KC Chiefs vs. Titans: Mostly depressing takeaways from Week 7

Some play calls were maddening

Was there any coach worth his salt on Sunday afternoon for K.C.?

The defensive calls in the first half to start the game had the Chiefs playing right into the game plan of the Titans from the outset with a very predictable approach from Steve Spagnuolo. From there, things only got more confusing for Chiefs Kingdom when watching Andy Reid somehow call for a Darrel Williams run on second-and-long.

Then came the weird second-half decisions to go for field goals when the Chiefs were down by four possessions. Even after Willie Gay intercepted Ryan Tannehill to give the Chiefs the ball back late in the third, the Chiefs used a timeout to then decide to kick a 57-yard field goal after the team’s best drive of the day stalled near the red zone thanks to more penalties (so many penalties). Going for 3 instead of 7 with only a little over a quarter to play? That makes sense, especially when the opposing team has Derrick Henry to put the game away.

The Chiefs can’t get out of their own way

All season long, the Chiefs continue to get in their own way when it comes to making progress with football.

The Chiefs came into the game with 14 giveaways or turnovers, a total that not only led the league but was two more than the next worst team (the Jacksonville Jaguars with 12). The cherry on top of that disgusting sundae is that the team is just as bad at creating turnovers, with only six of them on the season. That gives the Chiefs a -8 in turnover differential through Week 6.

In Week 7, the Chiefs made things even worse with two more turnovers in the first half—a fumble and interception, both by Patrick Mahomes—followed by a last-second fumble by Mecole Hardman. By the time Willie Gay at least provided a takeaway for the Chiefs with an interception of Ryan Tannehill, it was far too late.

And of course, we’ve not even yet talked about the costly penalties on both sides of the ball. Tyreek Hill ran for a first down only to have Mike Remmers called for an illegal use of hands penalty. The Chiefs make a rare third-down stop only to see Rashad Fenton flagged for defensive holding. It’s Frank Clark in the neutral zone and L’Jarius Sneed with pass interference. It’s all just too much for a team that already has zero margin for error.