John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
The Kansas City Chiefs have been by far the biggest surprise of this young NFL season already and currently sit as one of the few remaining unbeaten teams. Thanks to new head coach Andy Reid and the addition of quarterback Alex Smith, this team looks like it is clicking on all cylinders right now.
With the offense being engineered by a guy that rarely turns the ball over — Smith — and a rushing attack that ranks 13th in the league with nearly 121 yards per game, the Chiefs are becoming more and more consistent than they could ever have dreamed of being a season ago.
Jamaal Charles and his quarterback have been a big reason why the running game is taking off, but Sunday they face a Tennessee Titans defense that is allowing less than 100 yards per game at exactly 99.0.
While the Titans will be without starting quarterback Jake Locker, backup Ryan Fitzpatrick will at least hope to keep defenses honest. Kansas City can’t afford to let this game ease up on them and catch them by surprise.
The two things Kansas City has going for them are, first and foremost their rushing attack; and secondly their pass defense which ranks 2nd in the league allowing just 188.8 yards per game.
If the Chiefs can control the line of scrimmage against a very much-improved Tennessee front, they will have a shot to keep their ground success going. Not abandoning the run will be a major key to winning the game. On the other hand, stopping Chris Johnson will be another huge key now that Locker is gone. Johnson should be the focal point of the offense now, one would suspect.
Overall, this could wind up being a game where both teams score under 20 points and one squad comes out with a gritty win. If Smith and Charles get some solid play from the offensive line, they will be in great shape to control the clock and thus not giving Fitzpatrick any sort of rhythm. The Chiefs are one day away from being 5-0, but the Titans should not be taken lightly.
Ryan Heckman is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
