[RealSNR]

By all accounts, the 2014 Royals were playing with house money and "had nothing to lose."

Wish someone had told me that. I was optimistic for the following year, but that night watching Gordon stranded at 3rd as the last out was recorded was ****ing heartbreaking.

Yeah, it's sports, but "nothing to lose" is what the Chiefs were in the Herm/Pioli era. You had no shot, you were already done, and if you weren't already done, you weren't any good to even think about going on a late-season tear. So you go in to play Denver or some team like that with "nothing to lose," because it's true-- your fate was already sealed.

Tennessee ain't playing with nothing to lose. They've made so much progress and beaten so many good teams, and they haven't been consistent enough of a franchise to show that this is their "we've turned the corner and can consistently compete with the rest of the AFC year-to-year" moment. They have plenty to lose.