Titans vs. Chiefs: Reasons for optimism and concern for Tennessee
Concern: Playing at Arrowhead
Yes, the Titans have proven they can win playoff games on the road this year and have done so in two of the tougher environments in the NFL. However, playing at Arrowhead Stadium is a different animal entirely.
The Chiefs’ home stadium might be the loudest building in the NFL. Then add in the fact that this is a playoff game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line and you have a situation in which the crowd will be absolutely raucous for this contest.
Tennessee getting off to a fast start will be vital in taking the crowd out of this game at least somewhat, but then again the Texans got off to a 24-0 lead and Chiefs fans were still very much involved.
Things could get tricky for the Titans in Arrowhead. It’ll be harder for Ryan Tannehill and the offense to operate with all the noise, and that’s on top of already feeling a ton of pressure from the big moment that Tennessee is in.
But, as they say, defense and rushing attacks travel well, and the Titans have both of those things. Furthermore, Titans fans are expected to make up 25 percent of the crowd on Sunday, which is the biggest percentage of road fans of any 2020 playoff game and should help counteract the noise.