Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs recap: The Chiefs are back in grand style as they win the AFC West

Perhaps the seeds to the 2010 season for the Kansas City Chiefs were witnessed in their final game in 2009.  In that contest the 3-12 Chiefs traveled to Denver to take on a Broncos team battling for a playoff spot.  Surprisingly Kansas City rolled up 317 yards on the ground, 256 by Jamaal Charles, to shock the Broncos 44-24 & finish 4-12.  Yesterday the Chiefs completed their remarkable turnaround from the last three seasons with a resounding 34-14 thumping of the Titans to claim their first AFC West Championship since the Dick Vermiel days of 2003. 

This contest was really not close from the very beginning.  On their first four possessions the Chiefs ran 30 plays, gained 258 yards & took a 24-0 lead.  Jamaal Charles hauled in two touchdown passes from Matt Cassel on their first two possessions to stake the Chiefs to a 14-0 lead after one quarter.  Ryan Succop booted a 35 yard field goal early in the second quarter to extend the lead to 17-0. 

When Cassel hit Dwayne Bowe with a dart across the middle that the talented wideout took to the endzone for a 75 yard touchdown the lead swelled to 24-0.  Kerry Collins got the Titans on the board with a 53 bomb to Kenny Britt to cut the deficit to 24-7.  On their next possession Collins was intercepted by Chiefs rookie safety Eric Berry, his fourth of the season, who took the melon 54 yards to paydirt for his first NFL touchdown.  That play gave KC a 31-7 lead going into halftime.  Game, set, match, bring on the Raiders. 

Or so everyone thought until the San Diego Chargers collapsed in the cold yet again, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals 34-20 in the late game.  That loss handed the 2010 AFC West crown to the Kansas City Chiefs, owners of a 10-5 record.  The Chiefs are back!!

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Gardner's Grades:

Offense:  A       Matt Cassel & Co. rolled up 458 yards total offense on the day despite essentially coasting for the duration of the second half.   Cassel finished with 24 completions on 34 attempts for 314 yards, three touchdowns & no interceptions.  Not bad for a guy barely 18 days removed from surgery.  Jamaal Charles carried the ball 13 times for 77 rushing yards to compliment his four receptions for 40 yards & two touchdowns.  Dwayne Bowe snagged six balls for 153 yards & a touchdown.  Tight end Tony Moeaki had five catches for 63 yards.  Overall the balance & production from this unit looked downright professional.

Defense:  A       The Chiefs defense limited Chris Johnson to 58 rushing yards on 14 carries.  They allowed Tennessee 16 first downs & 270 yards of total offense on the day.  They forced eight punts, held the Titans to 3 of 12 on 3rd down conversions, intercepted Collins twice & sacked him three times.  While they weren't dominant in this contest the defense was consistently stingy.  Other than that 53 yard touchdown bomb from Collins to Britt, Titans fans had very little to cheer for on the day.     

Special Teams:  C        Dustin Colquitt had a healthy 46.4 yards per punt average but pinned the Titans inside the 20 only once.  Succop made field goals of 35 & 42 but missed one from 47.   Kick coverage & returns were adequate, nothing special.  Something tells me this phase of the game will take on added importance for the Chiefs come playoff time.

Coaching:  A       You can call this grade one for the entire season for the coaching staff who have engineered this remarkable turnaround.  The Chiefs fan base, fiercely loyal & firmly in place since 1963, may want to tip their caps to Todd Haley, Charlie Weis & Romeo Crennel for returning respectability to this very proud franchise.  The accomplishment of a division title & a spot in the playoffs feels like an overachievement for this team.  Come playoff time this staff will be challenged again to continue the streak of success this team is enjoying.

Looking ahead:

It is a touch sad that the Chiefs-Raiders game next Sunday now means so little in the scheme of the playoffs.  It appears most probable that the Chiefs will host the Jets on Wild Card weekend JAN 8 or 9.  However, if KC loses to the Raiders, & the Colts knock off the Titans in their finale, then the Chiefs would host the Ravens instead.  It feels to me like either the Jets or the Ravens would prove a worthy playoff foe for the surging Chiefs.  For Chiefs fans, it's an extension of Christmas to even think about the possibilities!

By Allan Gardner
ProFootball-fans.com Kansas City Chiefs Correspondent