The Kansas City Chiefs were blown out 26-9 by the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 and watched their starting quarterback hurt his knee in consecutive games.
Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew suffered a knee injury early in the game and was feared to have suffered a torn ACL, but after further evaluation, an ACL tear was avoided but he will still miss time.
Minshew completed just three of eight passes for 15 yards before his exit and he was replaced by backup Chris Oladokun. Oladokun completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and was sacked four times for a total loss of 44 yards.
With many key players out and the team already eliminated from playoff contention, the team looked dead out there. The offense didn’t click and couldn’t generate much against a weak Titans defense.
“Even against the rebuilding Titans, the Chiefs couldn't get consistent pressure on Ward and the secondary struggled for much of the day in coverage,” ESPN’s Nate Taylor wrote Sunday. “On offense, the Chiefs gained just 133 yards on 43 plays. The playcalling from coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Matt Nagy was puzzling at times, allowing the Titans to collect four sacks. The offense converted only one third-down play on nine attempts.”
This team looked nothing like the Chiefs of the recent past and they were embarrassed against a 12-loss team. The defense couldn’t contain Titans QB Cam Ward and he looked comfortable all day long.
Ward completed 21 of 28 passes for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He looked comfortable against a defense that was still playing veterans despite injuries and nothing being on the line.
“Despite the Chiefs already being out of the postseason, Reid still decided to play more veterans than rookies or inexperienced players,” Taylor wrote. “Safety Mike Edwards, a six-year veteran, was on the field more than Jaden Hicks, a second-year player. Rookies such as receiver Jalen Royals, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and running back Brashard Smith rarely saw the field. Why not let the youngsters get more game experience to help their development?”
Head coach Andy Reid should take some notes from Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, who has opened the door for rookies and backups to play more and try to prove their worth for next season. Even though this season isn’t going to result in a playoff berth, there are incentives to playing hard down the stretch.
The Chiefs will host the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football in Week 17.