Turron Davenport Close ESPN Covered Eagles for USA Today He covered the Ravens for the Baltimore Times He played college football at Cheyney University Alaina Getzenberg
ORCHARD PARK, NY — The Buffalo Bills took care of business in the first game of a Monday Night Football doubleheader, defeating the Tennessee Titans 41-7. The Bills scored on the opening drive and the Titans responded — only to be held scoreless the rest of the way as Buffalo reeled off 34 straight to close things out. Close ESPN
Covered Eagles for USA Today He covered the Ravens for the Baltimore Times He played college football at Cheyney University
Buffalo Bills
If the Bills’ season-opening win was a statement, the kickoff performance against the Titans put an exclamation point on a great start. The Josh Allen-Stefon Diggs connection is a big part of it, as the quarterback and wide receiver start historically. Diggs caught 12 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns, joining Jerry Rice (1987, 1995) as the only players with multiple three-touchdown games on Monday Night Football, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Two of Diggs’ three touchdowns came in the third quarter, when the Bills scored 24 points to build a decisive lead over the Titans. 2 Related Buffalo is 2-0 for the third time in the last four seasons after three 2-0 starts in the previous 15 seasons — and it was the team’s first Monday Night Football home win since 1994. QB Analysis: Much of Allen’s success has come in play-action. His four play-action passing touchdowns are the most of his career and the most the Titans have allowed in a game since ESPN began tracking video in 2006. Allen’s 14 play-action throws tied for second-most part of his career and His 219 play-action yards were the third most of his career. Key play: Early in the third quarter, it looked like the Bills would have to punt for the first time this season. Backed up at their own 16-yard line on third-and-16, the offense was aided by an offsides penalty by the Titans. Then, on third-and-9, Allen connected with wide receiver Jamison Crowder on a 16-yard pass down the middle of the field. The play kept the drive alive, which eventually led to Buffalo building a three-score lead. Troubled Trend: The injuries piled up in the win over the Titans. Starting cornerback Dane Jackson was taken off the field by ambulance after suffering a neck injury when he was hit by teammate Tremaine Edmunds. Safety Micah Hyde left the field in a wheelchair with a neck injury, and linebacker Matt Milano (hamstring) and defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (hamstring) were also injured. — Alaina Getzenberg Under-the-radar stat you need to know: The Bills scored a touchdown on their opening drive for the seventh straight game — including the playoffs — which is the longest streak since the Falcons in 2016 (eight straight). Next game: at Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET Sunday, CBS)
Tennessee Titans
The Titans were outdone on many levels in the lopsided loss. It was the Titans’ worst loss under coach Mike Vrabel, surpassing a 40-14 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 15 of the 2020 season. The Bills outgained the Titans by 227 yards and forced four turnovers. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill was pulled after the second interception with the game already out of reach. Vrabel replaced Tannehill with Malik Willis, making him the first rookie to play quarterback this season. Willis entered the dunk party scrambling when one of his teammates bumped into him, causing the ball to be lost. • How one draft sets lessons for Eagles, Vikings • How Jets beat 99.9% chance to lose • State of 49ers QBs • Giants not afraid of failure • Mayfield falls short of expectations • Seahawks get ‘humbling’ reality check • Parsons, Cowboys’ D leads the way Describe the game in two words: Poor coverage. Even without Gabriel Davis, the Bills were able to roam the Titans’ secondary, especially Stevon Diggs, who finished with 12 receptions for 148 yards and three touchdowns. Next Gen Impressive Stat: Derrick Henry averaged minus-2.6 rushing yards above expectations per carry tonight. That’s his worst streak above expectations per carry in a game dating back to 2018, when the metric began being tracked. Henry was the NFL’s leading rusher the past 2 1/2 seasons before suffering a Jones fracture in Week 8 last season. After averaging 3.9 yards per carry in Week 1, Henry averaged 2.0 yards per carry against the Bills, his fourth-lowest average in a game in which he had at least 10 carries. Buffalo hit Henry at or behind the line of scrimmage on five of its 13 rushing attempts. Troublesome trend: Injuries continue to rise. Trenton Cannon injured his knee on the kickoff and was lost for the game. Left tackle Taylor Lewan did not return after injuring his knee in the first quarter. Outside linebacker Ola Adeniyi injured his wrist while filling in for Bud Dupree, who suffered a hip injury in the second quarter. Adeniyi came out for a few runs but returned before half-time. The Titans also lost defensive back Ugo Amadi at halftime for the game. — Turron Davenport Under-the-radar stat you need to know: Despite Henry’s rough day, he scored his second rushing touchdown of the season. He now has 56 rushing touchdowns over the past five seasons, 17 more than the next closest players (Alvin Kamara and Nick Chubb each have 39). Next game: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m. ET Sunday, Fox).
