NFL News & Analysis

NFL Week 7 Game Recap: Tennessee Titans 27, Kansas City Chiefs 3

Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) pulls in a catch while pursued by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (38) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Oct. 24, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports

The Tennessee Titans dominated the Kansas City Chiefs from the opening snap in Week 7, pulling off a 27-3 win to cement their lead atop the AFC South.

The Titans set the tone early in the blowout, scoring on all five of their first-half possessions to take a 27-0 into the locker room. The Chiefs' offense reached new levels of ineptitude in the defeat, failing to score a touchdown for the first time since Patrick Mahomes took over under center.

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Tennessee Titans

Quarterback

Ryan Tannehill ripped through the Chiefs' defense to the tune of 270 yards on 21-of-27 passing and two total touchdowns. The former Pro Bowler continuously worked the ball downfield, averaging 10 yards per reception, yet remained impressively accurate. He finished with an adjusted completion percentage of 80.8%. The signal-caller also remained elite on play action, making two big-time throws while amassing a season-high 173 yards on such actions.

The one blemish on Tannehill’s performance was a red-zone interception late in the third quarter, his first turnover-worthy play inside the 20-yard line this season.

Ryan Tannehill Passing by Depth | Week 7

Target Depth Comps/Atts Yds Adj. Comp. % TDs
Behind L.O.S 7/7 50 100% 0
Short (1-9) 8/11 74 72.7% 0
Medium (10-19) 3/3 54 100% 0
Long (20+) 3/5 92 60% 1
Running Backs

Derrick Henry continued his ascension up the MVP rankings with another dominant performance, racking up 102 total yards and throwing for a score. The former Heisman winner made the most of what was an underwhelming performance from the Titans' offensive line, as he averaged just 0.6 yards before contact while collecting 80.2% of his yards after contact. Henry also continued to show improvement as a pass-catcher, hauling in both of his targets for 16 yards, including a second-quarter first down.  

Receivers/Tight Ends

A.J. Brown awoke from his season-long slumber to submit the strongest performance of his year so far, catching eight of his nine targets for 133 yards and a touchdown. The third-year pro thrived in the deeper parts of the field, accruing an average depth of target of 14.4 yards. He finished with a game-high three explosive plays.

Julio Jones was the clear second fiddle in Sunday’s win. He collected just 38 yards on two receptions but remained effective in his limited role, forcing one of the team’s two missed tackles on receptions.

Offensive Line

The Titans' offensive line gave up only one sack but struggled to open consistent lanes in the running game. The lone sack and 10 pressures allowed were two of Tennessee’s lowest figures of the season. Yet, Titans rushers averaged just 0.5 yards before contact due to poor run blocking.

Defensive Line

Tennessee’s defensive line manhandled Kansas City’s offensive line for much of Sunday’s blowout, as the unit accumulated 30 pressures and five sacks while all but eliminating any semblance of a Chiefs rushing attack. Edge rusher Harold Landry III led all defenders with eight total pressures, while edge rusher Denico Autry paced the unit with two tackles for loss.

Defender Pass Rushing Snaps Total Pressures Sacks 
Jeffery Simmons 37 5 0
Harold Landy III 34 8 1
Larrell Murchison 25 2 0
Olasunkanmi Adeniyi 25 3 0
Naquan Jones 25 2 0
Bud Dupree 25 3 2
Denico Autry 25 6 2
Linebackers

The Titans linebacker unit was mostly tasked with limiting Kansas City’s passing opportunities over the middle of the field. Starting linebackers David Long and Rashaan Evans were targeted a combined 13 times, allowing 10 receptions for 69 yards.

Secondary

Cornerback Elijah Molden drew a team-high nine targets, allowing seven receptions for 73 yards and five first downs. Molden’s 100.5 passer rating allowed was the second-highest within the unit, trailing only cornerback Jackrabbit Jenkins, who finished with a 101.4 passer rating allowed after conceding five receptions for 50 yards.

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Kansas City Chiefs

Quarterback

Patrick Mahomes submitted one of the poorest performances of his illustrious career in Sunday’s loss, throwing for just 206 yards and one interception on 20-of-35 passing. The former MVP’s 5.9 yards per attempt was the fourth-lowest figure of his career, while his 62.3 passer rating is his lowest mark since Week 17 of 2019.

Just 25.7% of Mahomes’ attempts were past the first-down marker. Much of this can be explained by the constant duress the superstar signal-caller was under, as he was sacked a season-high four times in the defeat.

Patrick Mahomes Passing by Depth | Week 7

Target Depth Comps./Atts. Yds. Adj. Comp. % TDs
Behind L.O.S 6/6 48 100% 0
Short (1-9) 10/14 74 85.7% 0
Medium (10-19) 2/5 36 40% 0
Long (20+) 2/4 48 50% 0
Running Backs

Kansas City was forced to abandon the run early in Sunday’s contest, as Darrel Williams was the only Chiefs running back to log a carry in the defeat. The fourth-year pro was unable to do much with his limited opportunities, tallying just 20 yards on five attempts.

Both Williams and backup Jerick McKinnon were more effective as pass-catchers. The duo accumulated 30 and 17 yards through the air, respectively. The pairing each drew four targets, with Williams racking up three receptions and McKinnon finishing with just two.

Receivers/Tight Ends

Travis Kelce led all pass-catchers with 12 targets, hauling in seven of them for 65 yards. The former All-Pro remained one of the league’s most effective chain-movers, as his four first downs were tied for the team lead. Kelce was also responsible for one of the team’s four explosive passing plays.

Byron Pringle was one of the team’s few bright spots in the defeat. He led the way with 73 receiving yards on five receptions. He also paced Kansas City in both yards per route run (2.52) and explosive plays (2) despite logging just the sixth-most receiving snaps on the team.

Offensive Line

The Chiefs' offensive line struggled throughout Sunday’s trouncing, allowing 31 total pressures and a season-high four sacks in the loss. Guard Trey Smith was the Titans’ primary victim, as the rookie led all Kansas City offensive linemen with five pressures and two sacks allowed. Center Creed Humphrey was the only starting Chiefs offensive lineman to allow fewer than three pressures.

Defensive Line

Kansas City’s defensive line failed to make much of an impact in either the run or pass game, managing just one sack as a unit while failing to contain the fierce Tennessee rushing attack. The group did collect two tackles for loss, but the negatives far outweighed the positives. The unit was even less effective rushing the passer, as edge rushers Chris Jones and Frank Clark were responsible for four of the unit’s six total pressures.

Linebackers

Nick Bolton may have put together the Chiefs' most impressive individual performance in the contest. The rookie led all defenders with 15 total tackles and four tackles for loss. He and fellow linebacker Ben Niemann were less remarkable in coverage, as the duo allowed receptions on seven of their eight combined targets for 66 yards and three first downs.

Defender Cov. Snaps  Receptions/Targets Yds Passer Rating Allowed
Tyrann Mathieu 28 1/1 9 104.2
Juan Thornhill 27 4/4 40 147.9
Rashad Fenton 24 3/4 20 85.4
L’Jarius Sneed 24 4/4 98 118.8
Nick Bolton 23 5/6 48 100
Charvarius Ward 19 2/4 18 62.5
Ben Niemann 18 2/2 18 104.2
Secondary

Kansas City’s secondary was abused from the opening snap. Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed allowed receptions on all four of his targets, conceding a unit-high 98 receiving yards and four first downs. His 118.8 passer rating allowed was the third-highest on the team. Safety Juan Thornhill led all defenders with a 147.9 passer rating allowed after surrendering four receptions on four targets for 40 yards and a touchdown.

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