Titans vs. Chiefs 2014: Time, TV schedule, radio and how to watch online

The Kansas City Chiefs were the surprise team last season in the NFL, improving from 2-14 to 11-5 and earning a playoff berth in their first season under head coach Andy Reid. Now, many believe the Chiefs will regress considerably after losing a bevy of free agents throughout the offseason.

Kansas City watched as offensive linemen left for richer contracts, including Branden Albert, Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz. The Chiefs also lost cornerback Brandon Flowers to the division-rival San Diego Chargers, a money-saving move which helped Kansas City sign quarterback Alex Smith to a four-year, $68 million contract extension. The Chiefs still have ample talent, led by all-world running back Jamaal Charles and a defense including Dontari Poe, Derrick Johnson, Eric Berry, Tamba Hali and Justin Houston.

The Tennessee Titans get a fresh start with head coach Ken Whisenhunt taking over for Mike Munchak. Whisenhunt worked wonders in his one season as offensive coordinator with the Chargers, helping Philip Rivers revive his career. Before that, Whisenhunt had been the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals for six years, and led the team to a Super Bowl berth in 2008.

Whisenhunt's biggest assignment is getting Jake Locker to play like the franchise quarterback he was drafted to be. The Titans did not pick up his fifth-year option, making him a free agent after this season. Locker has only managed to play 23 games over three seasons, and last year dealt with hip and foot problems. His accuracy has been the major issue when he is healthy, completing only 57.2 percent of his throws.

These two teams squared off last year, with the Chiefs going into Nashville and improving to 5-0 over a Ryan Fitzpatrick-led Titans squad, 26-17. In that game, Charles ran wild for 108 yards and a touchdown while Smith guided Kansas City to victory with 245 passing yards. However, Smith will be challenged to have a repeat performance with top receiver Dwayne Bowe serving a one-game suspension for his marijuana-related arrest in November. Tennessee hopes to pull off an upset on the road for the second consecutive year after topping the Pittsburgh Steelers to begin last season. The Titans have not made the playoffs since the Jeff Fisher era, but stand a reasonable chance in the highly-mediocre AFC South.