The Tennessee Titans made wholesale changes to their offense this offseason, and one of the players they parted ways with was veteran guard Rodger Saffold, who is now a member of the Buffalo Bills.
Saffold will be on the field on Monday night when the Titans take on the Bills, which will be his first matchup against his old team since being released.
While Saffold’s end in Nashville wasn’t ideal, he doesn’t take it personally. He also noted that it’s respect that has him motivated for this game, not revenge.
“You never want to go down the road that I kind of had to go to,” Saffold said to One Bills Live. “There’s tough decisions for every team, so I never take any of that personally.”
“Because I have so much respect for their guys, because I know the identity of the team, because I know how these guys play – that’s all the motivation I need,” Saffold added.
The Titans aren’t being given much of a chance to win this game, which is somewhat understandable given how these two teams started the season.
The Bills put a whooping on the defending Super Bowl champs, 31-10, while the Titans lost to one of the worst teams in the NFL over the past five years, the New York Giants, 21-20.
However, as the Bills know from their last two meetings with Tennessee, the Titans normally rise to the occasion and surprise people when they are counted out most, something Saffold has seen first hand.
“I hate to say this: But when… [the Titans are] supposed to win, they usually have trouble,” Saffold explained. “But when they’re challenged with a really, really good team, they bring out their best ball.”
“I’m not expecting to see kind of the mishaps that happened last game,” he continued. “I expect to see the best shot that they have to offer, and we need to nullify that and nullify it early.”
One matchup to watch will be Saffold against Titans defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, who noted the familiarity they have with one another.
“I think the advantage is we kind of both know each other,” Simmons said. “I know his play style, I’m sure he knows my play style. I watched him against the Rams; he’s going some things a little different, but it’s basically the same Rodger that I’ve [seen] since I’ve been here with Tennessee. I’m excited for the matchup.”
Saffold will have a tough task in stopping Simmons, who notched a pair of sacks and a forced fumble in Week 1. Keeping Big Jeff in check will be key for Buffalo on Monday night, and Saffold will play a big role in that.
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