KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WKRN) – The Tennessee Titans are a win away from becoming the third team of the Super Bowl era to beat the top 3 seeds on their way to the title game.
The Packers and Steelers did it before and went on to win the whole thing. The Titans have already beaten #3 seed New England and #1 Baltimore and now it is on to #2 Kansas City Sunday.
How do they do it? Ride the horse that brought them. That means run the ball (Derrick Henry), play defense, own the red zone, do not turn over and run the ball.
Yes, I know I said the last one twice.
Yes, the change to Ryan Tannehill was huge but the commitment to the run is where this Titan turnaround started. Up 10 or down 10 it does not matter, run the darn ball.
The Titans have faced two top-five defenses in New England and Baltimore, they have tried 7 in the box, 8 in the box and probably even Jack in the Box, but none of it has mattered.
“Well, I think the guys try to finish, I think they’re playing with a lot of confidence,” said head coach Mike Vrabel, “I think our receivers are willing to go in there and get that extra player. There’s different ways to run the football against the post-safety defense. So, we’ll continue to try to do that. We’ll continue to try to stay balanced, to try to throw the football. I think everybody’s buying in that it takes all 11 to run the football.”
So the Kansas City Chiefs no what is coming. They know a 240-pound freight train is barreling down the tracks and at least Frank Clark sounds unconcerned.
We have seen it all the last two months and heard it all and it has all ended the same, with King Henry ruling the domain with his five horses leading the way.
The Chiefs are rolling, winners of 7 straight games after hanging 51 on Houston. Smart guys like me say the Titans have to throw it more than 14-16 times to win against Patrick Mahomes. Um, I was wrong before and I am probably wrong again.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill sounds prepared to handoff a lot again, “Coach (Mike) Vrabel’s message was, ‘Why change now,’ and that’s kind of been our mentality is, ‘Hey, just do what we’ve been doing to get ourselves here, whether that’s preparation, or getting your body right.’ Whatever it may be, just keep consistent and stay on the path that we’ve been on.”
The 2019 Tennessee Titans have a destiny and it is far as Derrick Henry will take them.