The Kansas City Chiefs are double-digit favorites to defeat the Tennessee Titans on Sunday night, but Patrick Mahomes is not taking his Week 9 opponent lightly.
Last year, the Titans held Mahomes out of the end zone in a dominant 27-3 win at Nissan Stadium. Via The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, Kansas City’s star quarterback recalled the blowout when looking ahead to their rematch.
“Last year, we weren’t ready and they beat our ass,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “This team is a lot better than (people) talk about them. People don’t talk about their D-line.”
The Titans sacked Mahomes four times last season while limiting him to 206 passing yards and a pick. While the loss represented the nadir of Kansas City’s 2021 season, the team responded by winning nine of its final 10 regular-season contests.
Tennessee has quietly rebounded from an 0-2 start to win five straight games. The AFC South leaders have allowed just 19.7 points per game with the second-ranked rushing defense. Jeffery Simmons and Demarcus Walker anchor an imposing defensive line that Mahomes isn’t overlooking.
However, the Titans are also last in total offense, and starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill is questionable for Sunday’s game after missing last week’s 17-10 win over the Houston Texans.
In Tannehill’s place, rookie Malik Willis completed six of just 10 pass attempts for 55 yards and a pick. That formula almost certainly won’t work when opposing the league’s scoring leaders.
Mahomes will look to get payback on the Titans during NBC’s Sunday Night Football showcase, starting at 8:20 p.m. ET.