Bills, Titans set to face off if testing allows
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The NFL’s ranks of undefeated teams should thin by one Tuesday night whenthe Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans finally meet in a rescheduled game.
If testing and COVID-19 allow.
The Bills (4-0) have only hadtheir schedule disrupted as they try to continue their best start in years. The Titans (3-0) have become pariahs while dealing with the NFL’s first COVID-19 outbreak that kept them out of their own building much of the past two weeks with 24 players and personnel testing positive.
Titans safety Kevin Byard said it’s been tough watching teammates test positive and worrying about them and their families while not knowing when they would play again. The NFL first postponed, then rescheduled their Oct. 4 game with Pittsburgh to Oct. 25, and their game with the Bills pushed back two days.
“At the end of the day, we’re not going to make any excuses man,” Byard said. “We’re going to come in here and focus on what we need to focus on, and that’s winning the ballgame.”
The Bills beat the Raiders 30-23 last week. This franchise hasn’t won five straight since 2004, and
another win would give Buffalo its best start since 1991 when that team went to a Super Bowl.
“As a team that’s off to a good start, we feel like we’ve got a good thing rolling here and we want to play,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “That’s our mindset.”
Buffalo has won three straight in this series, including a 14-7 win in Nashville a year ago as the Titans stumbled to a 2-4
start. Buffalo coach Sean McDermott has reminded his team Tennessee made it to the AFC Championship Game in January.
These Titans also are rested with their last game Sept. 27, a 31-30 win in Minnesota.
The Bills will be the first team to play the Titans since the NFL closed Tennessee’s facility Sept. 29. The Vikings have not had a positive test result since playing the Titans.
“They’re aware of certainly the situation down there, but they’re also confident in the processes that are in place, both at the league level, and and what we’re doing here,” McDermott said of his Bills.
The Titans have gotten back three of the 13 players who were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list, with defensive captain and lineman DaQuan Jones and long snapper Beau Brinkley activated Sunday. They still will be without starters defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons and wide receivers Corey Davis and Adam Humphries.
But the unexpected time off has receiver A.J. Brown questionable after missing two games with an injured knee. Left tackle Taylor Lewan is questionable after hurting a shoulder early against the Vikings.
Norman makes quick impact: It didn’t take long for veteran cornerback Josh Norman to make his presence known in Buffalo. After missing the first three games with a left hamstring injury, the offseason freeagent addition forced and recovered a fumble and was in on four tackles in his Bills debut against the Raiders.
Norman earned additional playing time after starter Levi Wallace hurt his left ankle in the first quarter and has since been placed on injured reserve. Norman is attempting to kickstart his career following four sub-par seasons in Washington, which led him to being cut with one year left on his contract.
Injury concerns: The extra rest could help the Bills, too. Starting cornerback Tre’Davious White did not practice through Saturday and is listed as questionable because of a back injury.
Buffalo will be without starting weak-sidelinebacker Matt Milano (pectoral). His absencewasnotableinbeing sidelined with a hamstring injury ina31-28winatMiami in Week 2 when Ryan Fitzpatrick threwfor328yards— themostagainstBuffalosince Jameis Winston had 384 in Tampa Bay’s 30-27 loss on Oct. 22, 2017.
Gostkowski steps in: The TitanslosttoBuffalolastyear when their kicker missed three field goals and had one blocked. Now they have veteranStephenGostkowski, whohasmadethegame-winning field goal inside the final two minutes of each of Tennessee’swinsthisseason.
Gostkowski made a career-high six field goals against the Vikings, and he tied an NFL record as the 10th kicker to make three of 50 yards or longer in a game. He also was the fifth player in NFL history to hit those three in a single half. He’ll have his long snapper back, too.