Titans vs Bills: Q and A With BuffaloDown
By Les Bailey
The Tennessee Titans will face the 2-2 Buffalo Bills in a week five matchup at Nissan Stadium on Sunday afternoon. FanSided NFL editors make an attempt each week to do a Q&A with opposing teams and I was able to get up with Michael Straw at BuffaloDown for a session about this week’s game.
More at Titan Sized: Titans Power Rankings around the league week 5
While the Titans are coming off a bye week after a heart-breaking 4th quarter loss to the Indianapolis Colts is week three, The Bills were defeated at home by Eli Manning and the New York Giants in week four.
So let’s get down to my questions for BuffaloDown. Be sure to keep an eye open for my response to his questions on their site.
Question 1.
How have fans in Buffalo received Rex Ryan and are they 100% in on Tyrod Taylor as their starting quarterback?
Answer:
Rex has been a complete 180 from any coach the team has had in the last 15 years. For years, fans have had to deal with the dull personalities of Chan Gailey, Dick Jauron, Mike Mularky and Doug Marrone. It got to the point where it was like watching paint dry. Rex is a breath of fresh air for the organization, and the fans have really embraced him as one of their own. He’s even embraced the city as his. It just feels like the perfect match between coach and city.
As far as Taylor goes, I think more and more people are starting to jump on the wagon as each week progresses. Still, it’s hard to be 100% when fans have seen this song and dance before. A young QB comes in, plays well to get people excited and then falls off. Fans are waiting for a bit more before fully diving in.
Question 2.
How much does this team miss LeSean McCoy and Sammie Watkins and when are they expected to return?
Answer:
Way more than they lead you to believe, and it doesn’t even have to do with individual production. Having players like McCoy and Watkins on the field take away defenders from players like Percy Harvin and Robert Woods, leading to more opportunities. With both out, the Bills have to think of new tricks to move the ball.
Question 3.
Rex says he wants his team playing on the edge but the Bills are the most penalized team in the NFL. Is this getting in his head and what will he do, if anything to cut down on them?
Answer:
Rex says he wants his team playing on the edge but the Bills are the most penalized team in the NFL. Is this getting in his head and what will he do, if anything to cut down on them?
I think he’ll stick with what he said on Monday. If players start to get too emotional, he’ll pull them to calm them down. Other than that, I think the players are taking on the brash personality of their coach, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Question 4.
What do you expect the Bills defense will do to disrupt Marcus Mariota?
Answer:
Change up the blitz packages, for one. Teams have had success against Buffalo because they get rid of the ball fast. By making Mariota think more before a play, the Bills can force him to hold on to the football longer than he wants, leading to sack opportunities.
Question 5.
Who do you think will win this game and why?
Answer:
With the news of Karlos Williams possibly not playing, the thought of the Titans winning becomes a bigger possibility. However, the Bills have already shown that they can bounce back from a bad loss in a big way. There’s no way I see the defense struggling like they did on Sunday, and I expect Taylor to continue to improve with his play.
Bills win 27-7.
Next: Buffalo Bills Currently Plagued by Injuries