Well, I’ll be damned – this is actually going to happen. What a wonky ass couple of weeks. After all the Twitter blow-ups, constantly refreshing the feed to see who was on the covid list, and waiting by our phones every morning to see whether or not new players tested positive, the 3-0 Tennessee Titans will be hosting the 4-0 Buffalo Bills in Nashville for a game of American tackle football.
Things you love to see.
Who knew that we’d finally get here and this one would end up being for first place in the AFC? But, that’s just where we stand – the Bills at #1, and the Titans #2 because of a strength of victory tiebreaker over the Steelers. The Bills are currently 3.5-point favorites in this one, with an over/under set at 53. ESPN’s Matchup Predictor gives the Bills a 54.1% chance of winning this one. The weather is supposed to be a nice 72 degrees – a fine evening for some football. So, what, in this degenerate sports writer’s opinion, do the Titans have to do to come out with a win?
TITANS KEYS TO VICTORY: vs. BILLS
Channel the hate in a positive way
Y’all know the Titans have been seeing it – just take a look at Kevin Byard’s recent statement. Turns out, most of that criticism is unwarranted completely, but that doesn’t put the toothpaste back in the tube now, does it? People, other players included, were spewing some straight up venom at the Titans over the last week or so.
If the Titans can stay focused, this looks like the perfect way to take out the frustrations of the last two weeks – all of the waiting, all of the chatter. Show the football world who the hell they are. I get it. They just have to channel it in a positive way, and avoid playing at an overly emotional level. Given they’re going to be down so many guys, it may take a little more heart to win this one, but they have to avoid getting too fired up and causing the field to be littered with yellow flags.
Dictate the pace
Simply imposing their will and controlling the pace of the game would make it much more manageable for the Titans. In their 4-0 start, the Bills have gotten up 21-0 on the Jets, 17-7 on the Dolphins, 28-3 on the Rams, and 17-6 on the Raiders. The Dolphins, Rams, and Raiders all made things interesting late in those games. So, it stands to reason that if the Titans can keep things close, or at the very least, keep the Bills from pulling away, it bodes well for their chances of winning the game. Not to mention, it keeps the Bills offense off the field. This is a huge ask of the Titans defense without its best player, Jeffery Simmons, though.
Lean on your play-makers
Stability – in case you haven’t picked up on it, my main key this week is ‘stability.’ We’ve seen Arthur Smith get a little too cute on offense this season, and it just hasn’t worked. This isn’t the type of game to get too cute in. This is a game in which you want to out-physical the other team and control the clock. Thankfully, they have a battering ram in Derrick Henry. But, there will inevitably be situations in this game when the passing game has to make a play. Call up your best play for Ryan Tannehill and Jonnu Smith. Lean on those guys. Stick with your bread and butter.
In a situation such as this one, just play solid fundamental football and build upon it by trusting your play-makers to do what they do. Dance with who brung ya, as I believe the saying goes. You’re going to have to help your defense out in any way that you can against this Bills offense – that includes avoiding penalties, dictating the pace, limiting the number of plays the Bills get, and relying on your best players to make plays.
I’m not so sure this game is as unattainable as most of the national guys seem to think. I think we’re in store for a good one.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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