This week the Titans travel to Buffalo after knocking off the Jaguars and Eagles in consecutive weeks. The Bills may not look great on paper, but they have shown glimpses of what they are capable of. The Bills are 1-3 with losses to the Ravens (47-3), Chargers (31-20), and Packers (22-0). The Bills lone win comes from the Vikings (27-6) in week 3.

Offensive Breakdown

Passing

The Titans rank 24th in the NFL with 813 yards of offense while the Bills rank 32nd with 530 yards. Josh Allen has thrown 4 interceptions in his first three starts which could be blamed on a poor offensive line that gave up 7 sacks to Green Bay. Allen has already been sacked 15 times in three games attributed to their offensive line who ranks last in the league in sacks allowed. Mariota is still not 100% healthy but has been much better than Allen this season. With 344 yards passing and 3 three totals touchdowns last week, the Titans should be expecting a good game from Mariota who has struggled to find consistentcy throughout his career. With Mariota coming off an AFC Player of the Week award, the Titans should have a clear advantage over the rookie quarterback in the passing game.

Edge: Titans

Rushing

Both teams have stuggled to establish a running game so far this season and they both hope to change that. The Bills rank 24th in rushing while the Titans rank 14th. However, Josh Allen is the leading rusher for the Bills with 116 yards on 27 attempts. Allen has a slightly lower yards per carry average than Mariota, who has 112 yards on 20 carries. Allen is leading the Bills in rush yards because the Bills running backs have yet to get going. The Bills workhorse so far this season has been Chris Ivory, who has 81 yards and 31 attempts. Taking 10 less carries than Ivory, LeSean McCoy has 85 yards. The Bills have struggled running the football this season, playing from behind has forced them to throw the ball more than they want to. The offensive line has not been much help either, as the Bills only have 353 yards on the ground this season. For the Titans, Derrick Henry has gotten most of the carries this season but has struggled to find a way to break loose. Playing the Eagles #1 ranked run defense last week, Henry only had 24 yards on 8 carries. Mariota’s 112 yards and 20 carries this year, have put him on pace for career highs in rushing yards and attempts. The Titans have 436 yards on the ground but neither Derrick Henry nor Dion Lewis have established themselves in the run game. Henry needs to have a breakout game and with a healthy offensive line, Buffalo might just be the perfect oppurtunty.

Edge: Titans

Defensive Breakdown

Pass Defense

The Titans pass defense might not have looked great last week, but their pass rush sure did. The Bills pass defense comes in at 16th overall, allowing 1052 passing yards this season and intercepting the ball twice. The Titans rank higher at 13th allowing 971 yards and intercepting 3 passes. The Bills offensive line ranks dead last in the league, giving up 21 sacks already this season. The Titans have 12 sacks on the season and you can expect Dean Pees to bring the heat on the rookie quarterback who has thrown 4 interceptions. The Titans offensive line ranks 11th and has only given up 7 sacks, the Bills defense has 10 sacks on the season. With the Titans offensive line fully healthy and ready to go, Mariota should be well protected. In the Bills secondary, Tre’Davious White had a big game last week limiting Devonte Adams to 8 catches on 14 targets and 81 yards. In week four, Titans safety Kenny Vaccaro was replaced by Kendrick Lewis after Vaccaro suffered an elbow injury. That was just one issue for the Titans secondary, against the Eagles, as Malcolm Butler gave up 7 catches and 1 touchdown on 7 targets. According to PFF, Butler is the worst rated corner so far this season giving quarterbacks a 77.8% completion rating when targeting him. A big question mark this week is Bills safety Micah Hyde who left the game in week four with a groin issue. With an inconsistent Titans secondary, the edge goes to the Bills.

Edge: Bills

Run Defense

The Titans run defense has been inconsistent all season and has been a big problem, especially in week one. The Titans run defense ranks near the bottom of the league at 24th, allowing 472 rushing yards through four games. However, the Bills running backs have looked shaky all season and have not been able to run the ball well, mainly due to a weak offensive line. On the other side, the Bills run defense has looked better than the Titans so far. The Bills run defense is ranked 12th, having only allowed 381 rushing yards. The Titans are only averaging 3.15 yards per carry from their running backs this season but with a healthy offensive line this week, Derrick Henry may be able to finally break free. A key piece to the Titans run defense is Wesley Woodyard who left week four with a shoulder injury and is out for week 5. Woodyard is 10th in the NFL in tackles this season, even though he was sidelined for most of week four. The Titans run defense should be able to step up against a weak offensive line, but without Woodyard it will be more difficult.

Edge: Bills

Final Thoughts for Week 5

The Titans should be going to Buffalo with a chip on their shoulder. After not getting much public recognition, by the media, for their success on the field the last three weeks, the Titans should be hungry for a big game. It is crucial that the Titans show that they are a different team than last year, different than the team that beat Cleveland in overtime then went on to lose in Arizona and San Francisco. The Titans need to go up to Buffalo and win handedly. The Bills are a young team and the Titans need to show everyone that they are a mature team, a different team than last year. They already have a playoff win under their belt and need to show us they are ready to go even further this year. It is also important for Mariota to keep up the pace of what he did last week. Being consistent is what will decide the Titans record this season. If Mariota can be consistent, he can prove he’s an elite quarterback in the NFL and affirm the job Matt LaFleur is doing. Mariota’s AFC Offensive player of the Week award was the 4th of his career. He is tied with Steve McNair for the second most in franchise history at 4.

Prediction:

Titans: 34 Bills: 21

Key Players to Watch this Week

Titans offense: Jonnu Smith (Tight End)

Bills Offense: LeSean McCoy/ Chris Ivory (Running Back)

Titans Defense: Harold Landry (Linebacker)

Bills Defense: Tre’Davious White (Cornerback)