Intriguing Game– NFL, Week Seven
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans
Chiefs: I don’t have that confidence in them as I did say two years ago. I could even say last year, but there were some moments last season when they struggled to put teams away. In other words, they would let teams hang around until the very end. The main issue I have with their offense is they have no identity if we’re being realistic. What I’m saying is they’ve been so dependent on the passing attack that when they don’t have that going for them, they can’t lean on the other aspect of their offense which is running the football. They aren’t methodical in any sense of the game meaning they don’t play small ball because they want those big plays over the top of the defense. On Sunday against the Washington Football Team, I still wasn’t happy with what I saw. I understand they won by 18, but I noticed the offense still being careless with the football. They turned the football over three times, and it baffled me that the Football Team couldn’t capitalize on that. Now to the other side of the ball. The defense is still the weak point of this team. I get they only allowed 13 points on Sunday, but I feel that’s more of Washington shooting themselves in the foot more so than the Chiefs turning the page defensively. They’ll continue their road trip on Sunday with a trip to Nashville.
Titans: I was concerned about them early on. The Arizona Cardinals punched them in the mouth in week one and just a few weeks ago, they were stunned by the New York Jets. Since then, they’re on a two-game winning streak. I think at this point, we all expect Derrick Henry to be great. Then when you watch him, you just say to yourself, wow, he’s simply incredible. He’s by far the best offensive player in this game that’s not a quarterback. Everyone has been talking about Kyler Murray and Lamar Jackson as MVP candidates and all which is rightfully worth discussing. Derrick deserves a seat at the table as well. He carries this entire offense. The one issue I have with the Tennessee Titans is figuring out if they’re a contender or pretender. I must admit, I didn’t give them much of a shot on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills because I don’t trust their defense. I’ve ranted for the last year and a half about their lack of a pass rush and their secondary. I see them missing tackles in open space and the quarterback just having his way in the pocket. On Monday night, the defense showed a few flashes here and there and they ultimately ended up closing out the game with a stop of Josh Allen. They’re the only team in the AFC South with a winning record at 4-2. They’re back home on Sunday against a team they know too well.
Chiefs X-Factor: Darrel Williams– I think he’s a better fit for their offense than Clyde Edwards-Helaire is. Darrel is a downhill runner. When you continue to feed him the ball, he becomes stronger as the game goes on. I feel this would be a good opportunity to show they can run the football, especially against a team who does struggle to stop the run. I would throw the Titans off by establishing a ground game early on.
Titans X-Factor: Harold Landry– He’s been a machine getting after the quarterback this year. Harold leads the Titans with 6.5 sacks on the year so far. By far, he’s the Titans best defensive player. I saw him get after Josh Allen on Monday night and he along with the rest of the Titans defense will have their hands full trying to limit and contain Mahomes.
Final Thoughts: These two know each other well. They’ve met in the playoffs a few times. When they last met, it was for a trip to the Super Bowl and the Chiefs ended up beating them to win the AFC. I’m still trying to see who both of these teams are. The Chiefs must get off to a fast start in this one. Starting from behind won’t always work in your favor because teams will keep you down. Mahomes also must play smarter and take better care of the ball which is obvious. He’s been too sloppy for my liking as of late. The Titans on the other side will stick to their identity and continue to run Derrick Henry. The Chiefs can’t stop the run. I also expect points to be scored in this one. I don’t trust either of these defenses. Expect a track meet between these two. The Chiefs are expected to get Chris Jones and Charvarius Ward back. Two key pieces of their defense.
Prediction: Chiefs 37, Titans 27
