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Tennessee Titans @ Kansas City Chiefs Preview

OFFENSE

Rushing: The Titans face another defense this weekend that they should be able to run the ball against.  Tomorrow is going to be a prime day for running the ball in Kansas City with temperatures expected to be around 30 degrees at kickoff.  The Chiefs are giving up 123 yards a game on the ground, and just last week they gave up 215 yards rushing to the Broncos.

All of this sets up for a big day for LenDale White.  Guys don't like trying to bring him down when it is warm outside, much less when it is freezing.  This could be another game where he averages around 3 yards per carry for the first 3 quarters, but gets 5+ yards per carry in the 4th.  Look for Chris Brown to get another 5-10 carries to spell the big man when he is tired.

Passing: The Chiefs defense is much better against the pass only giving up 200 yards per game.  It will be very important for Vince Young to take care of the ball in this game.  The Chiefs struggle on offense, so the Titans offense does not need to help them out by giving them a short field.  The Chiefs will probably try to keep Vince in the pocket as most teams have this season.

The Chiefs have 2 very good pass rushing defensive ends in Jared Allen (11.5 sacks) and Tamba Hali (6 sacks).  They will get pressure with these guys, but look for them to send some blitzers at other times as well.  Derrick Johnson, who played at Texas with Vince, is having a really good 3rd season.  The Titans will need to look for him coming on blitzes from his linebacker position.

DEFENSE

Rushing: The Chiefs were one of the best rushing teams in the league last season, but have been terrible rushing the ball this season.  They rank dead last in the league gaining 80 yards per game.  Of course, a lot of that has to do with the fact that Larry Johnson has missed a good portion of the season with a foot injury.  The Chiefs are down to rookie 5th round pick Kolby Smith at running back.  Smith had a good game against the Oakland Raiders (150 yards, 2 TD) but has struggled since.

The Titans won't do much different than normal to stop the run this week especially if Albert Haynesworth is in there.  They should be able to contain Smith with just their front 7.

Passing: The Chiefs have struggled in the passing game this season as well.  They started out with Damon Huard at quarterback, but he has since been replaced by Brodie Croyle.  Their major weapon is Tony Gonzalez, but rookie Dwayne Bowe has emerged as a solid receiving threat.

The Titans will likely get after Croyle early and often.  Young quarterbacks are prone to make mistakes if they are forced to make quick decisions.  The Titans will do everything they can to make him feel uncomfortable every time he drops back to pass.