KC Chiefs: Getting to know Tennessee Titans before AFC Championship

After knocking out the Houston Texans in dramatic fashion, the KC Chiefs continue their “revenge tour” by welcoming to Arrowhead the Tennessee Titans to determine who represents the AFC in this season’s Super Bowl.

Way back in Week 10, the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans squared off in Nashville with the home team coming out on top, 35-32. Both teams managed to make the playoffs with Kansas City finishing 12-4 and securing the No. 2 seed while Tennessee grabbed the last ticket to the dance after finishing 9-7. To get to this point, the Titans knocked out the Patriots in Foxborough and then the Ravens in Baltimore.

Now, these two face off again, and the winner faces whoever prevails in the NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers.

I’ve reached out to Colton Pickard of Tenn Truth, FanSided’s local Tennessee site, with some questions about the Titans before the Battle for the Lamar Hunt Trophy. Make sure to check out that site for more coverage on the Titans.

Below is my Q-&-A with Colton.

Given how the Titans started the year–with a 2-4 record and benching Marcus Mariota–how surprised are you that they’ve reached the AFC Championship?

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Colton: I am very surprised that the Titans are going to the AFC Championship. When the Titans were 2-4, I was ready to get Mike Vrabel and everyone else out. I was sold that the Titans were going to get a top-four pick, not be a top-four team in the league in the middle of January.

Tennessee’s won back-to-back road playoff games by effectively running the ball and controlling the clock. Do you see that formula changing at all on Sunday?

Colton: If that formula does change, then the Titans will lose. There’s no doubt that Patrick Mahomes is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and putting the ball in his hand more will be the biggest mistake the Titans make all season. Controlling the clock and limiting the number of opportunities Mahomes and the Chiefs offense has to score will be pivotal to the Titans winning the game.

The Chiefs have a different offensive attack than the Titans’ past two opponents. How will Tennessee handle that?

Colton: I, personally, love the Chiefs offense, it’s hard to stop, and when the offense is rolling, there’s no stopping them. The Titans’ defense personified the “bend don’t break” attitude and game plan last week against the Ravens. Lamar Jackson threw for 365 yards but struggled to put the ball in the end zone. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Patrick Mahomes also throws for 300 yards, but the Titans will have to continue to not break on defense.

Back in Week 10, the Titans knocked off the Chiefs 35-32 in a pretty thrilling match-up. How, if at all, has the team changed since that victory?

Colton: The team has confidence. The Titans were 4-5 going into that game. No one really knew if this team was going to be really good, really bad, or really average. The Titans were still trying to figure everything out with Ryan Tannehill recently taking over as the starting quarterback. Now, after beating the Patriots and the Ravens, I think the Titans know their game and how to win.

What are your thoughts on head coach Mike Vrabel?

Colton: I feel like I have to say he’s doing a good job right now. I wrote an article after the Titans lost to the Broncos 16-0, where I said the Titans should fire everyone. I didn’t think he was ready to be a head coach, but he proved me wrong. I still think a lot of the problems were with the OC and Marcus Mariota since Tannehill took over, the Titans haven’t looked back, but Vrabel does deserve a lot of the credit of keeping everything moving forward.

My first crystal ball question for you: will the Titans keep around Ryan Tannehill beyond this season? And should they?

Colton: At this point, the Titans would look very dumb if they did not bring back Ryan Tannehill. He’s the only reason the Titans aren’t 3-13 or 4-12. I don’t know what Tannehill’s future holds, and he might not be any good after this season, but he at least deserves a chance to prove himself. With that being said, I will say yes; the Titans will bring back Tannehill. I don’t know if it’ll be for one or two years or maybe four, but he will be a Titan when the 2020 regular season comes around.

Harold Landry had a great second season, racking up 9 sacks to lead the Titans in that category. How do you see him performing on Sunday?

Colton: Harold Landry has five tackles and one sack through the two playoff games the Titans have played in. I think in the snaps he gets, he will be a factor in the game. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Chiefs test him early, so he’s going to have to be on his toes from the start. If he can do his job early in the game, then I can see him having another good game.

So far this postseason, the Titans defense has created five turnovers. What’s been the cause of that, and how do they keep that up against the Chiefs?

Colton: I think the turnovers that the Titans have forced have shown just how good the secondary can be. Three of the turnovers the Titans have forced are interceptions. The Titans have played two pretty good quarterbacks in Tom Brady and Lamar Jackson, too, so the secondary is out for blood and will need to continue to turn the ball over against the Chiefs to limit the opportunities Mahomes and the offense has to score.

Derrick Henry‘s a beast, but how much credit does the Titans offensive line deserve for the successful run game?

Colton: No great offense has a bad offensive line. Derrick Henry has been one of the best running backs in the league this year. He earned the rushing title, and it’s well deserved, but without the Titans’ offensive line, he might not have been able to do that. As we all know, the offensive line rarely gets credit for offensive success, but most of the time, they’re the reason an offense is able to succeed. For the most part, Titans offensive linemen have received pretty good grades throughout the season, and I think it has shown with the success of the Titans offense in the playoffs.

And finally, who do you have winning the AFC? And by what score?

Colton: Well, when we first talked, I somehow convinced myself that the Titans would beat the Chiefs. As you know, it played out in the Titans favor, so I am going to double down and say the Titans beat the Chiefs again. It won’t be as high scoring due to the Titans controlling the flow of the game, but I will predict that the Titans will win 27-23.

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There you have it from a Titans’ writer’s point-of-view! Great, insightful stuff. Thanks again to Colton Pickard from Tenn Truth. I mean, I hope he’s wrong about the outcome, but he’s definitely right about this squad turning around their season.

Sunday’s going to be an exciting game.

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