King Henry treble as Titans hold off Bills
NASHVILLE: Derrick Henry rushed for three touchdowns and the Tennessee Titans staged a nail-biting late defensive stand to score a 34-31 NFL victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday.
Running back Henry produced a trademark barnstorming performance to help the Titans improve to 4-2 in the AFC South after a thrilling shoot-out that saw the lead change hands no fewer than seven times.
Henry’s third touchdown late in the fourth quarter had put Tennessee into a 34-31 lead.
The Bills though looked to be on course for a game-tying field goal with only seconds remaining as they advanced to the Titans three-yard line.
But instead of kicking for overtime, Bills quarterback Josh Allen went for a risky fourth and one conversion with just 22 seconds left, and the Titans defence held firm to ice the game.
“We’ve got some dogs over there on defence and they fight to the end, and they showed it right there” Henry said after the Titans’ game-winning defensive stop.
“We knew it was going to be a fourquarter battle and we just had to stay with it.”
In-form Henry rushed 20 times for 143 yards in his fifth straight 100yard performance.
Bills quarterback Allen was left reflecting on his team’s failure to punch through the Titans defence for the winning score.
“It happens,” said Allen, whose team dropped to 4-2 in the AFC East.
“It’s a game of inches. It didn’t turn out in our favour today.”
Allen finished 35 of 47 for 353 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 18 of 29 passes for 216 yards with an interception for Tennessee (4-2), who won for the fourth time in five games.