Chiefs vs. Titans: Week 9 Preview and Predictions

Coming out of their bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs are looking to get their sixth win of the 2022 campaign against an opponent they've struggled a bit against in recent years.

The Tennesee Titans come rolling into town ready to square off versus Kansas City on the Sunday Night Football stage. These two teams have quite a recent history, including an AFC Championship Game battle that resulted in a Chiefs victory and a Titans blowout upset win. That's just the tip of the iceberg regarding these two clubs, which makes Sunday's game a prime television choice to tune into.

With both teams standing at 5-2 entering Sunday's play, there's a lot to play for on both sides. For the Titans, they're hoping that a stout defense and elite running game will be enough to keep the Chiefs' high-flying offense off the field for the majority of the outing. The Chiefs, on the other hand, are aiming for continued excellence on the offensive side of the ball and some growth from a young defense. This isn't an absolute must-win game for either squad, but a victory sure does help for seeding purposes in the AFC.

How will tonight's game unfold? The Arrowhead Report crew makes their predictions.

Joshua Brisco: Even if Ryan Tannehill plays and looks close to his healthy self, the Titans’ offense is lacking the back-breaking playmaker who has damaged the Chiefs in the recent past. Without A.J. Brown — even with Derrick Henry — the Titans don’t have the firepower to keep up with an even semi-functioning Chiefs offense. Off a bye, I like those odds.

Prediction: Chiefs 30, Titans 13

Jordan Foote: The Titans' quarterback situation doesn't particularly impact the Chiefs' chances to win in a major way, as Malik Willis' legs pose almost as much of a challenge as Ryan Tannehill's arm. Neither element is daunting at this juncture, and Tennesee's run game won't be enough to keep them in the game if Kansas City's offense is firing. Betting against Andy Reid coming off a bye week is foolish, even considering the Titans' track record against the Chiefs over the past few years. The home favorites may not cover in this one, but it won't be much of a close game either.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Titans 20

Mark Van Sickle: A lot of things are lining up for this to be a big win for the Chiefs, which makes me want to keep expectations lower. With that said, it’s Andy Reid coming off a bye and Patrick Mahomes in primetime — a double-digit win is theirs for the taking. The defense will need to keep Derrick Henry in check, and Tennessee's quarterback decision is shaping up to be a game-time one. I’m interested to see if rookies Isiah Pacheco and Skyy Moore get an expanded role post-bye. The defensive rookies will continue to get a good amount of playing time, and everyone is looking forward to seeing Trent McDuffie back in the secondary.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Titans 17

Conner Christopherson: I have a weird feeling about this one. That feeling is probably stemming from the Chiefs' terrible record vs. the Titans in the Andy Reid era plus the fact the Chiefs are heavy favorites. I do think that weird feeling will manifest, still. In listening to The Athletic Football Show talk about the Titans' defense, it became clear that the unit does a lot of nice things. While it is preferred that the Chiefs show out as they did against the 49ers, I don’t know if that will happen. It'll be close.

Prediction: Chiefs 24, Titans 20

Zack Eisen: The Chiefs are back from the bye and have a Sunday Night Football matchup with the 5-2 Tennessee Titans. The Titans are currently on a five-game winning streak, primarily due to Derrick Henry’s dominance. It is unclear who will start for Tennessee but no matter who it is, the Chiefs’ main focus will be stopping Henry. Without Frank Clark, it’ll be up to rookie George Karlaftis to set the edge early and not let the Titans' running game get going. If he and the rest of the defense can do that, Patrick Mahomes and the offense should be able to put up points, allowing the Chiefs to play with the lead and naturally neutralize Tennessee’s ground game.

Prediction: Chiefs 34, Titans 19

Marlow Ferguson Jr.: Regardless of which quarterback gets the start for the Titans, it was a difficult sell imagining them winning this game because of who Kansas City’s signal caller is. The Titans deserve some credit for rising from the ashes of an 0-2 start and putting together a five-game winning streak on the backs of Derrick Henry’s brilliance, but they’ve yet to score anything higher than 24 points in any game. That’s sustainable against the Colts and Commanders, but not so much against an offense averaging 31.9 points with a history of elevating after a bye week. This feels like the type of game where the Chiefs pull out their touchdown bingo cards and get a few different players involved, leading to a mostly-comfortable win.

Prediction: Chiefs 27, Titans 15

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