Bills vs. Titans: Full Tennessee Game Preview
With the early bye week now in the rearview mirror, the Tennessee Titans will now look to get back into the win column with a home win over the Buffalo Bills.
There are pros and cons to a bye week in Week 4, but one pro is that the Titans are getting the early chance to get everyone healthy.
The Bills bring in arguably the toughest defense the Titans have faced to date this season. They have a gritty style of play that will make it difficult to avoid penalties.
It's critical that the Titans turn around this current trend of losing close games. These moral victories can only get you so far, and Ken Whisenhunt is still looking for his first signature win as Titans head coach. This would be a major one.
Week 3 Results and Recap
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It will take awhile for the Titans to get over such a heartbreaking loss like the one they suffered against the Colts in Week 3. Having to wait two full weeks to get back onto the field probably made it even tougher.
Delanie Walker challenged his teammates heading into the bye week, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:
"Delanie Walker challenges Titans to watch film instead of partying http://t.co/AZNc3JV8ep#Titans
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) September 30, 2015
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This is just one example of why Walker is so important to this team. He holds guys accountable and keeps the team hungry. They can't dwell on this loss, but using it as positive motivation definitely can't hurt.
Marcus Mariota had another strong outing, and Antonio Andrews may have emerged as the team's lead back moving forward.
The Titans let a golden opportunity slip away after leading by as many as 13 points late in the game. With as bad as the AFC South is, the Titans could still string together some wins and be in good position to compete for a division crown until Week 17.
News and Notes
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Dorial Green-Beckham Forgets to Pay Speeding Ticket
Forgetting to pay a speeding ticket isn't the worst thing we've seen when it comes to players getting in trouble off the field, but it's definitely not something Green-Beckham needs to be dealing with.
Green-Beckham's arrest was a "misunderstanding" stemming from an unpaid speeding ticket, per John Glennon of the Tennessean.
This wouldn't even be news if not for Green-Beckham's past issues before being drafted by the Titans. Green-Beckham has to avoid these types of things thanks to his past. He has the physical traits to eventually become the top target in the Titans' passing game.
Look for Green-Beckham's role to continue to expand as long as things like this are avoided.
Zach Brown's Controversial Tweet
Social media is always telling a story in this day and age of professional sports. Zach Brown posted a tweet that raised some eyebrows:
"Ready to move on... @Akeem_Ayers bro hit me
— Zach Brown (@ZachBrown_55) September 29, 2015
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Very little explanation has been given by Brown regarding what he meant by that, per Glennon of the Tennessean:
"#Titans' Zach Brown on mysterious tweet: "What was said was said." http://t.co/C2LZFBQtKcpic.twitter.com/WvZLUGE9Os
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) October 7, 2015
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Emotions were probably running high following the Colts loss, and it's important to understand that it's not always as bad as it looks when you read it.
Brown is having a respectable year coming off a 2014 season in which he missed virtually the entirety due to a pectoral injury in Week 1.
Rex Ryan Confident in Stopping Mariota
It should come as no surprise that Rex Ryan is fully confident that Marcus Mariota will not have success against his Bills defense, via Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:
"Rex Ryan on Marcus Mariota: “I don’t think the kid will have his way against us." #Bills#Titanshttp://t.co/sl8ohtpwsK via @Tennessean
— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) October 7, 2015
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This will undoubtedly be Mariota's toughest test as an NFL quarterback. The Bills play a nasty brand of football, and his offensive line hasn't protected him very well through three games. Mariota getting adequate time to throw the ball is the biggest concern going into this game.
The equalizer is that the Titans defense should also have plenty of success against an average Bills offense led by inexperienced quarterback Tyrod Taylor. They managed just one touchdown against the New York Giants in Week 4.
Mariota won't have to light up the scoreboard to put the Titans in position to win this one.
Latest Injury News
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| Player | Position | Injury |
| Jason McCourty | CB | Groin |
| Sammie Hill | NT | Knee |
| Cody Riggs | CB | Knee |
| Chance Warmack | OL | Knee |
| Wesley Woodyard | LB | Personal |
The long wait is over as Jason McCourty should finally return to the field. He has been a full participant in practice this week, and the Titans desperately need him back.
Who knows what would've happened on those two long completions from Johnny Manziel if McCourty had been on the field. You can't help but wonder if McCourty's presence would have made a difference when Andrew Luck led the Colts back late in the game.
There's also a small chance that Warmack could return to the field quicker than originally expected. He's been a limited participate in practice this week, per Teresa Walker of the Associated Press:
"#Titans got NT Sammie Hill back at practice from r. knee surgery Sept. 2. Limited. Also limited: RG Chance Warmack (r. knee).
— Teresa Walker (@TeresaMWalker) October 7, 2015
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As important as Warmack is to the offensive line, the Titans have to be careful not to rush him back too soon. The team has a lot invested in Warmack's future, and knees are nothing to mess with.
