KC Chiefs vs. Titans: Mostly depressing takeaways from Week 7
By Matt Conner
It wouldn’t surprise us in the least if, at some point, you decided to stop watching the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Given the final deficit of 24 points in the team’s Week 7 loss to the Tennessee Titans, there was very little reason to keep the game on unless you’re a glutton for punishment.
Everyone knew this would be a tough matchup coming into the season since Tennessee always seems to play Andy Reid tough over the years. However after the season started, this game has taken on considerable importance given the way the Chiefs have struggled to beat fellow AFC contenders so far in 2021 and how the Titans have risen up to knock off the Buffalo Bills and now the Chiefs.
What exactly went wrong on Sunday? Everything, if you’re looking on K.C.’s side. The Titans played an excellent game overall and were obviously well-prepared. The Chiefs were outplayed in every facet of the game and came away with very few positive takeaways. That’s why this edition of quick hits is largely depressing. We don’t mean to add to the frustration. It’s just all there is to talk about.
The issues are legion
If you’re looking for the right direction in which to point fingers, the reality is that any will do.
There is no single answer as to why the Chiefs are not performing up to expectations or even approaching them. The issues facing the Chiefs are numerous and they’re found on every level of the organization at this point. There are serious talent issues and personnel decisions that have hurt the Cheifs in myriad ways. For the talent that is on the roster, there have been several instances in which players are obviously not set up to succeed. From missed assignments to communications issues, the coaches need to take a long look in the mirror as well.
Of course, let’s not forget the players themselves whose execution is poor to average most weeks, with only a single half of football in seven full games showing what the Chiefs can do—or at least what they were predicted to do. Other than the second half against WFT, the Chiefs haven’t put together a single well-rounded performance. Even the offense, which is still rated among the league’s best, continues to turn the ball over at alarming rates (more on that later). On defense, missed tackles, mental errors, and stupid penalties are par for the course.
Unfortunately, this team has already had games that they’ve called a “wake-up call” so it’s not as if this loss is any more jarring than the others. If the Chiefs can’t learn a lesson from the Baltimore Ravens or L.A. Chargers or Buffalo Bills, we’re not sure why this would be any different.
K.C.’s defensive momentum deflated quickly
Well, that didn’t take long.
Last week, the Chiefs put up their best defensive effort of the season in an 18-point win over the Washington Football Team. In the victory, the defensive line showed the first real push of the season, and the secondary looked outstanding at times, giving the team some real hope that with further growth from young players and growing confidence overall, the unit could turn the corner as it did back in 2019 during the team’s Super Bowl run.
Instead, it took the opening drive for the Titans to completely rip the heart out of the Chiefs’ defense. Ryan Tannehill completed his first 11 passes and the Titans skated through numerous third-down conversions without any real worries that they would be stopped.