Titans-Bills Game Notes

Oct 13, 2020 at 11:49 PM

The Buffalo Bills versus the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on OCTOBER 13, 2020 in Nashville, TN. Photo By Caleb Jones/Tennessee Titans

TITANS VS BILLS
Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020

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TEAM NOTES

The win gave the Titans a 4-0 start to the season for the second time in franchise history and for the first time since 2008.
The Titans earned their first win against the Bills since 2012.
For the first time since Nissan Stadium opened in 1999, two undefeated teams after three or more weeks of a season met there. The Bills were 4-0, while the Titans were 3-0 heading into the contest.
The Titans waited 16 days to play the game after last appearing at Minnesota on Sept. 27. It was the longest break between games for the team in its "Titans era" (1999-present).
By kickoff, the Titans still had five players on their reserve/COVID-19 list, plus an additional three practice squad players on reserve/COVID-19. At the peak of the outbreak, they had 14 total players on reserve/COVID-19 and practice squad reserve/COVID-19. The four practice squad players elevated to participate in the game against Buffalo were wide receiver Cody Hollister, cornerback Kareem Orr, linebacker Daren Bates and offensive lineman David Quessenberry.
The Titans and Bills played the 21st Tuesday game in NFL history. The last occurred on Dec. 28, 2010, when the Eagles hosted the Vikings on a Tuesday due to a weekend snowstorm. Prior to that instance, the last Tuesday game was the Boston Yanks at the New York Giants on Oct. 1, 1946.
The announced attendance at Nissan Stadium was 8,403. It was the first time the Titans were able to have fans at a preseason or a regular season game in 2020, and ticket sales were limited to 12.5 percent of the venue's capacity.
The Titans' 42 total points against the Bills tied for the fourth-highest total by the team in a game at Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999. The last time the Titans scored at least 42 points at home was Nov. 24, 2019 against the Jacksonville Jaguars (42).
The Titans' 26-point margin over the Bills was their fifth-highest in a game at Nissan Stadium. It was the highest for the team at home since a 40-point win over the St. Louis Rams on Dec. 13, 2009.
The Titans recorded their third consecutive game with at least 31 points. Through four games, the Titans' average of 30.5 points per game ranks sixth in the NFL.
The Titans' 122 points in 2020 are most ever by the franchise through the first four games of a season. The previous high was 121 points by the Oilers in 1989.
The Titans scored 21 points off turnovers, posting touchdowns after each of their three takeaways (two interceptions and one fumble recovery). It was their highest point total off turnovers since Sept. 8, 2019 at Cleveland (21).
The Titans have nine total takeaways and one turnover through four games in 2020. They lead the NFL with a plus-eight turnover differential.
The Titans scored three receiving touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns for the first time in a game since Oct. 11, 2004 at Green Bay.
The Titans scored a touchdown on their opening possession for the second time in 2020 (Sept. 20 vs. Jacksonville). They have scored on their opening possession in three straight games (two touchdowns, one field goal).
The Titans had the ball in the red zone six times during the game and scored touchdowns on all six occasions. It was the first time since at least 2000 that the Titans have had six or more possessions in the red zone and scored touchdowns on 100 percent of them. Prior to the Titans, the last NFL team that was perfect (scored touchdowns) on at least six red zone drives in a game was Baltimore against Buffalo on Sept. 9, 2018.
The Titans offense converted 60 percent of their third-down attempts (6-of-10), reaching the mark for the second time this season. They were 63.6 percent (7-of-11) against Jacksonville on Sept. 20. They also converted their only fourth-down attempt against the Bills.
The Titans offense did not give up a sack for the first time since Dec. 29, 2019 at Houston. The Titans' four sacks allowed in 2020 is the second-lowest total in the NFL (three by Green Bay).
Against the Bills, the Titans' average starting field position was their own 46-yard line (46.1), while the Bills' average was their own 17 (17.3). The average field position differential of 28.8 yards was the highest in the NFL since Nov. 15, 2015, when Kansas City averaged 29.2 more yards per drive start than Denver. It was the Titans' best figure since at least 2000.

