Bills let the tie slip away and ended up with the loss

Running back Derrick Henry was too much for the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, finishing the game with 143 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. The Bills’ defense gave up its worst total of the season with 34 points to the Tennessee Titans, who held off a late Bills rally to take a 34-31 victory. Looking ahead, however, there is positive news for the Bills.

Buffalo now heads into its bye week and after that, things only get easier. The Bills have the third easiest remaining schedule to play. After a tough run of divisional leaders in the AFC, three teams with losing records await.

The Bills outplayed the Titans for much of the first half, but big plays, penalties and turnovers kept Tennessee in the game. Buffalo, which came into the game allowing less than 75 ground yards per game, gave up a 76-yard touchdown breakaway to Henry in the second quarter, the longest ground touchdown run in the entire NFL so far this season.

In the second half, the defense allowed the Titans to put together three series of at least eight plays and control the clock. All of Tennessee’s possessions in the second half ended in points.

The red zone was part of the Bills’ early problems in the count, something that has been a theme throughout the season. Twice in the first half, Buffalo kicked field goals from 10 yards or less to the Titans, limiting them in their attempt to establish a definitive early lead. Josh Allen also dealt with pressure he hadn’t faced outside of the Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was caught three times–his highest total of the season–and the quarterback was hit seven times.

In the final seconds of the game, the Bills elected to punt on fourth-and-1 from the Titans’ 3-yard line, but Allen slipped and came up short. Down by 3 points, Bills head coach Sean McDermott elected not to kick a field goal for the tie.

The surprising statistic
Allen has seven career touchdown passes this year, including two against the Titans. No one else in the NFL has more than four at the moment.