Titans Can't Let Bills to Play Keep-Away This Time

Each of the last two years, Buffalo kept the ball for four-plus minutes at the end of the game and emerged victorious.

NASHVILLE – Of course, the fact that the Tennessee Titans failed to come out on top against the Buffalo Bills each of the last two years bothers Mike Vrabel.

That the Titans could not get the ball back late in those contests irritates the third-year head coach just as much – if not more.

“I always show our team those situations where they methodically took the ball down (the field), “Vrabel said. “We couldn't stop them.”

In an interesting and unlikely scheduling quirk, the Titans and Bills are scheduled to meet in Week 5 of the regular season for the third straight year, albeit this year on a Tuesday night. In the first two, Buffalo scored last, had the ball last and emerged victorious in low-scoring, hard-fought affairs. In 2018, the score was 13-12. In 2019, it was 14-7.

“To end both of those games, they've taken the ball and they've driven it to kick a game-winning field goal and they've taken four or five minutes off the clock last year by converting first downs,” Vrabel said. “That’s a testament to them. … When you play with a lot of great effort like they do, and you can handle those situations and you thrive in those situations like they've done against us, that's a good combination for winning.”

A look at how Buffalo finished off Tennessee each of the last two years:

• 2018: The Titans led for the first time when Ryan Succop kicked a 50-yard field goal (his fourth field goal of the day) with 4:43 to play.

Following a touchback, Buffalo got the ball at its own 25 and had all of its timeouts remaining. From there, the Bills drove 47 yards in 11 plays. They ran it on seven of the first nine (for 30 yards and one first down). Quarterback Josh Allen completed his only two passes for 20 yards and two first downs.

Buffalo finally used a timeout with three seconds to play, after Allen took a knee to position the ball properly for kicker Stephen Hauschka. As time expired, Hauschka split the uprights with a 46-yard, game-winning field goal.

• 2019: Kicker Cairo Santos missed four field goals, the last from 53 yards with 6:35 to play. The offenses then traded three-and-outs, which gave the ball back to Buffalo with 4:12 to play – more than enough time for Tennessee’s defense to get a stop and to give the offense time to pursue a tying touchdown.

The Bills ran out the clock with seven consecutive runs that produced four first downs. After a 1-yard loss by Frank Gore to start the possession, T.J. Yeldon ran for 11 yards, Gore picked up 11 more and then Gore added 19 more, which got it to the two-minute warning and then forced Vrabel to use his final two timeouts. After Allen ran for five yards on third-and-3 with 1:50 remaining, Buffalo was able to exhaust the remaining time by taking a knee twice.

Buffalo had just 109 rushing yards in the contest, 50 of which came on that drive. In terms of possession time, it was the Bills’ second-longest on the day.

Tennessee’s formula in 2020 has been to keep it close, get the ball late and drive to a game-winning field goal. If the last two years mean anything, that won’t be an option for Vrabel’s team this time.

“Two tough games,” Vrabel said. “Tight games. [I have] a lot of respect for [Buffalo coach] Sean [McDermott] and his staff and how they coach and the effort which their team plays with. … Situationally [they are] very strong.”

Particularly late-game situations.