The Kansas City Chiefs are playing for pride down the stretch as the team has been officially eliminated from playoff contention after their 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.
What’s worse than missing the playoffs for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era? Watching Mahomes tear his ACL and PCL trying to mount a late comeback in that game.
Mahomes could be ready to go for Week 1 of the 2026 season, but the rest of this season will be spent rehabbing his left knee. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew will assume the starting role for the remainder of the season.
Minshew had his own chance to mount a comeback against Los Angeles, but threw a game-sealing interception, ending Kansas City’s slim chances of sneaking into the postseason.
Minshew and the Chiefs will take on the Tennessee Titans on the road in Week 16 in what would normally be an easy matchup, however, Kansas City is missing several offensive and defensive starters.
QB Cam Ward and the Titans stand a much better chance of upsetting the Chiefs now, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo won’t make it easy for the former No. 1 overall pick.
“The Titans face a suddenly winnable game against the Gardner Minshew-led Chiefs following Kansas City's elimination from playoff contention and Patrick Mahomes' torn left ACL,” ESPN’s Seth Walder wrote Saturday. “But the Chiefs present one issue for the Titans that has nothing to do with who is playing quarterback.
“Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense blitzes 35% of the time, the third-highest rate in the league. And that has been a particular weakness for Ward. While he currently ranks last in the NFL with a 31.2 QBR, that number drops to 13.7 when facing the blitz. Even with Ward's subtle improvements over the past two weeks (a 46.9 QBR from Week 11 on), he still has just a 9.5 QBR against the blitz. If the Titans want to get the better of the down-and-out Chiefs, Ward might need to connect on plays when Kansas City brings extra heat.”
Ward has been vulnerable to pressure and will still have a difficult time in the pocket despite the Chiefs missing star linebacker Leo Chenal and star cornerback Trent McDuffie.
I still expect the Chiefs to come away with the win, but don’t be surprised if the Titans play hard and find a way to steal a win from Kansas City.