Titans vs. Chiefs: Reasons for optimism and concern for Tennessee

NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans delivers a stiff arm during a touchdown carry during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeats Kansas City 35-32. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - NOVEMBER 10: Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans delivers a stiff arm during a touchdown carry during the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Nissan Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee defeats Kansas City 35-32. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Titans LB, Jayon Brown.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: Jayon Brown #55 of the Tennessee Titans returns a fumble recovery 46 yards for a touchdown against the Oakland Raiders during the second half of an NFL football game at RingCentral Coliseum on December 08, 2019 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Optimism: Getting healthy

The Titans are on the verge of getting back two of their starters for the biggest game of the season.

Inside linebacker Jayon Brown, who is one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and finished third on the team in tackles in 2019, was forced to miss the divisional round game against the Ravens because of a shoulder injury he suffered against the Patriots in the wild card round.

After getting in a limited practice on Wednesday, Brown looks to be on the right track to playing on Sunday. The former fifth-round pick also did not play in the Week 10 game, so he adds an interesting wrinkle to the Titans’ defense that wasn’t there for the last meeting.

Wide receiver Adam Humphries has missed the last six games, but he also got in a limited session on Wednesday for the first time in nearly two months.

While Humphries hasn’t been a huge factor for Tennessee this season, his ability as a slot receiver could be a helpful outlet for a Tennessee passing attack that has been very quiet in the playoffs. He also caught the game-winning touchdown against the Chiefs earlier in the season.

In all, the Titans should have three starters playing that weren’t present in the first matchup with KC, as both Corey Davis and Jurrell Casey both didn’t play in that game. Casey in particular had two huge sacks in the divisional round, one of which forced a turnover.