WR A.J. BROWN

Led the team with seven receptions and 82 receiving yards, including a touchdown reception. It was the second-highest reception total of his career (eight vs. Houston on Dec. 15, 2019) and his seventh-highest receiving yardage total.
Recorded his first touchdown of the season and the ninth touchdown reception of his career on a 16-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill in the first quarter

CB MALCOLM BUTLER

Registered his second career game with two interceptions and his first since he played the New York Jets as a member of the New England Patriots on Dec. 24, 2016. He added seven tackles against the Bills.
Ended the Bills' first possession with an interception of a Josh Allen pass. He returned the ball 29 yards to help set up a Titans touchdown on the ensuing drive. It was Butler's first interception of the season.
Intercepted Josh Allen and raced 68 yards on the return to set up a touchdown in the third quarter. It was his longest career interception return, topping his 56-yard touchdown return against Washington on Dec. 22, 2018. It was the longest interception return by a Titans player since Zach Brown's 79-yarder against Jacksonville on Dec. 30, 2012. Butler notched his 15th career interception on the play.
Produced 97 total interception return yards, the most by an NFL player in 2020 and the most by a Titans player since Zach Brown's 109 yards against Jacksonville on Dec. 30, 2012.

ILB RASHAAN EVANS

Led the defense with nine tackles.

K STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI

Made all six of his extra point attempts.

RB DERRICK HENRY

Rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on 19 attempts. It was his 10th career game with at least two rushing touchdowns.
Registered a one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Since 2017, Henry's 17 total one-yard touchdown runs are the most in the NFL. He added a nine-yard score in the fourth quarter.
Rushed for two touchdowns in consecutive games for the third time in his career.
Tied Dalvin Cook and Aaron Jones with 20 rushing touchdowns since 2019, the most in the NFL.

P BRETT KERN

Passed Gregg Bingham (173 games) for fifth place on the franchise's career games played list by playing in his 174th game with the Titans.
Helped pin the Bills on their own nine-yard line with a 55-yard punt in the first quarter.
Pinned the Bills on their own three-yard line with a 41-yard punt in the third quarter.

OLB HAROLD LANDRY III

Produced his first sack of the season in the second quarter, dropping Josh Allen for a 10-yard loss. He now has 14.5 career sacks.

LB DAVID LONG JR.

Forced a fumble on Andre Roberts' kickoff return in the fourth quarter, leading to a recovery by Kareem Orr and a Titans touchdown on the ensuing possession. He added two tackles on defense.

CB CHRIS MILTON

Tackled punt returner Andre Roberts for a one-yard loss on Buffalo's nine-yard line in the first quarter.
Downed a punt on Buffalo's three-yard line in the third quarter.

CB KAREEM ORR

Recovered Andre Roberts' fumble on a kickoff return in the fourth quarter, leading to a Titans touchdown on the ensuing possession. He added four tackles on defense.

WR KALIF RAYMOND

Recorded his second start of the season to set a career high. He totaled two receptions for 26 yards, two punt returns for 40 yards and two kickoff returns for 35 yards.
Produced a career-long 41-yard punt return in the first quarter, beating his previous long of 25 yards (twice, last at Buffalo on Sept. 10, 2017). It was the longest punt return for the Titans since Adoree' Jackson's 46-yarder at Jacksonville on Sept. 17, 2017.
Caught a 20-yard pass to convert a third-and-20 in the first quarter.

TE JONNU SMITH

Registered five receptions for 40 yards and a team-high two touchdowns. His two touchdowns tied his career high, established two games earlier against Jacksonville (Sept. 20). His touchdown grabs against the Bills included a four-yard catch in the third quarter and a seven-yarder in the fourth quarter.
With five touchdown receptions in 2020, he has surpassed his previous career high for a season of three touchdown catches (2018 and 2019). TE Jonnu Smith (three touchdown receptions in 2020) needs one touchdown reception to set a career high for a season.
Tied for the NFL lead among tight ends in 2020 with five touchdown receptions. Baltimore's Mark Andrews and Green Bay's Robert Tonyan also have five touchdown catches.

TE GEOFF SWAIM

Saw his first action of the season and registered his first start in a Titans uniform (21st career start).

QB RYAN TANNEHILL

Completed 21 of 28 passes (75.0 percent) for 195 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. His passer rating of 129.3 was the ninth-best single-game mark of his career (minimum 20 attempts).
Added 42 rushing yards, including a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter and a 23-yard run for a first down in the fourth quarter. His touchdown run was his first of the season and the 11th of his career.
Recorded the second game of his career with at least three passing touchdowns and at least one rushing touchdown. He previously accomplished the feat as a member of the Miami Dolphins against the Denver Broncos on Nov. 23, 2014.
His three touchdown passes included a 16-yard pass to A.J. Brown on his first attempt of the game, a four-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith in the third quarter and a seven-yard toss to Smith in the fourth quarter.
Ranks fifth in the NFL in 2020 with a 110.8 passer rating on the season.

WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE