Chiefs’ keys vs. Titans in AFC Championship Game? The mission is simple: stop Henry
The Kansas City Chiefs make their second straight appearance in the AFC Championship Game Sunday, playing host to the Tennessee Titans (9-7) Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs, 13-4 after last weekend’s win over the Houston Texans in the AFC Divisional Round of these NFL playoffs, hold a 29-24 edge in the all-time series between these teams, including the postseason. But this is far from an easy matchup for them.
Tennessee, 11-7 following wins over New England and Baltimore, has won seven of 11, including four in a row, against the Chiefs. The Titans’ most recent victory occurred in Week 10 — a wild 35-32 affair at Nashville.
Thus, one of the more perplexing storylines entering Sunday’s showdown, with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, falls squarely on Chiefs coach Andy Reid’s inability to beat the Titans.
Reid, one of eight coaches in NFL history to win 200 or more career games, is a head-scratching 1-8 against the Titans. That counts his time spent with the Philadelphia Eagles and now the Chiefs. His lone win occurred during his first season as the Chiefs’ head coach in 2013.
The Chiefs are heavily favored Sunday, but the Titans have embraced the underdog role during these playoffs, with road wins over the Patriots and Ravens.
Simply put, this is a game the Chiefs can’t overlook given both their history and the opponent’s hot streak.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs as they look to advance to Super Bowl LIV.
Oh, Henry
Titans running back Derrick Henry has been a repeated thorn in the Chiefs’ side, and he reminded Kansas City in Week 10 just how dangerous he can be with 188 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.
Kansas City now plays host to the hottest running back on the planet. The 6-foot-3, 247-pound Henry finished the regular season leading the league in rushing (1,540 yards). He gashed the Patriots for 182 yards and Ravens for 195.
The Chiefs’ defense is vastly improved Since Week 10, but the Patriots and Ravens were pretty good, too, and each failed miserably against Henry. He just got stronger as each game progressed.
He’s the catalyst of the Titans’ offense. Holding a second-half lead in Week 10, the Chiefs knew Henry was coming at them and couldn’t stop him. Of Henry’s 188 yards on the ground that day, 140 came in the second half. With two touchdowns. On just 14 carries.
In order to reach their first Super Bowl in 50 years, the Chiefs must rise to the occasion and not let Henry beat them. Easier said than done, of course.
Don’t forget Tannehill
While Henry rightfully commands the spotlight, the Chiefs can’t ignore Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
Since taking over as full-time starter following Week 6, Tannehill has led the Titans to a 7-3 record to close out the regular season and begin the postseason.
He’s far from flashy, evidenced by a combined 160 yards passing in two playoff games. But Tannehill picks his spots to find open receivers when defenses key on Henry.
He has three touchdown passes in the postseason, including a gorgeous 45-yard connection to wide receiver Kalif Raymond on a play-action pass against Baltimore. The Ravens had eight defenders in the box: Tannehill faked the handoff to Henry, and then found Raymond wide-open down the middle of the field.
Tannehill has also rushed for a touchdown in these playoffs, so the Chiefs can’t allow the former college wide receiver to run free like he did in Week 10, when he gained 37 yards on 10 carries.
The Chiefs must also pay attention to rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown, who finished the regular season with 52 catches for 1,051 yards and eight touchdowns.
Special teams gotta be special
A botched snap during an attempted field goal and a later blocked kick doomed the Chiefs in Week 10 against the Titans. The Chiefs are also coming off a game in which Dustin Colquitt had a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown.
Colquitt and kicker Harrison Butker are among the NFL’s best at their respective positions for a reason, and they’ll need to be at their best against the stingy Titans. The Chiefs are well-coached on special teams by Dave Toub, so mistakes should be few on Sunday.
The Chiefs also have a quality weapon in rookie All-Pro returner Mecole Hardman, who closed out the regular season with a 104-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and followed that up with a 58-yard return last week against Houston.
Foot on the gas
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ first game back from a dislocated right kneecap came against the Titans in Week 10, and he’s fully healthy now.
He reminded everyone why he was the NFL’s MVP in 2018 last week, leading an incredible 51-31 comeback victory against the Texans.
Should the Chiefs jump out to a lead Sunday, the offense can’t get complacent. They should look to score on virtually every possession, like they did on seven straight against Houston.
The Titans are a physical team. They aim to impose their will on opponents with a healthy dose of Henry. The Chiefs’ best hope of removing Henry from the equation is to make the Titans face a deficit of two or more touchdown. The way to do that is to open the playbook for touchdowns, not field goals.
That task falls on the supremely talented Mahomes and his numerous weapons, including running back Damien Williams, receiver
Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce.
This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
