While it wasn't a Monday Night Football showdown between two playoff caliber teams, the 4-8 Chiefs and 4-8 Titans gave fans an exhilarating game that ended with Kansas City escaping the Coliseum with a 49-38 victory over Tennessee.

The Titans took a 38-35 lead with 1:39 to go in the game when Gary Anderson connected on a 27-yard field goal.

Kansas City quickly responded with an efficient drive down the field that ended with quarterback Trent Green finding a wide open Eddie Kennison in the end zone with 0:32 remaining to seal the win for the Chiefs.

The Chiefs added a final touchdown when Titans tight end Shad Meier attempted to lateral the ball to fullback Robert Holcombe after catching a pass from Volek.

Meier's pitch fell to the turf, allowing Chiefs linebacker Kawika Mitchell to scoop the ball and run 39 yards for the final touchdown.

Titans wide receiver Drew Bennett built on his breakout game last week at Indianapolis, adding another three touchdowns on a night when he grabbed 12 catches for 233 yards.

''I think Billy (Volek) took advantage of some good matchups tonight,'' Bennett said. ''He saw me manned up against a corner a couple of times and that's a play we've got to win. When it's one-on-one on the outside and he throws it up, I should win that.''

''(Defenses) are playing a lot of man-to-man,'' Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger said. ''We've gotten Drew matched up on the corners and he's done better winning one-on-one and he's made the tight catches (in the last two games).''

Bennett's performance ranks as the third best in franchise history and his three touchdown catches ties a Monday Night Football record set 11 previous times.

Tennessee jumped out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter and didn't trail in the game until Kansas City took a 35-28 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

The Titans defense started strong before being hurt by big plays.

Kansas City failed to score in the first quarter, but two big plays resulted in two touchdowns for the Chiefs in the second quarter.

Busted coverages in the Titans secondary allowed Kennison and Johnnie Morton to get free for long touchdown passes.

In the second half, with the Titans wary of the Chiefs big play capability, Kansas City unleashed running back Larry Johnson.

''We talked all week about how there wasn't much of a dropoff between Priest Holmes and (Derrick) Blaylock and Johnson,'' Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. ''It wasn't like he outran our guys, it was a poor job of tackling when he broke the first level.''

Johnson, playing in place of an injured Priest Holmes, accumulated 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries.

Johnson scored on a 46-yard third quarter burst to tie the score 28-28 and broke free again in the fourth quarter to give the Chiefs a 35-28 lead with a 41-yard touchdown jaunt with 4:49 remaining in the game.

The Titans knotted the score at 35-35 with 2:26 left in the game when Volek tossed a four-yard fade pattern to Derrick Mason.

With Volek operating the Titans offense in place of Steve McNair, the Tennessee offense showed its explosive capabilities by piling up 542 yards of total offense.

Volek led the way through the air, completing 29 of 43 passes for 426 yards and four touchdowns. Volek didn't throw an interception and had a 130.6 passer rating.

Tennessee running back Chris Brown went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season in the first quarter but left the game after his turf toe became too painful to continue.

Other injury concerns for the Titans include tight end Erron Kinney, who suffered a sprained ankle, and center Justin Hartwig, who injured a hand and left the game in the second half.

Offensive lineman Benji Olson also sustained an ankle injury in the loss and Mason sprained an ankle as well but continued to play.

The loss guarantees the Titans will finish with a losing record for the first time since 2001 when Tennessee finished 7-9.