The Tennessee Titans earned their third win of the season on Sunday, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 26-9 in Week 16.
The first half was a battle between the defenses, with the Titans‘ defense drawing first blood by tackling Kareem Hunt in the end zone for a safety early in the second quarter. The Chiefs would respond with a field goal, but the Titans scored their first touchdown of the game to take a 9-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The second half was an entirely different game. Gardner Minshew went down in the first half with a knee injury, forcing Kansas City to play their third-string quarterback. The Chiefs were unable to overcome the setback and recorded only one more field goal in the game. Meanwhile, the Titans scored two more touchdowns in the second half to come away with the win.
Let’s take a look at the studs and duds (and studly duds) from this Week 16 matchup.
Stud: DT Jeffery Simmons
Simmons was an animal on the field today. He was all over the place defensively and got in on an offensive play again this week. He helped Tony Pollard get into the end zone for a touchdown, but it was called back due to a penalty that shouldn’t have been a penalty. But Simmons made his presence known early, and he maintained his energy and fierceness throughout the game. In the end, he recorded three tackles (two solo), two tackles for a loss, and two pass deflections.
Dud: RB Kalel Mullings
Mullings has been back on the field as part of the special teams unit, but last week and this week, he carried the ball on offense. He was ineffective today, recording zero yards on his sole carry, and he didn’t have much of an impact on special teams.
Stud: RB Tyjae Spears
There’s a reason that Tyjae Spears was our Player of the Game this week. He carried the ball 13 times for 52 yards and a touchdown, and caught five passes for an additional 53 yards. But it’s not just the stats that tell the story; Spears was highly effective on third down today. His vision, tenacity, and gritty style didn’t just sustain drives; they sustained momentum and morale.
Dud: LB Jihad Ward
Ward managed to get to the quarterback at the end of the game, but he was largely absent for the rest of the game. He recorded one tackle, half a sack, and one pass deflection. His impact was minimal.
Stud: QB Cam Ward
Cam Ward had a career day in Nashville on Sunday, going 21-for-28 for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked twice, but his quarterback rating was 122.3, his highest of the season. He also set a new franchise record for the most passing yards by a rookie in franchise history. There were several times today that Ward extended drives by sheer will.
Dud: LB Dorian Mausi
Mausi is mostly a special teams player, but he sees defensive snaps at times. Today against the Chiefs, Mausi was penalized for a hold and recorded just one tackle (solo). His impact was minimal at best, and negative at worst.
Studly stud: TE Gunnar Helm
Gunnar Helm has emerged as one of Cam Ward’s more reliable targets. Against the Chiefs today, he was targeted three times, catching two passes for nine yards. So, he did what was asked of him today, but he didn’t have a huge impact either.
More studs:
- TE Chig Okonkwo
- WR Chimere Dike
- RB Tony Pollard
- C Lloyd Cushenberry
- RT J.C. Latham
- LG Peter Skoronski
- S Amani Hooker
- LB James Williams Sr.
- LB Arden Key
- S Kendell Brooks
More duds:
- RB Julius Chestnut
- TE David Martin-Robinson
- LT Olisaemeka Udoh
- LB Cody Barton
- CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Studs and duds from Tennessee Titans’ 26-9 win over Kansas City Chiefs
