Not many are giving the Tennessee Titans a chance on the road against perhaps the biggest surprise team of the 2013 season. The Kansas City Chiefs went 11-5 last season following a 2-14 campaign, and are hungry to prove that their improvement was not a fluke. They open the season during Sunday's crowded 1 p.m. ET slate.
NFL picks and predictions 2014, Titans vs. Chiefs: Few giving Tennessee a chance
Tennessee could very well be a better team this season than it was in 2013, but that doesn’t mean anyone is going to give them a chance to beat Kansas City in the season opener.
Stacy Revere
Across SB Nation’s panel of seven NFL experts, only one person -- fantasy guru David Fucillo -- took the Titans to win.
| Week 1 | Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | Matt Ufford | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | PFT Commenter |
| Titans at Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Titans | Chiefs | Chiefs |
The case for the Titans to pull off the upset begins with the defense, which is led up front by defensive tackle Jurrell Casey. If Tennessee can slow down Jamaal Charles, it can stall Kansas City's offense, perhaps long enough to jump start its own offense.
Not that the Chiefs would be lost without Charles -- Alex Smith just earned a big contract extension for a reason, after all -- but they were mortal last season when the running game was cold. Unfortunately, the Titans' offense may not be able to capitalize. It has to hope that Jake Locker has recovered well from injury, and that rookie running back Bishop Sankey is ready to take on a big role.
ESPN, NFL.com and CBS Sports also made Week 1 picks. As with SB Nation’s panel, most believe Kansas City will win, but pockets of support exist for Tennessee. The Chiefs are roughly 3-point favorites heading into kickoff, according to OddsShark.com.
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