The Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs face off at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CST.
It will be the 57th meeting between the Titans and Chiefs, and while the Chiefs own the historical record, the Titans have won three of the last five games and six of the last 10. In the absence of Patrick Mahomes, Gardner Minshew will take up the helm for a Chiefs team that will miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade this year.
The Titans have a rare opportunity and a real chance to make a statement, but there are three issues that could turn this into a grind instead of a win. Let’s take a look at three causes for concern in the Titans and Chiefs Week 16 matchup.
Thin defensive depth
The Titans’ injuries have not been kind. With starters and rotational pieces banged up in the defensive backfield, Tennessee risks giving up chunk plays and late-game breakdowns. The Chiefs, even when their offense is in transition, still have the weapons who can punish blown coverages. When you’re short on interchangeable, reliable defenders, the margin for error drops to zero. One missed assignment or a poor tackling sequence can become a scoring drive. The Titans must simplify coverage calls, avoid gambling on aggressive looks, and rely on assignment-sound football to limit explosive plays.
Offensive line inconsistency threatens the run and the clock
Whether the Titans lean on the run or try to keep the Chiefs’ offense off the field, offensive line play will decide the tempo. When protection breaks down, down-and-long situations pile up. That kills drives and hands the ball back to an opponent who can score quickly. If Tennessee’s line can’t sustain blocks at the second level, the running game will stall and third-down conversion rates will plummet. This is what we have seen all season, but if the line can hold and get Tony Pollard running lanes, the Titans will be able to sustain drives and keep the Chiefs’ offense off the field.
Special Teams: Field Position Battles Could Be Decisive
Special teams no longer sit in the background — they carve out field position and can flip momentum in a game like this. For Tennessee and Kansas City, the numbers tell two different stories heading into their matchup.
The Titans’ punt return unit has been surprisingly efficient, with 19 returns for 360 yards this season. That puts them near the top of the league in punt return production. On kicks, the Titans are average, returning 58 kicks for 1,494 yards. Those stats are meaningless, though, unless you know where those sets start and where coverage units finish. In recent weeks, the Titans have allowed returns that flip field position, and those hidden yards add up.
The Chiefs’ punt and kick returns are a bit simpler. They’ve returned seven punts for 114 yards and 59 kicks for 1,556 yards, both of which are average. This showcases a steady unit with decent production, but has an unspectacular profile.
The biggest key here, though, as indicated above, is not just the averages. Special teams can provide opportunity and momentum. A Titans’ return that gets them past idfield consistenty forces the Chiefs into long field on offense, and vice versa. Neither unit has dominated this season, which suggests that field position swings could shape play-calling and clock management, especially early in the game.
In a tight matchup where offensive efficiency may lag, special teams could be the invisible tiltmeter. A long return, a miscue in coverage, or a pin deep inside the 10-yard line could tilt possessions and, ultimately, the scoreboard.