The team is as healthy as you could hope for coming out of the bye week. That's some silver lining for an early bye week.
Wesley Woodyard missed practice due to the birth of his son.
All injury news via TitansOnline.com.
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Key Matchups
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Titans Offensive Line vs. Bills Pass Rush
Mariota cannot keep taking all of the big hits if he's going to avoid going down a similar path that Jake Locker went down. He needs better protection and more time to make accurate reads.
The Bills will bring a similar style to what the Browns brought in Week 2, but with better personnel. If there was a time for the offensive line to have their best outing of the year, it's probably this game.
The Titans have had very little trouble putting points up on the board in 2015, but they'll struggle to even move into Bills territory if they can't protect Mariota.
This means designing quick, intermediate routes that get the ball out of Mariota's hands in a short amount of time. They'll have to pick the defense apart, and Antonio Andrews will have to play a role as a receiver out of the backfield.
Chance Warmack returning would be vital, but only if he's 100 percent.
If the Titans are going to win this game, they have to win this battle.
Titans Defense vs. Bills Rushing Attack
There's been moderate success for the Titans stopping the run, but they haven't been perfect. They can hang their hat on the fact that they haven't given up a 100-yard rushing game through the first three games.
LeSean McCoy is still out of practice, per Marc Sessler of NFL.com.
Forcing this into a one-dimensional game will make things very difficult for Tyrod Taylor. They can't afford to let the likes of Boobie Dixon have success on first-down runs. They need to force the inexperienced Taylor into attempting long third-down conversions, which will maximize the opportunity for turnovers.
Karlos Williams is the primary backup to McCoy, and he is currently day-to-day due to a concussion suffered in Week 4. He will be in limited capacity even if he does play, so expect a heavy dose of Dixon.
The Bills also don't have a ton of firepower at wide receiver outside of Sammy Watkins.
Matchup X-Factors
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X-factor of the Week: Antonio Andrews
The running game needs to establish a true No. 1 option at running back. Having a committee isn't a bad thing to have, but someone has to emerge. The best guy for that role may be Antonio Andrews.
Andrews brings versatility to the position. He can grow into a guy that gets a ton of all-purpose yards and become a valuable weapon for Mariota.
It was a little surprising to see Andrews lead the team in carries in his first game back from injury. He had success rushing for more than four yards per carry, but he'll need more than 12 carries in the type of game that this will end up being.
Andrews taking over this game will relieve a lot of pressure off Mariota. If you want to slow down an aggressive defense, beat them with screen passes and draw plays. Andrews is capable of doing that.
Underrated X-factor: Harry Douglas
It's been a quiet three games for Douglas in his first season with the Titans. He's due for a big game with big receptions.
Douglas is a great possession receiver who can move the chains. No one is really talking about him in this offense due to the excitement of Mariota, the consistency of Kendall Wright and the physical tools that Dorial Green-Beckham brings.
You can't sleep on Douglas, and this is the perfect game for him to break out for a nice day in the box score. He's very valuable making receptions on short routes that the Titans will need to run to slow down an aggressive Bills defense.
Don't be shocked at all if Douglas tallies five-plus receptions in this game and moves the chains with some big first-down catches.
Prediction: Titans 17, Bills 13
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Expect to see a matchup very similar to the Browns game, with the Titans avoiding the same defensive lapses that they suffered at the beginning and end of that game.
Two limited offenses will square off when these two teams meet, but the Titans have the more dynamic quarterback. Mariota's resiliency that he's shown in his young NFL career will serve him well against a feisty Bills defense.
They will make life difficult for Mariota, and he'll probably suffer a few more hard hits in the backfield. However, Mariota has the mental toughness to bounce back from those hits.
It won't be a flashy game from Mariota as the Bills will present a stiff challenge. He'll have to use his craftiness to have success, and not necessarily throw the ball all over the yard.
The fiery passion that the Bills have also works against them on most occasions. They're not a disciplined football team, and the Titans need to let them be their own worst enemy. They can't take the bait and turn this into a game full of personal fouls and 15-yard penalties. That's actually playing right into the hands of the Bills if they take that bait.
Look for the Titans to lean heavily on their running game, and stay committed to it throughout the game. They've shown that being a power run team is something they want to be. They have plenty of different styles to keep the Bills guessing.
Antonio Andrews will get the chance to tighten his grip on becoming the Titans' feature back, with Bishop Sankey getting plenty of touches as well.
Finally, the Titans have been preparing an extra week for this game. They're ticked off by the loss to the Colts, and have been waiting for nearly two weeks to get rid of the negative vibes. They will be fully locked in to take care of business on their home turf.
Buckle up for another grind-it-out type of game. Points will be at a premium, but we're going to see another respectable defensive showing from the Titans, thanks partially to how banged up the Bills are at running back.
Ken Whisenhunt gets perhaps the biggest win of his tenure as the Titans head coach, and gets his team back in the win column.
Final Prediction: Titans 17, Bills 13
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