Before their wildcard matchup with the New England Patriots, I told my friend, Kevin, that the Titans could surprise people with an underrated defense and a bruising run game. Kevin, who ended up betting on the Patriots spread at -5, argued that the only way the Titans could even compete is if Derrick Henry rushed for 250 yards.

Henry didn’t quite reach the 250 yard mark (182 yards) that Kevin had set for him, but when the Titans stunned the Pats with a one point victory, there was more significance than just lighter wallets for people like Kevin riding the Patriots dynasty.

The Titans have done what no one thought was possible coming into this postseason. They are playing hard-nosed smash-mouth football behind Derrick Henry, who rushed for over 180 yards three games in a row and defeated an infamous postseason Patriots club, the Ravens, and the Texans to get into the playoffs. In other words, three division wins that the Titans have notched because of Henry’s sheer dominance.

Give credit to Head Coach Mike Vrabel, who knows that feeding the ball to an unstoppable force, chewing clock, and letting your defense rest, is a great formula for beating high powered offenses.

The AFC championship will certainly be a great game to watch, as the Titans take on the Chiefs. Expect Henry to rumble and tumble for another monster stat line, keeping Mahomes and company off the field for as long as possible. The question is, will Mahomes be able to make the most of his touches unlike counterparts Lamar Jackson and Tom Brady?