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Patrick Mahomes and Derrick Henry headline a tremendous match-up this weekend on Sunday Night Football. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tennessee Titans sit atop their respective divisions with 5-2 records. However, their paths to success this season have been in stark contrast.
Believe it or not, the Chiefs were an afterthought to many prior to the season. Justin Herbert and the Chargers were to take the next step (key injuries among their issues). Russell Wilson was to provide positive stability under center for Denver (yikes!). Even the Raiders were thought by some to be a sleeper in the AFC West (thus far, they have simply been asleep). Eight weeks into the season, once again the Chiefs are alone in first place.
In the AFC South, the Titans opened the campaign with a Week 1 loss at home to the surprising Giants followed by a whooping in Buffalo to the Bills. The narrative quickly had Mike Vrabel‘s team buried and Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars taking over as the “it” team in the division. Well, Derrick Henry and the Titans decided they were still Kings of the division and they proceeded to rip off five straight wins.
As mentioned, the Chiefs and the Titans meet Sunday Night in Kansas City…and its on NBC. Tune in. Be a part of the excitement. Prepare for the game and play SN7 on the NBC Sports Predictor App. It is FREE and offers an opportunity to win or split a $100,000 jackpot. Download the NBC Sports Predictor app to join the party right now. There are other free-to-play games on the app including contests focusing on the Premier League, MLB, NASCAR, Notre Dame football, and College Football in general. Download it now and enjoy.
To help you out, here are some statistics and suggested picks to three of the questions from this week’s game.
1. Patrick Mahomes Passing Yards and Passing Touchdowns
< 280 Yards, 280-299 Yards, 300-319 Yards, 320-339 Yards, 340-359 Yards or 360+ Yards
0-1, 2, 3, or 4+ Passing Touchdowns
Through seven games of the 2022-23 season, Patrick Mahomes has thrown for 2,159 yards (3rd in NFL) with 20 touchdowns (1st in NFL) against just 5 interceptions. Mahomes has the Chiefs once again in atop the AFC West and one of the true contenders to claim the Lombardi Trophy in Arizona in February.
The last three weeks Mahomes has been masterful throwing for a minimum of 292 yards and two touchdowns each week.
The Chiefs and Titans have met three times in the Mahomes era (all in the last three seasons) with mixed results. Overall, he has compiled a passer rating of 103 with 946 yards along with six touchdowns and one interception. His most recent meeting with Tennessee was less than stellar as Mahomes threw for just 206 yards (20-35) with zero TDs and one interception.
A team coached by Mike Vrabel will always be prepared no matter the opponent. The gameplan for the Titans has to be run the ball and bleed the clock. Keep Mahomes, Kelce, and the other Chiefs’ weapons off the field for as much of the game as possible. It will be a true contrast of styles. That said, expect the Chiefs to prevail despite Patrick Mahomes throwing for less than 280 yards along with 3 TDs.
3. Travis Kelce Receiving Yards and Touchdowns
< 55 Yards, 55-69 Yards, 70-84 Yards, 85-99 Yards, 100-114 Yards or 115+ Yards
0, 1, 2+ Receiving Touchdowns
Like Mahomes, Travis Kelce has kicked it up a notch in recent weeks. In three of the last four weeks, the All-Pro Tight End has surpassed 90 yards receiving. The one week he failed to reach that number was three games ago against the Raiders when he caught four touchdown passes. Each of the last four weeks the 10-year veteran out of the University of Cincinnati has hauled in at least six passes. We are not breaking new ground when we say Travis Kelce is Patrick Mahomes go-to guy.
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In his career against the Tennessee Titans, Kelce has 27 receptions for 326 yards and 2 touchdowns in six games. Taking a look at just the last three meetings while Mahomes has been his quarterback, Kelce has averaged 5.67 receptions and 56.67 yards per game with one touchdown reception in those three games.
As discussed earlier, Tennessee will look to slow the game down and limit possessions for the KC locomotive. Mahomes will seek out his security blanket Kelce often, but it may not translate into huge numbers. Expect him to catch 6 balls for 55-69 yards BUT two of those catches to result in touchdowns.
4. Derrick Henry Rushing Yards and Touchdowns
< 75 Yards, 75-89 Yards, 90-99 Yards, 100-109 Yards, 110-124 Yards or 125+ Yards
0, 1 or 2+ Rushing Touchdowns
Is the King back? After averaging a pedestrian 64 yards per game the first three games of the season, Derrick Henry has eclipsed the 100 yard mark each of the past four games including a monster Sunday this past weekend when he ran for 219 yards on 32 carries against Houston. The Titans Malik Willis started under center and the focus of the Houston Texans’ defense was squarely on Henry, but the King delivered as he so often has.
Derrick Henry has faced the Chiefs three times in his career. The last two have been in the Andy Reid/Patrick Mahomes era so let’s focus on those two. In 2019 he rushed for 188 yards on 23 carries. Henry toted the rock 29 times for 86 yards in a 2021 encounter with Kansas City. In each game, Tennessee was determined to run the ball with their All-Pro. No reason to think this game will be any different. The question is whether you believe the KC defense can get the push they need against the Tennessee O-line to slow Henry.
Expect Henry to get his carries and help wear down the Chiefs’ defense while keeping Mahomes and co. on the sidelines. However, can the Titans stay in the game long enough for their rushing attack to wear down the Chiefs’ defense? A Derrick Henry stat line of over 20 carries and 125+ yards with one TD may not equate to a Tennessee victory but it is a reasonable expectation of the King.
It may be just that easy to secure a share of the $100,000 jackpot. Best of luck. Enjoy Football Night in America on NBC and enjoy the sweat. Click here to get started with the NBC Sports Predictor app.
