The Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs will face off in Week 16 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Titans face a Chiefs team that will not only miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade, but with Patrick Mahomes out for the season with a torn ACL, they will be without a cornerstone of their offense. Both scenarios make this game more interesting than when Mahomes is on the field, as the Chiefs haven’t faced this much adversity in a while. How will they respond?
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We won’t know the answer until Sunday, but the Titans don’t have time to wait and see what they do. They must come up with a game plan before the game that focuses on attacking the Chiefs’ weaknesses. This game isn’t out of reach for the Titans, with analysts and experts predicting the Titans will win this week.
If the Titans are going to walk off the field with a win, it won’t be because of one great play or one individual performance. This requires layered execution, discipline, and planning for team members yes rather than who it wishes to be.
Here are six things Tennessee must do to secure a win in Week 16.
protect the quarterback
Everything on Tennessee’s offense starts with a functional pocket for Cam Ward to operate. When the offensive line protects the quarterback, he is able to play with more freedom and confidence. Rather than a drive-to-drive approach, the timing routes evolve and the script opens up. They don’t have to be perfect, but they do have to limit disastrous plays like strip sacks, hurried reads and panicked throws. If the Titans can keep the quarterback hitting, the offense will find a rhythm, and when that happens, Cam Ward can be magical.
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Create a field entity
The Titans don’t need Tony Pollard and Taj Spears to get all the offensive yards, but they do need to establish the ground game to control the clock. When they run with purpose, opposing safeties will slowly drop, linebackers will hesitate, and the offense will be more balanced. Three- and four-yard passes are important because they make the chains manageable, and the Titans are at their best when they force defenses to respect the run rather than making them give up the run. With Pollard’s recent return, creating that balance has helped the Titans offense over the past few weeks. They must continue to do so on Sunday.
Win the early lows
The Titans have a 30% success rate on third downs, but as their record shows, they can’t always live in third down and eighth down situations. Staying ahead of the curve is the difference between controlling the pace and constantly reacting. Aggressive plays on first and second downs created third downs and short, controllable situations that kept the Titans unpredictable. They can get into the game action and take calculated shots to sustain the drive. By contrast, a sluggish early negative performance can lead to offensive stagnation, defensive fatigue and momentum swings that the Titans can’t overcome.
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Eliminate explosiveness on defense
The Titans defense couldn’t survive a defensive breakdown against the Chiefs. They have to force the Chiefs to work all over the field and eliminate explosive plays that lead to touchdowns. Discipline must be maintained in secondary schools. Just because Patrick Mahomes isn’t throwing the ball doesn’t mean they can relax. Clean, clear communication and processing is a must at touchpoints. When the Titans stop big blocks, the pass rush gets more opportunities, which puts extra pressure on Gardner Minshew.
Win the situational battle
red area. The third time he fell. Two minutes of stretching. These are the key points where the game turns. Tennessee doesn’t have to dominate in every aspect, but they need to be sharper than the Chiefs in these moments. Convert red zone trips into touchdowns, run defensively off the field on third down, and run the clock with purpose. Good teams survive. The winning team takes them and it’s a huge opportunity for the Titans.
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play free football
When the Titans work together and support each other in all three phases, they win games. The offense’s continued push, the defense’s creation of blocks and help field position and the special teams’ closing game will tilt the momentum in the Titans’ favor. When Tennessee plays conference football, they look like a team that can beat just about any opponent. But when they don’t, they quickly collapse. If they want to beat the Chiefs on Sunday, they will have to play confident, complementary football.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 6 keys to victory in Week 16