The Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills (4-2) and Titans (1-4) have largely trended in different directions in the first six weeks of the NFL season.
The Bills are favored by nearly double digits (-9.5) but the Titans shouldn’t be taken lightly. Anyone can beat anyone in the NFL. And, the Titans currently have the league’s number one defense. The Titans haven’t had to face a contender on the road so it will be a big test for first-year head coach Brian Callahan.
Still, the Bills need to execute to come away with the win. To improve to 5-2 on the year, they will need to be wary of these three things from the Titans on Sunday:
Interior defensive line
The Titans’ defensive tackles are nothing to mess with. Jeffery Simmons is a veteran who has caused havoc in the middle of the trenches over his six-year career. And, rookie T’Vondre Sweat is following in his footsteps at 366 pounds.
They are disruptive in the middle, and both have a top-25 PFF defensive grade among NFL interior defensive linemen. Simmons grades as the 23rd-best while Sweat grades as the 19th-best just six weeks into his career. The Bills would be wise to find ways to either combo-block these guys or attempt to avoid them.
Titans running game
While the Titans’ passing game has struggled to find its rhythm so far in 2024, the running game is averaging over 118 yards per game. With Tyjae Spears ruled out with injury, the backfield will be led by Tony Pollard who has averaged 90.5 rushing yards in his last two outings. On the flip side, the Bills have struggled at defending the run. They give up over 140 yards per game.
When Pollard runs for over 60 yards, the Titans have either lost by one score or won the game. In the one game he was shut down, the Green Bay Packers beat them by 16.
Titans still have playmakers
Despite being ranked second-to-last in the NFL in pass yards per game, the Titans still have excellent skill players. They can make a chunk play at any given moment. Things haven’t connected between quarterback Will Levis and first-year offensive coordinator Nick Holz. If things do click, they have the pieces around Levis to do something.
Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Boyd are one of the better receiving trios in the league. Tight end Chig Okonkwo, along with Pollard in the run game, have the talent to make a big play or two. Bills have to be disciplined or these guys can make you pay. That’s if Levis can get the ball to them.
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