Longtime AFL rivals clash in the playoffs as the Kansas City Chiefs host the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card round.
Tennessee Titans (9-7) at Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
History
- Titans head to Arrowhead Stadium for the second straight season as these franchises clash in the postseason for the third time.
- Titans have won two straight in series dating back to ’14, including a 19-17 victory at Kansas City last season (Week 15).
- Titans have won two straight at Arrowhead Stadium dating back to ’14 and own a 4-1 road mark in series dating back to ’07.
- This is the third postseason meeting between the two teams (Texans/Chiefs, 2-0), the then-Dallas Texans posting a 20-17 overtime win over eh then-Houston Oilers in the 1962 AFL Championship Game at Houston and the Chiefs emerging with a 28-20 victory over the Oilers in the ’93 AFC Divisional Playoffs at the Astrodome.
Coaches
- Titans’ head coach Mike Mularkey: making his first postseason appearance as NFL head coach.
- Chiefs’ head coach Andy Reid: 11-12 in postseason play (10-9 with Eagles, 1-3 with Chiefs).
Postseason History
- Titans: making 22nd overall playoff appearance (17th since the merger), 14-19 in postseason play (12-16 since the merger).
- Chiefs: making 20th overall playoff appearance (16th since the merger), 9-17 in postseason play (4-15 since the merger).
Titans By The Numbers
- 9-7 record in 2017, reached playoffs in ’17 (9-7 in ’16).
- 18-14 record in last 32 games dating back to ’16 (5-27 from 2014-15).
- Titans’ QB Marcus Mariota: 13 TD passes, 15 INT in 15 games in ’17 (26 TD passes, 9 INT in 15 games in ’16); Mariota: six TD passes, nine INT in last seven games.
- Scored 224 points in nine wins, 110 points in seven losses in ’17.
Chiefs By The Numbers
- 10-6 record, won AFC West in 17 (12-4, won AFC West in ’16).
- Won four straight games.
- 5-6 record in last 11 games (opened 5-0 in ’17).
- QB Alex Smith: Incl. playoffs, 72-35-1 in 108 starts (52-29 with Chiefs) dating back to ‘11 (19-31 in 50 games as a starter from 2005-10).
- 26 takeaways in 16 games in ’17 (33 takeaways in ‘16, 29 takeaways in ’15; 14 takeaways in ’14).
- 24 takeaways in 10 wins, two takeaways in six losses in ’17.
- CB Marcus Peters: Including playoffs, 20 INT in 49 games dating back to ’14 (19 in 45 regular-season games, one in three playoff games); Peters: Including playoffs, 26 takeaways in 49 games dating back to ’15 (21 INT, five fumble recoveries).
Things To Look For
It’s been an odd season for the Tennessee Titans, who are making their first playoff appearance in nearly a decade (2008). Despite a three-game losing streak in December, they managed to sneak into the postseason despite a less-than-spectacular year by quarterback Marcus Mariota. The Kansas City Chiefs are back in the postseason for the third straight year and fourth times in five seasons under Andy Reid. But we are still waiting for the team to even reach the AFC title game. The AFC West champions have a lot of play-makers on both sides of the ball and will look to force Mariota into the kind of mistakes that have plagued the third-year quarterback all season.
