An exciting and unexpected playoff run for the Tennessee Titans fell one game short of a Super Bowl on Sunday.
The city and, to some extent, the state had risen up in support of the underdog effort and brought the kind of spotlight the team had not seen since the days of Steve McNair and Eddie George in the early 2000s.
Despite a strong start to the game and an early lead, the Titans were outmatched in the end by quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. While Tennessee had to resort to clever trick plays and even a touchdown pass to an offensive lineman for some of their scores, the Chiefs simply won with speed and precision.
The Titans were burned multiple times by the NFL’s fastest player Tyreek Hill. Some of those plays featured Hill matched up on Titans’ third- and fourth-string defenders forced into starting roles by injuries.
HE'S ELIGIBLE! @DennisKelly67 | #TENvsKC pic.twitter.com/fUdWLpluh8
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) January 19, 2020
After the game, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill said he could “feel the pain across the locker room” upon falling short of their ultimate goal. Tannehill said when the disappointment hit, it “hit hard” and “it’s gonna take a while to get over.”
Going into the game, the storyline was all about running back Derrick Henry and his remarkable postseason, but the Chiefs were able to hold him to less than 70 yards. Last week the Titans were able to take down the NFL’s likely MVP Lamar Jackson, but they could not contain reigning MVP Mahomes as he delivered in clutch moments again and again.
A play that seemed to cement the momentum on Kansas City’s side for the remainder of the game happened late in the second quarter when it appeared Mahomes might run out of bounds setting up a Chiefs field goal to tie the game. Instead, he rumbled for 27 yards, juking defenders and breaking tackles on his way to the end zone.
💪FLEX ON 'EM 💪@PatrickMahomes just did THAT. #ChiefsKingdom #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #TENvsKC on CBS
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/x5sQRf24XS pic.twitter.com/o47eSpCcr4— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2020
The Titans held on through the third quarter and were only down four points going into the fourth. But the Chiefs scored two quick touchdowns to start the fourth and the Titans had no answer. Ryan Tannehill was able to throw a long touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Firkser in the waning minutes, but the game was essentially over at that point.
While the Chiefs move on to the Super Bowl, the Titans move into an uncertain offseason. They have a good young core of players but also have big questions at high-profile positions. Will they resign Ryan Tannehill as quarterback? Will they make Derrick Henry one of the highest-paid running backs in the league? And how will they approach the NFL Draft while picking much further back than they have in years?
Longtime Titans fans, and the growing legion who jumped on to support the drive to the AFC Championship, will now have to turn to talk of next season instead of checking out flight prices for Miami.
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