They couldn’t make it happen again.
It was a magical season for the Tennessee Titans, who righted their season after a 2-4 start, but it came to an end with a 35-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.
Here are some quick observations we made throughout the game.
– Ryan Tannehill and the offense took the field first.
– The Titans opened up with a Derrick Henry run for an easy gain of four yards.
– 49 days since the Titans made a field goal, place kicker Greg Joseph nailed a 38-yarder on the opening drive.
– The Titans opened up in man-to-man coverage, with safety Kevin Byard on tight end Travis Kelce.
– The Tennessee defense forced a three-and-out on Kansas City’s opening drive, giving the team a chance to make their way down the field again.
– Bashaud Breeland made what looked like a diving interception at the 21 to stop a Titans drive filled with momentum, but it was overturned and ruled an incompletion.
– The Titans went for it on 4th & 2, and wide receiver Adam Humpries reeled it in.
– Tennessee ran the wildcat, taking it in for the 4-yard touchdown.
– Kansas City too converted on 4th & 2 on the following drive with a connection between quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Kelce.
– Mahomes hit Tyreek Hill for the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the game.
– Rashaan Evans left the game with an apparent injury, favoring his left foot and was considered questionable to return.
– A big defensive pass interference call got the Titans out of a bad 3rd & 22 situation, and they capped off the drive with offensive lineman Dennis Kelly’s second touchdown of the season.
– Mahomes and Hill continued their chemistry, with a 20-yard touchdown reception.
– Mahomes made the Titans defense miss twice on an impressive touchdown run to give the Chiefs their first lead of the game right before halftime.
– The Titans missed a huge 1st & 5 opportunity midway through the third quarter as they continued to trail the Chiefs by a score.
– The Chiefs extended their lead to two scores as running back Damien Williams took it in on the edge at the top of the fourth quarter.
– Mahomes sent a 60-yarder to Watkins, sending the Titans down by three scores — a deficit that would prove too much to come back with such little time left in the game.
– Safety Amani Hooker caught a pass from Brett Kern on a fake punt. Tight end Anthony Firkser ended the drive with a touchdown reception.
– Tannehill fell down on the last play of the Titans’ last-ditch effort at the bottom of the fourth quarter, putting the nail in the coffin.
