What happened to the Chiefs run game against the Titans?

Looking at every single failed run down by KC against TEN to figure out what the problem was (and wasn't)

The Chiefs run game stunk out loud against the Tennessee Titans.

This is hardly cutting-edge analysis. Kansas City’s complete inability to run the ball Sunday (other than Patrick Mahomes making plays with his legs) stuck out to anyone watching. If one takes Mahomes’ scrambles out of the equation, Chiefs rushers (on plays not wiped out by penalties) carried the ball 13 times for a total of 14 yards. That comes out to an abysmal 1.1 yards per carry… if you round it up from 1.07.

The Chiefs also lost 20 yards on a pair of penalties (one a hold, one an illegal hands to the face) on run plays. In other words, the Kansas City’s run game “gained” a net negative of six yards against the Titans. Without taking a look, that has to be one of the most futile efforts in history.

Carrington Harrison @cdotharrison

The Chiefs RB’s had 6 carries for 5 yards in the first half. Their offense being entirely one dimensional at times is a major issue.

So what happened? There’s been a great deal of talk following the game about Kansas City’s running backs and some of their weaknesses that could lead to problems moving the ball on the ground. There’s also been a lot of discussion about Andy Reid’s play calling and the offensive line. In other words, blame has been shifted from one group to the next to the next, and generally who one blames seems to depend on one’s prior opinions about the RB’s, OL, and Reid.

But what REALLY happened? It’s important to take out preconceived notions and try and uncover what the actual problem was on a snap by snap basis. The only way to find out is to look at every play, diagnose where the problem was, and then see if there was a pattern against the Titans. Does that sound horrible? Yes. Is that exactly what I’ve done? It is. Was it the worst? It was!

But it gives me an opportunity to talk about what went wrong on every play against the Titans, and what that tells us moving forward in terms of both good news and bad news. Let’s look at each play and then talk about what patterns there were. Maybe don’t read this on a full stomach, ok?