Two days after the Chiefs defeated the Titans 49-38, we look to see what the Kansas City sportswriters are saying about the Chiefs win.

''The Kansas City Chiefs put a new twist on what for most of Monday night looked like another in a series of heartbreaking defeats.

The Chiefs, succeeding where they had failed so many times this season, marched down the field. They benefited from two Tennessee penalties - one an offside, the other a debatable roughing the passer - and moved inside the Titan 10.

The Titans gouged the Chiefs for 542 yards. Volek was 29 of 43 for 426 yards and four touchdowns.

'Some people may have turned their sets off early, but these teams were in the playoffs last year,' Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said. 'That doesn't mean we can't play good football, but I'd rather not play it that way on defense.'

In the first half, the Chiefs didn't figure out a way to cover Tennessee wide receiver Drew Bennett. He had eight receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns before halftime.

Much of the damage was at the expense of cornerback William Bartee. Bennett had scores of 42 and 22 yards, the last coming with 9 seconds left in the first half to send the Titans into the break with a 21-14 lead.''
Adam Teicher
The Kansas City Star

''For anyone who didn't catch Monday's Chiefs-Titans prime-time matchup — and since the teams entered the game with a combined eight wins, much of the football-watching public probably didn't bother — the final score of Chiefs 49, Titans 38 could not have been more misleading.

This was not a comfortable Chiefs victory. Then again, not many are.

Of course, some of the credit for Monday night's victory should go to the Titans, who have now been outscored 124-65 in the fourth quarter this season.

The Titans, 4-9, couldn't tackle Johnson, couldn't cover Kennison — or for that matter, seldom-used wideout Chris Horn, who made a crucial 17-yard reception on the Chiefs' final scoring drive — and hurt themselves with silly penalties as well as shaky clock management.''
Ivan Carter
The Kansas City Star

''It was no secret coming into Monday night's game that the Tennessee Titans might try to isolate 6-foot-5, 206-pound receiver Drew Bennett on any Chiefs defensive back unfortunate enough to cover him.

The Chiefs, after all, had access to tapes from the Titans' loss at Indianapolis last week, a game in which Bennett had first-quarter touchdown receptions of 48, 28 and 48 yards. Still, the Chiefs looked as if they had no idea who Bennett was. The lanky speedster torched their secondary with 12 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns.

It was the most prolific receiving day posted by a Chiefs opponent since Warren Moon and Haywood Jeffires hooked up for 245 yards in December 1990.

The real heartbreaker for the Chiefs came with 15 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Facing first and 10 from the Kansas City 22, Titans quarterback Billy Volek walked to the line of scrimmage, looked to his left and saw this: Bennett split out wide in a one-on-one matchup against 5-10, 195-pound Chiefs cornerback Dexter McCleon.

Was there really any secret about what Volek was going to do? Bennett beat McCleon off the line of scrimmage at the snap of the ball, and Volek dropped in a perfect pass in the back of the end zone. Bennett's second touchdown of the half gave Tennessee a 21-14 lead. McCleon was beaten for a touchdown by Oakland's Jerry Porter in the same manner last Sunday.

But at least Volek and Bennett had to earn that score.

Bennett was all but uncovered on a 42-yard score earlier in the second quarter. On that play, Bennett lined up in the left slot and was covered by William Bartee. Bennett ran a crossing route and came free when Bartee bumped into linebacker Monty Beisel. That gave Bennett all the space he needed to break free and catch Volek's pass before turning up the far sideline and racing for the score.

'Right now, we just can't cover anybody deep,' Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil said as he walked off the field at halftime.

That would have to go down as one of the all-time understatements of Vermeil's coaching career. In reality, the Chiefs couldn't cover anybody deep or short. Not early, not ever.''
Randy Covitz
The Kansas City Star

''Well, in the end, I learned three things in Nashville.

1. The names of each member of the band Alabama. Don't ask.

2. You can't necessarily trust a Nashville policeman's directions.

3. Wow, that Kansas City Chiefs defense is bad.

OK, we all knew No. 3 before Monday night's free-for-all against the Tennessee Titans. The Chiefs did win 49-38. Larry Johnson ran wild as if he was facing Indiana all over again. Trent Green led the team down the field in the final 2 minutes for the comeback victory.

Still, it's worth noting — while watching somebody named Billy Volek carve up the Chiefs defense for a half-million passing yards and four touchdowns in front of America's sports fans — that this season, the Chiefs may very well become the first team in NFL history to score 450 points in a season and finish with a losing record.

Monday night was a quintessential performance. Tennessee was forced to start Volek. Their starting running back was hurt. The Titans were averaging less than three touchdowns per game when they had all their starters.

So what happened? In the first half — the first half—– receiver Drew Bennett caught eight passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. It was like watching a video game. Most of the time, Bennett victimized cornerback William Bartee, who looked utterly baffled out there. On one play, Bartee collided with a linebacker, Bennett caught a short pass and ran a nice, easy 42 yards for a touchdown. It was easier than breathing.

Yes, these were the only two groups in Nashville that didn't play covers.

Hey, the Coliseum was the only club in Nashville that didn't charge a cover.

Then, the Titans' problems are more than defense. They are just not a good football team this year. The Chiefs, on the other hand, led the NFL in scoring the last two years, they are second in the league now, and they have gotten a big fat nothing out of it. You hear offensive guys constantly talking about how they won't blame the defense, they can't blame the defense, this is a team, on and on.''
Joe Posnanski
The Kansas City Star