The Buffalo Bills are fresh off an opening night victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Pulling away in the second half, Josh Allen connected Isaiah McKenzie and Stefon Diggs on touchdown strikes while rushing for a score. Set to battle the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football, Mike Vrabel's group is looking to get back in the win column after being knocked off by the New York Giants a week ago. Unable to move the ball late, Daniel Jones and company battled back from 13 points down to pull out the victory. Focused on snapping their two-game losing streak against the Titans, the reigning AFC East champions fell 34-31 on the road at Nissan Stadium last season.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee underwent a shift on the offensive side of the ball in the offseason. The franchise traded star receiver AJ Brown to the Philadelphia Eagles for a package of draft selections, including 22nd overall in the first round. Choosing to draft Treylon Burks with the pick, the Titans also selected UCLA's Kyle Phillips on day three. They also brought in free agent tight end Austin Hooper and veteran wideout Robert Woods from the Rams. Struggling to move the ball through the air in their first game of the season, Woods and Hooper were held to just one catch each on three combined targets. The team will need someone to step up on the outside against a Buffalo defense that held Matthew Stafford to just 240 yards through the air in week 1.
Tennessee is without its top pass rusher in Harold Landry. The 26-year-old suffered a torn ACL one week before the start of the season. Gashed on the ground by the Giants last Sunday, the team allowed Saquon Barkley to rush for 164 yards on 18 carries. Along with this, Shane Bowen's unit also failed to slow down New York's passing attack in the second half. Needing to play better against Buffalo's high-powered offense, the Titans will be without one of their top corners in Kristan Fulton. The LSU product was ruled out after not practicing all week because of a hamstring injury. Set to leave a massive opportunity for Caleb Farley, the former first-round pick will likely start in his place.
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo's offense picked up right where they left off a season ago on opening night. The unit averaged a league-high 7.1 yards per offensive play. Led by the play of Diggs, the two-time Pro Bowler got the best of his matchup with Jalen Ramsey. He hauled in eight receptions for 122 yards, including a long 53-yard touchdown catch late. Pulling away from the Los Angeles Rams in the final 30 minutes, they cruised to a 31-10 victory after heading into halftime tied at 10. Needing to be good up front after allowing Allen to be sacked just twice in week 1, the Bill's offensive line will have their hands full with a Tennessee front seven that got to the quarterback seven times on opening day.
Brandon Beane headed into the offseason with one goal in mind after falling short of the franchise's Super Bowl aspirations last year. Choosing to revamp the defensive line, the unit made life miserable for Matthew Stafford and the rest of the Ram's offense last Thursday night. Taking down the veteran signal caller seven times, the team was led by their big-ticket free agent acquisition Von Miller. Ultimately leaving Los Angeles to sign with Buffalo, the three time First-team All-Pro member recorded four tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.
Jordan Phillips also made plays in his return with 1.5 sacks, a tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. They will require a new approach on Monday night after facing Sean Mcvay's high-octane passing offense. Leslie Frazier's group will need to be physical against the Titan's ground attack after allowing Derrick Henry to rush for 143 yards in their meeting last season.
Betting Odds
Points Spread: TEN +10 (-110) | BUF -10 (-110)
Moneyline: TEN +375 | BUF -500
Over/Under: O 47.5 (-110) | U 47.5 (-110)
Looking at the 10-point spread, take the Bills to cover along with the over in what should be a two-score victory for Sean Mcdermott's team. With their eyes set on returning to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 20 seasons, Allen and company have scored a touchdown on 16 of their last 25 offensive possessions going back to last year's playoffs. Furthermore, with the additions of Miller, Phillips, and Shaq Lawson, Buffalo is now home to one of the deepest front sevens in the NFL. Expect them to make life miserable for Ryan Tannehill with a suspect offensive line in Tennessee.
Prediction
Fresh off a dominating 31-10 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Rams, the Bills return home to Orchard Park to battle the Titans on Monday Night football. Shockingly knocked off by the Giants in week 1, kicker Randy Bullock missed a 47-yard field goal with four seconds left in the fourth quarter, allowing New York to pick up the win. In a battle of two teams trending in opposite directions, Tennessee is well-coached and can keep this game close for a while. However, with Tannehill still under center for the franchise, they lack the firepower on offense to keep up with Allen and company.
Final Score: Tennessee Titans 14 Buffalo Bills 31
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