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The Kansas City Chiefs opened up the NFL playoffs on Saturday night with their second-straight game at home, but they suffered the same fate as last year, falling 22-21 to the Tennessee Titans.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Chiefs now have a league-record six straight losses at home in the postseason, dating back to 1994.
Makes little sense: Chiefs now have lost an NFL record six straight home postseason games, with their last playoff win in Kansas City coming Jan. 8, 1994, when Joe Montana led them to victory.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 7, 2018
It was yet another disappointing playoff defeat that saw the Chiefs squander a commanding 21-3 first half over the Titans. Pro Bowl quarterback Alex Smith connected for two touchdowns in the first two quarters of play, including a 14-yard dart to DeMarcus Robinson with three seconds left in the second quarter.
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Tennessee grabbed control of the game in the second half with Marcus Mariota leading three scoring drives that all resulted in touchdowns, including a pair of touchdown passes. The 24-year-old also became the first player in NFL history to record both a passing and receiving touchdown in the same game in the playoffs after hauling in his own deflected pass for a six-yard score.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs were shut out on four of their second-half drives while registering fewer than 30 yards on each possession. They failed to take advantage of a botched punt return by Titans that put them just outside the red zone, as Harrison Butker eventually missed a 48-yard field goal after the drive went backwards.
The loss now pushes the attention toward Smith's long-term future with the organization, as there is growing chatter that the Chiefs may look into moving him in the offseason with Patrick Mahomes looming. The 33-year-old still has one year left on his four-year, $66 million deal worth $17 million.
There are several teams who will be interested in acquiring the two-time Pro Bowler if he's available, such as the Denver Broncos, New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, and even the Cleveland Browns.
