Of 4 teams in NFL conference championship games, Tennessee Titans beat 3 — but not the one that mattered most

The Tennessee Titans were still simmering on Monday, less than 48 hours after the team's 19-16 season-ending loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC divisional round on Saturday.

"We feel like we're supposed to be preparing to play the Chiefs this week," Titans safety Kevin Byard said Monday.

Watching Sunday's conference championship games won't help.

The Titans will see three teams that they beat in the regular season — Kansas City, the LA Rams and San Francisco — and the one team that ended their season in the Bengals.

That can't sit well for a Titans team that could have instead, as Byard alluded to, been preparing for the first home AFC Championship Game in franchise history.

As painful as it may be, let's quickly look through the four games between the Titans and the conference title game participants. Tennessee was one of two NFL teams to play all four of the conference championship participants, with fellow one-and-done No. 1 seed Green Bay Packers being the other.

Week 7 — Titans 27, Chiefs 3

When was it over? It never seemed like the Chiefs offense ever entered the building, but the Titans were in the clear after a Patrick Mahomes interception in KC territory resulted in a Ryan Tannehill touchdown run and a 24-0 lead. That happened in the second quarter. It cannot be discounted how much of a dominant performance this was by the Titans.

The key for the Titans: The Titans scored on their first five drives. The Chiefs did not score once on their first five drives.

How did Chiefs struggle? Somehow, the final stats show the Chiefs with 334 total yards of offense. What was memorable? Tennessee's defense held the Chiefs offense to no points and 52 first half yards. Mahomes was pressured 14 times overall and sacked four times. Mahomes and the Chiefs offense are rumored to have improved since that day.

The headline: ALL BUSINESS (Oct. 25, 2021 print edition of Tennessean)

The quote: "Since I've been here, the most complete win that we've had start to finish," Kevin Byard said after the game.

Week 9 — Titans 28, Rams 16

When was it over? After Matthew Stafford's fourth down pass fell incomplete with 6:44 left, the Titans constructed a long and slow scoring drive that ended in an Adrian Peterson touchdown run and a 28-9 lead.

The key for the Titans: Tennessee only managed 194 total yards in game No. 1 without Derrick Henry, but held the Rams to three field goals in 10 drives before a garbage-time touchdown. Plus, Kevin Byard's second-quarter interception return touchdown gave the Titans a two-score lead that they never relinquished.

How did Rams struggle? Stafford was sacked five times and pressured on 12 dropbacks. The Titans defensive line showed up in big games.

The headline: RESPECT? TITANS HAVE EARNED SOME (Nov. 9, 2021 print edition of Tennessean)

The quote: "We feel like we can play with the best of them. I think we proved that tonight," Byard said after the game.

Week 16 — Titans 20, 49ers 17

When was it over? Ryan Tannehill scrambled for 23 yards into field goal range with 80 seconds left in a tie game. Three plays later, Randy Bullock's 44-yard field goal won the game with nine seconds left.

The key for the Titans: A 17-point spurt in the second half that turned a 10-0 halftime deficit into a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter. Tannehill, who had a rough first half, threw a touchdown pass and led the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. A.J. Brown, returning from injury, had 145 receiving yards and a touchdown.

How did 49ers struggle? Two Jimmy Garoppolo interceptions, including a first-half turnover in the end zone, helped the Titans as well.

The quote: "I mean, the funeral for the Titans was yesterday or today. But we’re not dead yet," Mike Vrabel said after the game, in response to the Titans' slump before the 49ers game.

AFC Divisional Playoffs — Bengals 19, Titans 16

When was it over? Evan McPherson's 52-yard field goal at the buzzer than sent the Bengals to the AFC title game.

The key for the Titans: Ryan Tannehill had three interceptions, all at inopportune times.

How did Bengals struggle? Joe Burrow threw for more than 350 yards, but was sacked nine times. At least two sacks pushed the Bengals out of field goal range.

The headline: ONE & DONE (Sunday's e-edition of Tennessean)

The quote: "It's going to hurt for a long time. It's going to be on my mind for a long time. It's going to take a while to get over it," Tannehill said after the game.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans beat 3 NFL conference title teams, but not one that mattered