AFC WILD CARD
TITANS AT CHIEFS
USA TODAY’s Nate Davis previews the AFC wild-card matchup between the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs
When: Saturday, 4:35 p.m. ET (ESPN/ ABC) Where: Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium
Line: Chiefs by 71⁄ 2
Injuries: A sprained knee sidelined Titans RB DeMarco Murray on Sunday, while Chiefs KR De’Anthony Thomas broke his leg.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1. Swan song? Chiefs QB Alex Smith is presumably entering his final days with the team after watching heir apparent Patrick Mahomes start Sunday. But Smith will be in the saddle Saturday and, despite his reputation for often being a risk-averse passer, some of the best performances of his
13-year career have come in the playoffs, where he has 12 TD passes vs. two interceptions. This could be the best supporting cast Smith has had. The Chiefs joined the 1981 San Diego Chargers as the only teams with a
4,000-yard passer (Smith, career-high
4,042) a 1,000-yard back (NFL rushing king Kareem Hunt) a 1,000-yard wideout (Tyreek Hill) and a 1,000-yard tight end (Travis Kelce). 2. Nowhere to run: Smith might have to beat the Titans, who are likely to put the clamps on Hunt. Tennessee allowed a league-low five rushing TDs and held nine of its final 11 opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground. Yet with 42 sacks, the Titans are no slouches rushing the passer, either. But if the Chiefs can give Smith time, he should be able to pick apart a secondary that’s been suspect aside from exceptional S Kevin Byard.
3. Pedestrian smashmouth? The Titans seemed to be successfully forg- ing a physical identity with their run game last season and early in 2017, when they ground out more than 160 yards in three of their first six games. But they managed that twice over the final 10 contests, and Murray was especially ineffective. Derrick Henry was even worse Sunday, managing 51 yards on 28 carries, though QB Marcus Mariota chipped in with 60 on 10 runs. Tennessee could exploit a shaky Kansas City run defense and probably has to given how ineffective Mariota’s arm has been in his third pro season.