NASHVILLE – Hail to the Titans.
Just six days after a rousing win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, the Titans raced past another AFC contender with an impressive and one-sided win over the Kansas City Chiefs before 69,484 fans at Nissan Stadium.
Not a bad week, huh?
The team's 27-3 victory improved Tennessee's record to 5-2. The Titans are tied with several other teams with the best record in the AFC after seven games.
On Sunday, the Titans did it with an aggressive offense, and a swarming defense.
"It feels great, honestly," Titans safety Kevin Byard said. "Since I've been here, it's probably the most compete win that we've had from start to finish – offense, defense, special teams. Just clicking on all three cylinders."
Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 21-of-27 passes for 270 yards and a touchdown in the contest, while running back Derrick Henry ran for 86 yards on 29 carries, and he also threw a touchdown pass.
Titans receiver A.J. Brown caught eight passes for 133 yards and a touchdown.
From the start, this one was never in doubt.
After the game, however, players made it clear they're far from satisfied.
"I definitely think we are moving in the right direction," Brown said. "This is one game. We didn't win the Super Bowl today. We're not going to get a big head about one win."
Added Byard: "They are not handing out Lombardi trophies in the middle of the season. So, we are not going to get caught up too much in this win, either. We are going to enjoy it tonight and get ready for a division match with the Colts on the road."
The Titans got off to a fast start, and they never let up.
"We played our best ball," center Ben Jones said. "That first half was what Titans football is all about. We played well on defense, well on offense, and in the second half, the defense wouldn't let them get in the end zone. We grinded it out and took up a lot of clock in the second half, and we won the way we wanted to."
The Tennessee Titans take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7 at Nissan Stadium.
On the team's opening drive, the Titans drove the ball right down the field and capped off an eight-play, 75-yard drive with a touchdown. The opener score: A five-yard touchdown toss from Henry, who lined up in the Wildcat formation, to tight end MyCole Pruitt.
After a defensive stop, the Titans got revved up again – and produced again. A 46-yard toss from Tannehill to Brown jumpstarted a nine-play, 97-yard drive that was capped off with a 24-yard touchdown toss to Brown with just 42 seconds left in the first quarter to give the Titans a 14-0 lead.
Tannehill completed 7-of-7 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, while Brown had four catches for 83 yards and a score after one quarter. Brown had six catches for 101 yards at the half, with a score, while Tannehill completed 16-of-20 for 216 yards by halftime.
The Titans stretched their lead to 17-0 on a 34-yard field goal by kicker Randy Bullock, which capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive.
The lead ballooned to 24-0 on a two-yard touchdown run by Tannehill, which capped up an eight-play, 46-yard drive that featured a 20-yard completion from Tannehill to Jones.
At that point in the contest, the Titans had outgained the Chiefs 259 to 35 in total yardage while racking up 17 first downs compared to three for the Chiefs. Time of possession was staggering 21:31 to 5:41.
A 51-yard field goal by Bullock made it 27-0 Titans at the half.
"We came out, and we executed," Tannehill said. "With a high-powered offense on the other side, we knew we wanted to get going early and score points early. We were able to do that and hopefully we can keep it going."
While the Titans were effective on offense, the defense was swarming.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes faced pressure, which forced him into incompletions, and mistakes. An interception by linebacker Rashaan Evans set up a Titans touchdown drive, and a sack by linebacker Bud Dupree ended one Kansas City drive that was followed by another Tennessee scoring drive.
Byard forced another turnover when he punched the ball out of the arms of Mahomes, and safety Matthias Farley pounced on it.
The Chiefs got on the scoreboard in the third quarter on a 42-yard field goal by kicker Harrison Butker, which made it 27-3. Butker missed a 57-yard field goal late in the third quarter, however.
The Titans sacked Mahomes four times in the contest, and they also forced three turnovers. Defensive lineman Denico Autry led the way with two sacks.
"You're embarrassed," Mahomes said of the feeling in Kansas City's locker room after the game. "You got spanked pretty good. You were coming in here trying to build off the momentum of the week before and we didn't do that."
The Titans are already turning their attention to what's next.
They'll return to action next Sunday in Indianapolis in a key AFC South game vs the Colts.
"We have just to do what we have been doing," outside linebacker Harold Landry said. "Celebrate the win but then get back to work. Focus on improving, because the teams that win late and in the middle of the season are the teams that keep improving. We just have to focus on that and prepare like we have been doing."
