Titans vs. Chiefs: AFC Championship game staff predictions

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Head coach Mike Vrabel talks with Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the closing moments of AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 11: Head coach Mike Vrabel talks with Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans during the closing moments of AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Brady Akins

I don’t think there’s any other way to put it, the Titans are the hottest team in the league.

At this point, nothing that happened in the regular season matters. The team with the most momentum in the playoffs will always be the team that does the most damage. And the Titans look hotter than anybody.

The defense will face a tall task in slowing down Patrick Mahomes, but will come in just a week removed from holding the NFL’s best scoring offense to just 12 points. The week before that, they held Tom Brady and the Patriots dynasty to only 13. Tennessee has been giving up yards, but they’re keeping teams out of the endzone.

Dean Pees has delivered back-to-back masterful gameplans on the defensive side of the ball, and with how he has the Titans defense playing, I think they’ll be able to keep Kansas City out of the endzone just enough for Derrick Henry to do his thing.

As if Henry’s dominance wasn’t a big enough factor, the running back will be facing one of the NFL’s worst run defenses. Henry exploded against the Chiefs in Week 10, and with how he and the Titans running game have looked in the playoffs, Kansas City once again might not have an answer.

I don’t expect this win to look as easy as it did against Baltimore. Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in football, Andy Reid is one of the best coaches in football, but with how good the Titans have been playing, I don’t think they can be stopped.

Titans 28 Chiefs 24