Titans vs. Bills: 5 questions with Buffalo Rumblings

Matthew Warren of Buffalo Rumblings, who like the rest of the Bills fanbase is a geography denier, was nice enough to answer five questions about the Buffalo Bills for us. There is no doubt this game is going to be a huge challenge for the Tennessee Titans, especially as DraftKings Sportsbook has them at 10-point underdogs. Check out what Matt had to say:

1. It sure didn’t look like the Bills missed Brian Daboll in the opener. Do you think his loss will be a significant one this season?

Ken Dorsey sure hit all the right in-game buttons on opening night. I didn’t think it was going to impact the start of the season, but I’m more worried about after teams get some more tape on the Bills’ new offense and start making adjustments. What’s it going to look like in October and November as they have to grow and adapt? I think that’s going to be where the rubber meets the road.

2. Have the Bills made any adjustments to their run defense from last year? Are they better equipped to stop Derrick Henry this time?

The Bills overhauled their defensive line again because they’re been struggling to stop the run and get to the quarterback. The only defensive tackle still on the team from a year ago is Ed Oliver. They added DaQuan Jones to be the beefy centerpiece and keep the linebackers clean. Tim Settle and Jordan Phillips are also upgrades. It worked against the Rams but the Titans are another beast altogether.

3. The Bills offense looks like a juggernaut. Are there any weak spots the Titans can take advantage of?

Just like stopping any other great offense, getting pressure is key. It’s what the Jaguars did to stop the Bills last year. It stopped Buffalo against Tennessee and Pittsburgh in 2021. If you can generate pass rush against an average Bills’ OL, you can disrupt everything. That being said, Josh Allen got the ball out in 2.47 seconds last week which doesn’t leave much time for that and obviously Harold Landry is sidelined.

4. What Bills defensive player will have an impact on this game that we have never heard of?

A.J. Epenesa might fit that bill. He was a first-round prospect a few years ago, but fell to the second round. After a roller-coaster bout with losing too much weight, he had a great season opener but has been off the radar for a long time. I can guess Titans fans haven’t heard of the two starting cornerbacks from last week: 2020 seventh-round pick Dane Jackson and 2022 sixth-round pick Christian Benford.

5. Are you taking Bills -10? What’s your prediction for the game?

Ten points is a lot. The Titans only lost two games by double digits during the entire 2021 season. I’ve seen it go up to 10.5 and down to 9.5, too, so there are obviously folks on both sides betting. I think the biggest reason I would take the Bills -10 is the defense. They were absolutely suffocating against the Rams a week ago in every facet. It’s going to be hard for the Titans to get to 20 and the Bills consistently get to 27+.