By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun and Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist
This is not the week to be complacent.
The Bills, coming off an unsightly 23-20 win over the Jets last Monday night in the Meadowlands, got a beautiful ancillary result in the form of a “comfortable” lead in the AFC East,
With that victory, Buffalo (4-2) sits atop the division ahead of Miami (2-3 already having its bye week) and New York (2-4), having beaten those two AFC East rivals … on the road.
Now, after a three-game road trip, the Bills are back in Orchard Park and tomorrow afternoon at Highmark Stadium (1 o’clock CBS-TV, Bills Radio Network) in what, to the untrained eye, is a “breather.”
Alas, they meet the Tennessee Titans (1-4, also had their bye) in a game that originally favored Buffalo by 9½ points. It has now shrunk to 6½, still this week’s longest odds on the board.
A win over the Titans could potentially stretch their division lead as both the Dolphins and Jets are playing toss-up games on the road at Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, respectively.
But a loss by the Bills and wins by either Miami or New York, or both, would revert the standings into turmoil.
AND THERE are reasons to be wary of Tennessee.
Despite the Titans record, three of their losses have been one-possession defeats, 24-17 decisions to the Bears and Jets and last Sunday’s last-second 20-17 defeat by Indianapolis.
But there’s a more-concerning stat.
Tennessee leads in league in fewest offensive yards surrendered (248 per game, four fewer than the runner-up Jets) and passing yards given up (118, 13 better than New York). Even on the ground, the Titans have given up an average of only 112 yards per game, eighth-best in the NFL.
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott, when asked about Tennessee’s ‘D’ noted, “They’re massive up front (327-pound average across the front three) … and very good (players). We went against a similar defensive line last week (versus the Jets) in terms of how good they were (though) built a little differently than (the Titans) defensive line.
“They’ve got the No. 1 defense in the league for a reason and you’ve heard me time and again say, ‘It starts up front.’”
SUNDAY’S GAME will likely mark the Buffalo debut of Amari Cooper, the wide receiver acquired from Cleveland for the Bills’ third-round draft pick next year and a seventh-rounder in 2026.
However, being acquired Tuesday there’s some question of whether Cooper will be up-to-speed for the Titans.
“I’ll be checking in with the offensive staff to see how he’s picking things up,” McDermott said. “We want to get him worked in as quickly as we can … (but) there are also players that we have to factor in, as well … who’s going to play where and who gets the ball. Sometimes, with wide receivers, there’s different skill sets and sometimes they’re overlapping. We have to figure those pieces out to make sure we’re able to get into our rhythm and maintain (it). And, more than anything, making sure Josh (Allen, quarterback) is comfortable with everything.”
ALSO ATOP the list or corrections to be made is the Bills’ avalanche of penalties (14 flagged, 11 marked off for 94 yards, three offsetting) in the win at the Meadowlands where the Jets’ 11 infractions cost them 104 yards.
“Overall I thought we were physical the other night and that has to continue,” McDermott said. “But as a team there’s a balance … you never want to beat yourself. And that’s what it really comes down to. You’ve got to make sure you put the team first and are able to control your mindset in those situations to not hurt your team.
“That’s something that, as a team overall, we have to get corrected because it’s hard enough to win as it is, let alone when you’re making it hard on yourself with penalties.”
FOR THE second consecutive week Buffalo had an encouraging injury report.
Nobody was listed as out, though seven were questionable: linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral), running back Ray Davis (calf), fullback Reggie Gilliam (hamstring), wide receiver Mack Hollins (shoulder), nickelback Taron Johnson (forearm), tight end Dalton Kincaid (collar bone) and defensive tackle Ed Oliver (hamstring).
However, all but Oliver played last week against New York and that could be the situation again this week.
Pollock’s Prediction: Bills 20, Titans 14
(Chuck Pollock, a Wellsville Sun and Olean Star senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
