Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs are historic rivals that played an integral role in the formation of the current NFL landscape. In 1959, late Titans owner K.S. “Bud” Adams, Jr. and the late Lamar Hunt, founder of the Chiefs, spearheaded the “Foolish Club,” a group of eight original American Football League teams that would begin play in 1960.
Adams’ Oilers played in Houston until moving to Tennessee in 1997, while Hunt’s original Dallas Texans moved to Kansas City in 1963. In 1970, the AFL and NFL merged, and the Oilers and Chiefs became members of the American Football Conference.
The last two times the clubs squared off at Arrowhead Stadium were playoff games—most recently the 2019 AFC Championship game played on January 19th, 2020. The Chiefs earned a trip to Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers, which they ultimately won, by defeating the Titans 35-24. Patrick Mahomes passed for 294 yards and three scores for the Chiefs.
In a wild card game at Kansas City on January 6th, 2018, the Titans trailed 21-3 at the start of the second half but came back to win 22-21, tying the second-largest comeback by a road team in NFL playoff history. Running back Derrick Henry set a then-franchise playoff record with 191 scrimmage yards, while quarterback Marcus Mariota completed two touchdown passes, including one to himself on a deflected pass.
Tennessee is 3-2 against the Chiefs at Nissan Stadium, including a 27-3 victory on October 24th, 2021 in the most recent meeting at the Titans’ home. The Titans defense forced three turnovers and totaled four sacks, while Henry rushed for 86 yards and completed a touchdown pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt.
On December 18th, 2016, the Titans played their coldest game in franchise history, with a kickoff temperature at Arrowhead Stadium of 1 degree. Ryan Succop nailed a 53-yard field goal as time expired to give the Titans the win.
Prior to their 2017 wild card battle and 2019 AFC title bout, the two franchises have played two other playoff games, and the Chiefs were victorious both times. They met on Dec. 12, 1962 in the third AFL Championship Game, a contest won by the then-Dallas Texans over the Oilers on a Tommy Brooker field goal in double overtime. On January 16th, 1994, Kansas City’s Joe Montana completed three touchdown passes in the second half to help defeat Warren Moon and the Oilers 28-20.
Most Recent Matchups
2017 Wild Card • Jan. 6, 2018 • TITANS 22 at Chiefs 21
The Tennessee Titans score 19 unanswered points to erase an 18-point deficit in the second half. Derrick Henry rushes for 156 of the team’s 202 rushing yards. Marcus Mariota completes a six-yard touchdown to himself on a batted pass and adds a game-winning touchdown pass to Eric Decker in the fourth quarter.
The Titans defense shuts out the Chiefs in the second half, allowing three first downs and 61 yards in the final two quarters.
2019 Week 10 • Nov. 10, 2019 • Chiefs 32 at TITANS 35
Ryan Tannehill completes a game-winning 23-yard touchdown pass to Adam Humphries with 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs fail on two potential late field goals, including an aborted play and Joshua Kalu’s block of Harrison Butker’s 52-yard attempt.
Derrick Henry rushes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, including a 68-yard score. Linebacker Rashaan Evans scores on a 53-yard fumble return. Patrick Mahomes returns from injury to lead the Chiefs with 446 passing yards, the most allowed by the Titans in franchise history.
2019 AFC Championship • Jan. 19, 2020 • Titans 24 at CHIEFS 35
The eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs rally from a pair of 10-point deficits in the first half (10-0 and 17-7), taking the lead late in the second quarter on a 27-yard touchdown run by quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to pull away, first on Damien Williams’ three-yard run and then Mahomes’ 60-yard pass to Sammy Watkins.
Mahomes throws for 294 yards and three touchdowns, while Ryan Tannehill passes for 209 yards and two scores. The Chiefs limit Derrick Henry to 69 rushing yards and one touchdown on 19 attempts.
2021 Week 7 • Oct. 24, 2021 • Chiefs 3 at TITANS 27
The Tennessee Titans score the game’s first 27 points—all in the first half—and hold the Kansas City Chiefs to a field goal in the third quarter. The Titans offense scores on its first five drives of the contest. Ryan Tannehill throws for 270 yards with a 24-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown (133 yards on eight catches).
The Titans defense registers one interception and two fumble recoveries and totals four sacks, including a pair of sacks by Denico Autry. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is held to a 62.3 passer rating. Derrick Henry rushes for 86 yards and throws a touchdown pass to tight end MyCole Pruitt.
