The Tennessee Titans ran all over the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 of the NFL season, exposing major flaws in Josh Allen’s offense.
The josh allen is a player that the Tennessee Titans ran all over Buffalo while exposing major flaws in Josh Allen’s Bills.
On a gorgeous autumn night in Nashville, Tennessee, the Tennessee Titans (4-2) beat the Buffalo Bills (4-2) in an incredible thriller of a game. On Monday Night Football, the man known as King Henry showed his power in front of a national audience, leading his club to a win against a team many are selecting to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
On Monday night, Derrick Henry looked like a video game figure beneath the lights, but he wasn’t the only Titan who shone in the Titans’ 34-31 victory.
Tennessee was strong on both sides of the ball and revealed a couple key flaws in the Bills’ defense that AFC playoff opponents will be sure to note.
For the Tennessee Titans, Derrick Henry was unstoppable on the ground.
During the first half at Nissan Stadium, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry #22 runs past Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Addison #97 | Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The statistics alone don’t do Henry’s Monday Night Football performance credit, but they’re remarkable nevertheless.
The Titans’ 6-foot-3, 247-pound human battering ram ran the ball 20 times, racking up 143 yards and three scores against the Bills. He rushed for an average of 7.2 yards per run and grabbed two receptions for a total of 13 yards.
While Henry’s near-impossibility to take down has become the norm for him, it was still surprising to watch a defense that was rated No. 1 overall coming into this game struggle so badly.
Prior to this game, the Bills were allowing just 78.4 run yards per game. On Monday night, Tennessee ran for 146 yards as a team, with a Ryan Tannehill running score accounting for the three yards Henry did not get.
It was appropriate that Henry scored the first points for Tennessee with a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and then essentially iced the game with a 13-yard touchdown run with 3:05 left in the game to put the Titans up 34-31 (after the extra point).
The Buffalo Bills had opportunities, but Tennessee was more physical and applied pressure on Josh Allen.
The Titans knew they wouldn’t be able to stop Josh Allen and the Bills’ high-flying offense going into the game, but they devised a game plan that made life difficult for the rookie quarterback.
Allen still threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns, but the Titans were able to regularly get pressure on him and throw him off schedule. Shane Bowen, the defensive coordinator, applied constant pressure on Allen, ensuring that even when he was able to complete a clean pass, he was never completely set or comfortable.
For example, Allen’s one interception was caused by pressure from the edge.
Allen was sacked three times by the Titans, who also had eight quarterback hits. Tennesee used a stacked box up front and essentially challenged Allen to be a pure passer against them. He didn’t get out much on the run to utilize his legs, and speaking of running, the Titans totally shut down the Bills’ running game.
Devin Singletary gained just 27 yards on five runs, while Zach Moss gained only 24 yards on eight carries. Due to Tennessee’s strong defense at the line of scrimmage, the Bills ran for just 82 yards as a team.
With the game on the line and the Bills in position to win with a score, Tennessee’s defense held Allen out of the endzone and prevented him from getting a first down on two consecutive attempts.
The Bills turned the ball over on downs three yards from the end zone.
Defenses may adopt Tennessee’s template to slow down the Bills’ attack.
The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen #17 looks on before their game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium | Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
The Bills will not be sunk by a single defeat.
Sean McDermott is one of the greatest head coaches in the NFL, and Allen is a probable MVP contender. Buffalo also has a plenty of receiver skill. Emmanuel Sanders and Cole Beasley are both experienced wideouts who know how to move the sticks, and Stefon Diggs is a Pro Bowl player.
As a result, astute defensive coordinators will pay special attention to this game and utilize the Titans’ game plan to slow down Buffalo’s attack.
Allen’s exceptional athleticism and playmaking abilities are taken out of the equation when he is forced to be a pure passer. The first stage in that approach is to stuff the box and eliminate his running game. Step two is to apply relentless pressure on him via blitzes and tricks.
As Tennesse showed on Monday Night Football, it’s a winning recipe. Given how well the Titans performed against the Bills, they may have another chance to implement their game plan in the AFC playoffs.
ESPN and Pro Football Reference provided the statistics.
RELATED: Derrick Henry’s Monster Start and the 17-Game Season Have Benefited O.J. Simpson the Most
Related Tags
- how old is derrick henry
- derrick henry age
- derrick henry draft pick
