The Kansas City Chiefs (10-3) host the Tennessee Titans (7-6) at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday in a game with playoff implications for both teams.
The Chiefs can officially clinch a playoff spot with a victory, while the Titans currently trail the Houston Texans (7-6) in the AFC South division and are a game back in the Wild Card race.
Both teams have won three of their last four games and are hoping Sunday is another step towards the postseason for their respective clubs.
Here are 10 stats to know about Sunday's game: 1. The basics
#TENvsKC - Offensive & Defensive Stats | ||
Category |
KC (NFL Rank) |
TEN (NFL Rank) |
Offensive PPG |
23.2 (14th) |
24.7 (11th) |
Defensive PPG |
19.6 (8th) |
23.5 (20th) |
Offensive YPG |
332.5 (24th) |
372.3 (8th) |
Defensive YPG |
374.1 (27th) |
361.5 (22nd) |
The Chiefs have won 20 of their last 23 games, and under head coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs are 22-8 at Arrowhead Stadium. 2. Rookie fifth-round pick Tyreek Hill is having a Pro Bowl-type of season
According to the football analytics website Pro Football Focus, rookie fifth-round pick Tyreek Hill is a Pro Bowler.
Hill leads the NFL with a 15.3 yards per punt return average, including two return touchdowns in primetime over the past three weeks. Hill had an 86-yard return on a free kick following a safety against the Broncos three weeks ago, and then he had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown last Thursday against the Oakland Raiders.
The Chiefs, who boast arguably the best special teams coach in the country in Dave Toub, face a Titans team on Sunday that ranks near the bottom of the league in both kick and punt coverage.
The Titans have allowed an average of 24.2 yards per kick return this year, which ranks 29th in the league. The punt coverage unit has allowed 11.3 yards per return, which ranks 28th in the league. 3. The battle for another miscellaneous touchdown
The Chiefs lead the NFL with seven miscellaneous touchdowns this season, which are broken down by three special teams scores and four on the defensive side of the ball.
On special teams, Hill has his two returns for touchdowns, while tight end Demetrius Harris returned a fumble on a kickoff for a touchdown against the New York Jets in Week 3.
Defensively, safety Eric Berry has returned two interceptions for touchdowns (Atlanta, Carolina), and both safety Daniel Sorensen (New Orleans) and linebacker Derrick Johnson (New York) have pick-sixes as well.
For the Titans, they've actually allowed more return touchdowns than any other team in the league this season with seven—three by fumble, two by interception and two by punt returns.
The Chiefs have thrived on takeaways and big plays from the defense and special teams, and it's something to watch again on Sunday.
4. Titans rushing attack is the real deal
Titans running back DeMarco Murray ranks second in the NFL this season with 1,135 yards rushing on 250 carries with nine touchdowns.
Led by one of the league's top offensive lines, the Titans don't just run the football periodically to make their numbers look good; they love to run the rock.
Overall, the Titans have run the football on 48.6 percent of their offensive plays this season, which ranks second most in the league.
They also lead the league with 50.8 percent of their rushes gaining at least 4 yards.
The Chiefs defense, which lives by the "bend but don't break" mentality, has allowed an average of 122.9 yards rushing per game. 5. Red zone efficiency highlights strength vs. strength
While the Chiefs defense has allowed a significant number of yards over the course of the season, the fact is they haven't given up a proportionate amount of points because they tend to buck up when an opposing offense gets inside the red zone.
The Chiefs defense has allowed touchdowns just 46.7 percent of the time an opposing offense has gotten inside the red zone, which is fifth best in the league. They have also taken the ball away seven times inside the red zone, which leads the league.
On the flipside, the Titans boast the league's best red zone offense—scoring touchdowns 71.4 percent of the time they get inside the 20-yard line.
Much of that success can be attributed to their offensive line and running game.
According to the premium stats at Pro Football Focus, the Titans' left tackle, Taylor Lewan, and their right tackle, rookie Jack Conklin, both rank in the top seven of the league among tackles this year.
Both of their guards, Josh Kline (RG) and Quinton Spain (LG), also rank in the top half of the league at their respective positions.
The Titans lead the league in yards per play inside the red zone at 4.02. 6. Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota will stand in the pocket
He can beat you with his arm or his legs, but for as athletic as he's shown to be here in his second NFL season, Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota isn't afraid to stay in the pocket.
Mariota is averaging 6.1 yards per carry this season, but according to PFF, he's averaging 5.59 seconds in the pocket before he takes off and scrambles. Only six quarterbacks in the league can say they wait any longer, and few of them have the athleticism of Mariota.
Mariota also averages 2.78 seconds before he throws the football. Only six quarterbacks in the league can say they wait any longer.
7. Titans tight end Delanie Walker presents a challenge
There isn't a player on the Titans roster who has been targeted more in the passing game this season than Walker, who played collegiately down the road at the University of Central Missouri.
Walker has 51 receptions on 79 targets for 687 yards receiving with six touchdowns.
The other top receiving targets for the Titans are receivers Rishard Matthews (76 TAR, 49 REC, 695 YDS, 7 TDs) and Tajae Sharpe (69 TAR, 36 REC, 464 YDS, 2 TDs). 8. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce looks for a franchise record
Kelce is currently in the midst of a four-game streak in which he's had at least 100 yards receiving, which ties him with future Hall of Famer and Chiefs legend, Tony Gonzalez, for the most in franchise history.
Before this streak, which started on November 20 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kelce had three games in the first 41 games of his career in which he had at least 100 yards receiving, and now he's put together four straight heading into Sunday.
9. Playoff scenarios for the Chiefs
There are five different ways the Chiefs can earn a playoff berth this weekend:
1) KC win
2) KC tie MIA loss
3) KC tie DEN loss or tie
4) DEN loss BAL loss or tie
5) DEN loss PIT loss or tie 10. Titans pass rush comes from all over the place
In looking at the traditional box scores, linebackers Brian Orakpo (10 sacks) and Derrick Morgan (9 sacks) are the playmakers for the Titans defense, but the truth is there's a lot coming your way from defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who is one of the league's greatest defensive minds and is in his 58th year in the league.
According to the pass rush productivity numbers from PFF (premium stats), both Titans defensive ends—Karl Klug and Jurrell Casey—rank among the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league in generating pressures. Those two have combined for 72 pressures this season.