It has been a weird week for the Buffalo Bills, and even weirder two weeks for the Tennessee Titans, but the two finally managed to meet to end Week 5 of the NFL season on Tuesday.
In the early stages, it was a back and forth affair with both teams scoring in the first quarter but on two very different drives. The Bills started the game with the ball, but the drive ended early with a rare Josh Allen interception. Allen made the right read on third down finding Andre Roberts who had found a hole in the Titans zone, the ball slipped through his hands and into the lap of Malcolm Butler.
That set up a two-play touchdown drive for the Titans, putting the Bills down 7-0 early on.
The Bills bounced back on their next drive though, Allen led the team down the field, finding receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis on key downs. Allen even found Andre Roberts on a third and 15, setting up their offense up deep in the Titans’ territory. The Bills red zone offense once again brought out the tricks with an Isaiah McKenzie jet sweep toss for a three-yard touchdown.
The Bills were back in business as they tie the game 7-7.
As the first quarter ended the Titans moved the ball down the field benefiting from a porous Buffalo defense. For the majority of the first half cornerback Taron Johnson was getting picked apart by Ryan Tannehill and the Titans receiving corps, it wasn’t a pretty sight for Bills fans. Johnson’s ineptness help set up the Titans second score of the half, a one-yard run from Derrick Henry.
The Titans take the lead again to begin the second quarter 14-7.
The first part of the second quarter was a battle of field position for both. Neither offenses looked to get much done, especially the Bills. Allen forced the ball to Diggs the entire first half, leading to some dangerous throws and two dropped interceptions from the Titans. Buffalo did gain some momentum though as the Bills finally put some more points on the board, a 43-yard field goal from Tyler Bass. The Bills pull it back 14-10.
After this field goal, the wheels began to fall off for the Bills entirely. A 74-yard punt from Corey Bojorquez pushed the Titans back to their own 10-yard line with just three minutes left in the half. The Bills defense needed to make a stop, but they folded. Tannehill tore open a soft Buffalo defense and led them to a score before halftime. The Titans’ third touchdown of the game was a 10-yard scramble from Tannehill. To end the half the Titans lead 21-10.
The Titans started the second half and had a tepid drive, making little headway against a reenergized Bills defense. Tremaine Edmunds broke up a Tannehill pass to force a Tennessee punt. The Bills had the opportunity to bring this game back with a score, and it went all according to plan for Buffalo. Allen was finding Cole Beasley underneath, and Stefon Diggs outside. It was a promising drive for Buffalo, and as they moved into Titans territory, Allen made a costly mistake. The quarterback dropped back and threw it to Butler on a forced passed and returned the ball 68 yards.
These backbreakers defined the game for the Bills.
Tennessee started this drive in their own red zone, and they made quick work. Tannehill found his tight end Jonnu Smith, who boxed out Dean Marlowe at the goal line, bringing the score to 28-10, breaking the camels back, essentially.
Cclosing in on the fourth quarter the Bills offense needed to put something on the board and give them a shot for any sort of comeback. Frankly, it was the drive that the Bills needed Allen looked sharp, where he again found Beasley underneath, and Diggs longer downfield. Once Buffalo got into striking distance Josh Allen threw a laser from 22 yards out to TJ Yeldon who was in the back of the end zone. Buffalo tried a two-point conversion but failed, it was still a two-score game for the Bills though.
The defense then needed a stop… Like before though, they crumbled. Tannehill and the Titans put together a six-minute drive, capped off by a Derrick Henry touchdown. This touchdown was completely preventable, but the Bills couldn’t get themselves off the field. Most of the Titans’ big plays came off errors made by the Bills defense, whether it be penalties, missing tackles, or not setting the edge. The Titans didn’t beat the Bills, Buffalo beat themselves. The Henry touchdown put Tennessee up 35-16, and it was all over.
To make matters worse for Buffalo, Andre Roberts fumbled the ball in on the ensuing kickoff, giving the ball right back to Tennessee. In just three plays Tannehill throws another touchdown to Smith.
An utter blowout at 42-16.
It was a hard pill to swallow for Buffalo because as mentioned earlier, the Bills really just beat themselves. Tennessee didn’t change their game plan, it was just an avalanche of unforced errors by the Bills.
If Allen didn’t turn the ball over the twice, and the Bills defense made a few more stops, this could have been an entirely different result. Alas, Buffalo can’t wallow for too long, because next week they host reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs.
[lawrence-related id=71392,71387,71357]