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Five reasons Kansas City Chiefs will beat Titans in AFC Championship

By Chris Clark

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs the ball for a touchdown and stiff arms Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Chiefs 35-32. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs runs the ball for a touchdown and stiff arms Kevin Byard #31 of the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans defeated the Chiefs 35-32. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /
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Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

Limiting Derrick Henry

It’s no secret that Derrick Henry has unleashed his fury on much of the NFL this season. With 1,540 rushing yards, Henry led the league in rushing. Incredibly, he has seemed to only gain steam as the season has progressed.

The 6’3″, 247 pound back set a playoff record by becoming the only player to rush for at least 180 yards in two separate games in the same postseason. When most players are getting worn down, Henry seems to find another gear.

In the game against Kansas City earlier in the season, Henry rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Interestingly, when facing the same opponent twice this season, Henry did not rush for over 100 yards for both games.

In three games against the Colts, Jaguars, and Texans he ran for over 100 yards and in three games against those same teams he ran for under 100 yards. All three games over 100 yards resulted in wins and all three games under 100 yards resulted in losses.

Could this trend continue in the game against Kansas City? Fortunately, the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, seems to have turned this defense around. He’s a bright defensive mind that he’ll find a way to stop Henry and not allow what happened in Week 10 to happen again. The Chiefs defense must limit Henry, which will then put the pressure on Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill has certainly had a resurgence in his career in Tennessee since stealing the starting job from Marcus Mariota in Week 6. While he’s been proficient this season, he’s largely been the beneficiary of the league’s top running back.

In playoff games against the Patriots and Ravens, he has only passed for 72 yards and 88 yards, respectively. If the Chiefs offense can jump out to an early lead and keep their foot on the gas, it’ll likely keep the ball out of Henry’s hands and put the pressure on Tannehill, a quarterback that hasn’t been seriously tested this postseason.

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