Chiefs vs. Titans Game Preview: Scheme Spotlight, Matchups to Watch, and More
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The Chiefs (3-3) and Titans (4-2) meet Sunday afternoon in Music City.
Facing Derrick Henry should help tell us whether or not the second half of last week’s performance against Washington was the sign of the Chiefs’ defense turning a corner - allowing only 76 yards of total offense and zero points, or something less fun to think about.
We saw a level of play on both sides of the ball in that 31-13 victory that many expected to see from this group the moment they took the field in Week 1, but instead - entering Week 7, the Chiefs are a game back in the AFC West standings with 11 regular-season games left to play.
The Titans are a good matchup for where the Chiefs are right now and what we need to learn about this group.
Here’s what to keep an eye on during Sunday’s game:
Scheme Spotlight
Scheme Spotlight
It’s no surprise that one of the biggest talking points from an X’s and O’s perspective leading into the Chiefs-Titans matchup is how the Chiefs plan to slow down Derrick Henry. Currently, Henry is averaging just under 5 yards per attempt while the Chiefs defense is allowing 5.2 yards per rush. On paper and when quickly glancing at the film, the Titans should have a ton of success on the ground and it will be pivotal for the Chiefs to try and stop them.
It won’t be an easy task because not only is Henry a fantastic running back, not only do the Titans have a good run blocking offensive line, but they are also extremely scheme diverse making it hard to execute some typical run stopping tactics.
The Chiefs should still bring plenty of run blitzes off the edge, throw in some read-TEX stunts to change gaps, and generally try to muddle up the line of scrimmage in any way possible. The Buffalo Bills had some success in this manner vs the Titans but when the damn breaks, it BREAKS.
Unfortunately, sending so many bodies at the line of scrimmage against Henry runs this risk. As soon as one player gets slightly out of position, he has the speed to take the run to the house and the last thing any defensive back wants to see is a full head of steam Derrick Henry coming at them.
The concept of trying to never let Henry get to that point is very sound but the Chiefs could consider executing it in a different manner. Instead of simply crowding the LoS with linebackers, they could try rotating safeties into the box late to join in on the fits.

Whether it’s a full player exchange like this play, simply adding the extra safety late, or even waiting until just after the snap to spin down into the run fit, it’s a good way to mess with blocking schemes. Now, the offensive line’s blocking rules have an extra player - or new player - in the box they aren’t accounting for who should be freed up to make a play.
It’s a similar approach to how the Vic Fangio/Brandon Staley tree defends the run. The goal isn’t necessarily to stop every run for 2 yards but rather never give up the 70 yard run. Now, the difficult part is having a ~200lb safety take on one of the most physical runners in the NFL play after play but it may be the most sound approach for a team struggling to win in the trenches to stop the run.
It’s the perfect time to play the Titans
We are all hoping that what we saw in the last 30 minutes against the Washington Football team are a sign of what’s to come.
It’s funny to say that an offense leading the NFL in points per possession by a massive margin snapped out of a funk, but there was something more fluid to how they operated coming out of half time last week.
Patrick Mahomes displayed supreme confidence both in and out of the pocket — making exceptional decisions throughout the second half. He looked more like the generational player we’ve all grown accustomed to seeing week in and week out.
The defensive progress last Sunday was noticeable as well. The Chiefs surrendered only one touchdown — a frustrating 3rd and 16 conversion, and a busted coverage led to a touchdown.
There is reason for optimism, but “the second half against Washington” can’t be a pivotal moment in the story of the 2021 Kansas City Chiefs if they don’t take care of business this weekend in Nashville.
The Chiefs three losses have against first place teams in their division. They’ve failed in every big test they’ve experienced — and in two of the three instances have squandered very real opportunity to close the game.
Coming off a massive win against the Buffalo Bills (who hung a loss on the Chiefs two weeks ago), the Titans (4-2) are looking to prove they’re more the team that won this past Monday than the team that lost to the lowly New York Jets.
The Titans are the perfect litmus test for where the Chiefs are right now. They, too are a divisional leader — the echelon they’ve struggled to overcome. They’re a good team, playing at home, coming off a big measuring stick game for them. Another win for the Titans, and they’re a real contender.
The margin for error for the Chiefs is gone. They’ve given that away. The schedule is certainly lightening up soon, but the wins will feel hollow if they can’t get over the hump of a team like the Titans.
The Chiefs need this more than the Titans do. They need to validate the growth in Washington, and use Sunday as a springboard to the rest of their pursuit of a Super Bowl. We’ll learn a lot about his team, and they’ll learn some things about themselves too, in Music City.
Matchup to watch: Speed rushers vs Chiefs OT’s
While there are certainly great matchups throughout this game — and several that could absolutely wreck the Chiefs’ fortunes on Sunday — the one that should be getting more focus is on the edges of the Chiefs offense. Harold Landry and Bud Dupree are both explosive rushers with the potential to threaten the arc with speed — something that the Chiefs offensive tackles haven’t seen much in 2021.
While Orlando Brown Jr has not played poorly this season, the ability to drop deep into his set to protect Patrick Mahomes at 10 yards and beyond (we’ll get into that later) is something we haven’t seen consistently. Coupled with Mike Remmers — who will surely see another start at right tackle this week — these aren’t the most fleet-of-foot tackles going up against two pass rushers that can get up the arc quickly.
Landry especially has been terrific this season, lodging 6.5 sacks and 23 pressures. While he has found a way to beat tackles around the outside regularly this season, his counter moves have been especially difficult to deal with as tackles try to carry him up the arc. If the tackle gets deep into a vertical set, Landry has the fluidity to knife back under the inside shoulder and take a direct route to the quarterback. It’s a bit of a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario.
The Chiefs tackles are taught to offer an inside presence, then kick up the arc to widen the rusher, which can help prevent more of a “direct route” on the interior to the quarterback. Remmers showed this technique time and time again against Chase Young this past week — an improvement over what Lucas Niang had offered to that point. However, there were a small handful of times where Young was able to get the edge and make a turn toward Mahomes — something this team will have to keep an eye on this Sunday.
If the Chiefs can protect Mahomes on the edges of the defense, this interior offensive line should be able to hold its own against a good Titans interior. That could leave Mahomes and the Chiefs weapons with time to get open against a depleted secondary, allowing for explosive plays and points put on the board. With the Titans offense rolling on the other side of the ball, those points could be extremely valuable — putting this matchup high on my list of things to watch.