Titans at Chiefs : Highlights, score and recap

The Chief wasted an opportunity to gain better playoff footing, losing on a last-minute field goal in an absolute stunner.

The Tennessee Titans did something on Sunday that is nearly impossible to do, as they went into Kansas City and beat the first place Chiefs. It was all Chiefs throughout the game, as the two teams headed into the final frame with Kansas City winning 17-7. However, that is where the fireworks started, and in the end, the Titans pulled out an incredible comeback victory, 19-17.

Tyreek Hill has been a monster for the Chiefs this season, as he has emerged as a true playmaker for Kansas City. On Sunday, Hill struck early, ripping off a 68-yard touchdown to open the scoring for the Chiefs. That would be his only rush of the game, as the Titans were able to keep him quiet for the rest of the contest. An Alex Smith touchdown run put the Chiefs up 14-0, but the Titans quickly responded thanks to last year’s Heisman Trophy Winner.

Derrick Henry put the Titans on the board with a four yard run, cutting Kansas City’s lead to 14-7. The Chiefs extended their lead to 17-7 at the half thanks to a field goal by Cairo Santos, and that would be all the scoring until the fourth quarter. The Titans first drive of the final frame would result in a field goal by a guy the Chiefs drafted as Mr. Irrelevant back in 2009, as Ryan Succop brought the Titans to within 7.

After forcing a punt, the Titans got the ball back, and hit on one of the biggest plays of the game later in the drive. On a 4-and-5, the Titans went for it, as quarterback Marcus Mariota hit DeMarco Murray for a 15-yard gain down to the Chiefs 1-yard line. From there, Henry scored his second touchdown of the game, and the team decided to go for two. The Chiefs were able to thwart the two-point conversion, holding on to a 17-16 lead.

Kansas City then took over to try and seal the deal, but the Titans were able force a punt to give themselves a chance at the win. Mariota connected on two big throws during the ensuing drive, hitting Rishard Matthews for 19 yards, and then Delanie Walker on a big 3rd-and -5. That set up the game-winner by Succop, which he nailed from 53 yards out to give the Titans a huge 19-17 win.

1.Marcus Mariota

Mariota came up huge time and time again in the fourth quarter, shaking off three quarters of sub-par football to lead his team to the win. He connected on two huge third down plays to keep drives alive, showing why he is considered one of the better young signal-callers in the NFL. Bringing his team back in the fourth quarter in a hostile environment may have been his best performance of his career.

While his finishing stat line does not read as a big-time performance, you have to go beyond the numbers in this one. The Titans came into the game tied with the Houston Texans for first place in the AFC South, and with the comeback win, they kept their hopes for a divisional title alive. Mariota is growing up before our eyes, and this Titans team proved on Sunday they can beat anybody in the conference.

2.Derrick Henry

Henry has been a nice compliment to DeMarco Murray this season, and on Sunday, the two running backs played a huge role in the Titans win. Henry was able to score twice for the Titans, showing his ability to drive the ball through the line inside the red zone. Murray caught a huge fourth-down pass late in the fourth quarter, setting up one of the Titans two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Henry ran the ball only nine times in the game, but nearly had 60 yards rushing. His ability to burst through the line cannot be taught, and at 22-years old, he is only going to get better. Having both Murray and Henry will definitely give the Titans an advantage come playoff time, and it appears the Titans have the moxie to make a serious playoff run this season.

3.Eric Berry

There really is nothing like watching Eric Berry play football. Not only is he a cancer survivor, but the yest he has for playing the game is rivaled by no-one in this league. On Sunday, he showed once again why he is the most dominant safety in the league, nearly leading his Chiefs to their 11th win of the season.

Berry led the Chiefs with ten tackles, while forcing a fumble in the contest. What I love about Berry is his ability to flat out tackle. While he is incredible in pass coverage, it is his ability to come up and lay the wood that makes the Chiefs fans go nuts. Hopefully the Chiefs can retain him after the season, because he truly is the heart and soul of this team.

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Odds

The Chiefs are favored at home this week, which is usually the case. They will be giving the Titans six points, while the over/under is set at 42.5. This one could be a low-scoring affair, as both defenses are playing good football as of late.

Next Week

Tennessee will continue to be road warriors in Week 16, as they travel to Jacksonville to take on a very bad Jaguars team in an AFC South matchup. The Chiefs will be featured on primetime, as they will head to Denver to take on the Broncos in an AFC West showdown on Sunday Night Football.