Chiefs Fall Behind Early in Sloppy Start vs. Titans
Week 16 was supposed to be a chance for the Kansas City Chiefs to evaluate their young talent and close out a tough season with some momentum. But in the early going against the Tennessee Titans, it’s been more about missed opportunities, mental mistakes, and a whole lot of backpedaling-literally and figuratively.
Let’s set the scene: Kansas City, sitting at 6-8 and officially out of the playoff picture, rolled into Nashville looking to get a better look at some of their younger pieces. The Titans, at 2-12, are in full rebuild mode themselves, but they were the ones who struck first-albeit in unconventional fashion.
Early Offensive Struggles Set the Tone
After Tennessee deferred the opening kickoff, the Chiefs started with the ball at their own 28. Any hopes of an early rhythm were quickly derailed.
Xavier Worthy got the call on an end-around but was bottled up immediately by Amani Hooker. Then came back-to-back false starts-first Esa Pole, then Kingsley Suamataia-pushing the Chiefs into a third-and-long hole before they could even blink.
Gardner Minshew, getting the start under center, tried to get something going with a short pass to Travis Kelce, but it fell incomplete. On third-and-20, Minshew scrambled for eight yards-more damage control than anything else-and the Chiefs were forced to punt.
Titans Start Strong but Stall
Tennessee’s opening drive had more promise. Caleb Ward connected with Chigoziem Okonkwo to get things rolling, and Tony Pollard chipped away with a couple of solid runs.
But on third-and-1, Kalel Mullings was stonewalled by Nick Bolton at the line. The Titans went for it on fourth down, but Ward’s quick throw to tight end Griffin Helm was off the mark.
Turnover on downs.
So far, both teams were showing why their records are what they are.
Chiefs Offense Can’t Find Its Footing
With great field position near midfield, Kansas City had a chance to capitalize-but again, the offense sputtered. A swing pass to Isiah Pacheco lost three yards, and while he got six back on the next play, a third-down attempt to Kelce went nowhere. Matt Araiza dropped a solid punt inside the 10, but the Chiefs had nothing to show for it.
Ward, Titans Move the Chains-Then Get Stopped Cold
Pinned near their own end zone, the Titans leaned on Pollard, who got them some breathing room with a 10-yard run. Ward mixed in short completions to Van Jefferson and Cody Dike, and a 15-yard strike to Okonkwo helped push them into Chiefs territory.
But just when it looked like Tennessee might string something together, George Karlaftis crashed the party with a big-time sack, dropping Ward for an eight-yard loss. A deep shot on third down didn’t connect, and the Titans had to punt it away.
Chiefs Show a Flash, Then Fade Again
Kansas City’s next drive started deep in its own territory, but Minshew found JuJu Smith-Schuster for 12 yards to get some space. A defensive offsides gave them a free five yards, but the drive fizzled again.
Minshew missed Worthy on a deep shot, and Pacheco’s two short runs set up a third-and-4 that turned into third-and-10 after a penalty. Two incompletions later, the Chiefs were punting again.
Titans Capitalize on Field Position-and a Mistake
Tennessee got the ball back at their own 42 and tried to stretch the field. Ward went deep to Elic Ayomanor but missed, and Bryan Cook was shaken up on the play.
A short gain to Gunnar Helm set up a third down, but Nick Bolton came through again, bursting into the backfield for a sack that killed the drive. Hekker’s punt pinned Kansas City at the 13, and a penalty on the return backed them up even further.
Disaster Strikes: Titans Force a Safety
This is where things unraveled. A false start by left tackle Esa Pole pushed the Chiefs back to their own 3-yard line.
On the next play, they tried to run it straight ahead with Hunt-but Jeffery Simmons had other ideas. He knifed through the line, met Hunt in the end zone, and dragged him down for a safety.
Just like that, Tennessee led 2-0.
Titans Can't Cash In, but Field Position Battle Continues
After the safety, Tennessee started near midfield and went right back to Pollard. He picked up a couple of yards before coughing up the football-only to recover it himself.
The Chiefs defense tightened up, with Chris Jones and Ashton Gillotte swarming to stop the run on third down. The Titans punted again, but Hekker continued his strong day, pinning Kansas City deep once more.
This time, Nikko Remigio gave the Chiefs a spark. Fielding the punt at his own five, he broke loose up the right sideline for a 31-yard return to the Kansas City 36. It was the best field position the Chiefs had seen all day-and a small win in what had been a frustrating first half.
What We’ve Learned So Far
Through one and a half quarters, the story has been about missed chances and mental mistakes. The Chiefs’ offensive line has struggled to stay disciplined, and Minshew hasn’t found any rhythm with his receivers. Meanwhile, the Titans haven’t exactly lit it up, but they’ve taken advantage of field position and made the most of Kansas City's miscues.
With both teams out of playoff contention, this game is about development, evaluation, and pride. But if the Chiefs want to finish the season on a high note, they’ll need to clean things up-and fast.
The young guys are getting their reps, but the execution has to follow. Otherwise, this could be a long afternoon in Nashville.