Tyreek Hill adds duty but can’t help Chiefs to victory

The last time the Chiefs played the Tennessee Titans, Tyreek Hill was a blur, but only briefly. That changed in Saturday’s AFC Wild Card playoff game. But the result didn’t.

The Chiefs used Hill as the primary kick returner in the first half, a position he didn’t play this season, in addition to his wide receiver duties.

With kick returners Akeem Hunt and De’Anthony Thomas out because of injuries, Hill looked to give the Chiefs an early spark when the opening kick came his way. But his 17-yard return was his only attempt of the game.

Hill was Alex Smith’s favorite target, with seven receptions for 87 yards, including a long of 45.

But it wasn’t enough as the Chiefs’ fell to the Titans 22-21 at Arrowhead Stadium.

Much was made of the Chiefs not getting the ball to NFL rushing leader Kareem Hunt, who finished with 11 rushing attempts.

But the same could be said for Hill, who was a Pro Bowl selection as a return special and an alternate at wide receiver.

In the second half, Hill caught two passes for 3 yards.

In the Chiefs’ eerily similar regular-season loss to the Titans in December 2016, Hill had a 68-yard rushing touchdown and didn’t touch the ball again on offense.

He had more attempts on Saturday — Hill was targeted 11 times, including a deep ball along the sideline on the game’s first offensive snap — but it ultimately didn’t pay off.

Hill also had a couple of drops.

The Chiefs’ offense also was impacted by the loss of tight end Travis Kelce, who suffered a concussion late in the second half. That allowed the Titans, especially cornerback Adoree Jackson, to tighten their coverage on Hill.

This story was originally published January 6, 2018 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Tyreek Hill adds duty but can’t help Chiefs to victory."