this entire season. They have the worst kicking team in the entire league, and the Chiefs should try to take advantage.
Third, do not be afraid to make mistakes. Kansas City can overcome mistakes if they must. The team should not be afraid to make a mistake, as that caution takes out their biggest advantages: speed and big play ability.
When Kansas City Has the Ball…
Kansas City should have learned from the Week 10 game that despite being a solid group, Tennessee’s defense cannot stop a Chiefs offense running at 75% or greater proficiency. In the first matchup, Tennessee had no answer for Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce and additionally got burned on a huge play by rookie Mecole Hardman. Even Demarcus Robinson had 4 catches for 56 yards against the Titans.
The part no Tennessee fan wants to admit: Kansas City was far from full strength when the two tangoed on November 10th. Patrick Mahomes was in his first game back from a terrifying knee injury, and the offensive line was a patchwork missing both left tackle Eric Fisher and right guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. Despite these three deficiencies, Kansas City still had every opportunity to win the game, save for two lost field goal opportunities late in the game.
So, what should the Chiefs take from the first Titans game when they have the ball:
First, they should be confident that they are better than Tennessee’s defense. If they play their game, they should roll.
Second, the Chiefs will not have enough opportunities with the ball to score 51 points in just a shade over two quarters. Tennessee will work hard to shorten the game by pounding the rock. The Chiefs must capitalize on as many possessions as possible. If they get to the 30s again, they should roll.
Third, Tennessee is not fast enough to keep up with the speed of the Chiefs offense. Tyreek Hill was barely a factor against Houston, but he should be an integral part of the game plan. Hardman should be on the field significnatly more than the 11 snaps he saw last week. The Chiefs should continue to use Damien Williams out of the backfield. The Chiefs built the fastest offense in football for games like this one, and they should exploit it at every turn.
When Tennessee Has the Ball…
The Chiefs allowed a staggering 225 yards on the ground in the Week 10 battle, including 188 yards to Titans star running back Derrick Henry. Kansas City had one of the worst run defenses in the league over the course of the season (26th overall), but has been substantially improved since the Titans’ game, allowing only 95 yards per game from Week 11 on. That trend transcends the run defense. Every aspect of Kansas City’s defense has been better since that showdown, and they have been one of the top five defenses in all of football in that same stint.
The Chiefs must take several lessons from that game in order to punch their tickets for Miami and Super Bowl 54:
First, the team cannot regress to its 2018 or even 2019 Weeks 1-10 ways. The Titans offense is good enough to beat mediocre and bad defenses and no one in K.C. wants to see another shootout. The team must stay hungry for strong tackling, which has been a hallmark of the turnaround. They must also stay aggressive in terms of both their run and pass blitzes.
Second, do not fall for the narrative that Ryan Tannehill does not matter. Too many people in the media have been speculating that all the Chiefs need to do is stop Derrick Henry to win the game. Obviously, stopping the best running back in football, who has had the best three-game stretch in NFL history, is an incredibly important step to winning this game. However Tannehill is a good quarterback capable of making big plays and winning the game for his team.
It is easy to forget just how good Tannehill been since taking over for Marcus Mariota this season. After all, he hasn’t thrown for 100 yards in either of the team’s first two playoff games. But Tannehill has made some great throws, and in more games than not, he has been a fundamental reason why the team has been successful.
Third, while you cannot eliminate Henry’s effectiveness, you can neutralize his affect on the game by not allowing the play action to beat you. Kansas City’s secondary must be on top of its game for 60 full minutes. Steve Spagnuolo will have to engage more than four men at the line of scrimmage as he’s done most of the season. To do so, he has to trust the corners on the outside. Charvarius Ward and Bashaud Breeland are the most important components of the Chiefs defense on Sunday.