It didn’t look like a shootout on paper, but with both defenses and special teams looking allergic to contact, that’s what it turned into in a wild first half. Things settled down in the second half which gave Ryan Fitzpatrick just enough time to channel his inner… well, Ryan Fitzpatrick, with a calamitous fourth quarter.
However, this game was about more than Fitzpatrick. It was about a defensive line that continues to fail to live up to the high expectations placed upon it, some woeful angles taken by defenders, and some running backs who took full advantage of the space they found themselves in.
Let’s look at them and more as Tennessee at Buffalo gets Re-Focused.
Tennessee – Three Performances of Note
Edge Rush Makes Its Presence Felt
You never know quite what you’re going to get with Kamerion Wimbley (+3.6). The definition of a streaky pass rusher, he’s just as likely to draw a blank as pick up a 10-pressure day. This wasn’t a game for either extreme, as he instead had a lot of success against Chris Hairston. His sack and forced fumble at the start of third quarter (14:51) proved crucial and seemed to get inside the head of Hairston as he would go onto record four more hurries in the second half.
Wimbley was perfectly complemented by Derrick Morgan (+0.6) who struggled in the run game, but breezed past Erik Pears on four occasions, with each of them resulting in a big quarterback hit. The spin move he put on Pears with 3:03 to go in the game (he had earlier worked another one with 7:56 to go in the third) was a thing of beauty.
Encouraging efforts from both men who now need to build on this and pressure the quarterback consistently.
Big Day for CJ2K
He’s been everyone’s favorite punching bag for a while as he’s struggled to match his performances from years gone by. Yet, Chris Johnson (+3.3) was in fine form here, forcing three missed tackles and doing an excellent job of not letting Bills defenders get anywhere near him. Only 35 of his 195 yards came after contact as the Titans' offensive line did just enough on just enough plays to let Johnson hit the accelerator for a number of big gains. Heading into this game he had two runs over 15 yards, and when it had finished he’d added four more.
Missed Tackles
It’s becoming something of a problem in Tennessee. Even when they get themselves in position to make a tackle they just can’t execute. Over the past four weeks they’ve now missed 44 tackles, with another nine added in this one. Whether it’s Al Afalava going for a big hit instead of wrapping up, Sen’Derrick Marks shedding a block but unable to bring a tackler down, or just Jordan Babineaux just not being able to stop Fred Jackson, it’s an issue that needs correcting and fast.
Buffalo – Three Performances of Note
The Two Sides to Fitzpatrick
It was all going so well. In possession of the ball with a lead and the game nearly over, Fitzpatrick (-0.3) had a chance to prove the doubters wrong. He’d already thrown a beautiful strike of a touchdown pass with 7:56 to go in the third quarter and backed it up with another with 10 seconds left in the quarter. Now he just had to avoid making any big mistakes.
Well, he didn’t. He made a crucial one as he did what he has done all too often since being handed that huge deal. He made a bad decision. Throwing a ball down the right sideline that had zero chance of being complete, Jason McCourty was gifted a game-changing interception. He got the ball back but, clearly rattled, his accuracy was gone and the game was over.
Kyle Williams Tries To Do It On His Own
Has there been a bigger disappointment than the Buffalo defensive line this year? Once again it was left to Kyle Williams (+3.9) to show the rest of them how it should be done. He picked up three defensive stops in the run game to go along with five quarterback disruptions rushing the passer as he rag-dolled the Titans' linemen. Nothing summed up his dominance like the way he beat Steve Hutchinson so quickly off the snap that not only did Hutchinson lose his balance and fall to the deck, but Fernando Velasco (who was meant to be helping with a double team on the play), couldn’t get across to slow Williams either as Chris Johnson was pulled down for a 4-yard loss. It’s what Williams has done for a long time now.
A One-Two Punch to be Feared
Is there anyone out there that doesn’t enjoy watching Fred Jackson (+2.5) and C.J. Spiller (+3.3). The two are as dynamic a one-two punch as there is in the league, breaking tackles, breaking away from defenders, and just generally causing a ruckus.
They’re the kind of players for whom your defense needs to practice patience. Because if you’re over aggressive, as the Titans' linebackers were, then they’ll cut the run back and without a seconds thought be roaming into a decent-sized gain. They forced seven missed tackles between them and helped the Bills' rushing attack average 6.9 yards per carry.
Game Notes
– Bills slot cornerback Justin Rogers allowed 7-of-8 balls into his coverage to be complete for 68 yards and a touchdown.
– A solid day for Matthew Hasselbeck. He completed 6-of-11 balls thrown over 10 yards and, for the most part, avoided making any terrible throws or decisions (he will however, want to forget about the dropped pass interception with 1:57 to go in the game).
– Rookie Stephon Gilmore gave up just 0.26 yards per snap in coverage.
Game Ball
His line gave him enough opportunities, and Chris Johnson was more than up to the task of taking them.
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