A typical Tuesday around the NFL is quiet. Teams are recovering from the previous weekend’s games and fantasy players are just starting to turn their attention to the upcoming week’s action. Not in 2020! For only the second time since the 1940s, there was an NFL game on a Tuesday. Ten years ago, the Eagles and Vikings were pushed back due to blizzard conditions. In this case, of course, the Bills and Titans matchup was delayed as long as possible in hopes of good news related the COVID testing for the Titans. With no new positive cases either Monday or Tuesday, the game was on!
Despite the unpredictable conditions the Titans team has endured over the past two weeks, which involved the Week Four game being rescheduled and the entire team facility being shut down for several days, the Titans came out hot.
The Tennessee defense set the tone on the opening drive, intercepting Bills QB Josh Allen. The turnover and return put QB Ryan Tannehill and the offense in the red zone and WR A.J. Brown was welcomed back from his multi-week absence by catching a 16-yard score. With WRs Corey Davis and Adam Humphries on the COVID list, Brown was the clear top target, finishing with seven grabs for 82 yards and the touchdown. The Bills answered with a scoring drive of their own as WR Isaiah McKenzie took a flip from Allen in for a short score.
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Titans RB Derrick Henry was held in check for much of the game but did score a short touchdown in the second quarter to give his team the lead. Henry finished with 57 yards on 19 carries. Just before halftime, Tannehill engineered a massive 90-yard drive that was capped by the quarterback himself scrambling into the end zone from ten yards out. The Titans held a 21-10 halftime lead.
The second half was quite similar to the opening period and included another interception of Allen and a return into scoring position. From there, Tannehill hit TE Jonnu Smith for the first of his two touchdown receptions in the game. Smith ended with 40 yards and two scores on five receptions. The Bills answered again as Allen hit RB T.J. Yeldon for a 22-yard score, ending a 90-yard drive early in the fourth quarter. Those would be the final points Buffalo would manage in this game.
Following that, Henry and Smith each scored for the second time and by the late-fourth quarter, the Bills sent in Matt Barkley as they waved the white flag. Certainly Allen’s worst game of the season, he finished with 263 yards and two scores, but it was the pair of costly interceptions, each leading to Titans scores, that told the story.
The Bills were without RB Zack Moss and WR John Brown. RB Devin Singletary totaled just 33 yards after previously playing well without Moss in the lineup. WR Stefon Diggs was fed targets all night, catching ten of his 16 looks for 106 yards. WRs Gabriel Davis (5/58) and Cole Beasley (6/53) each chipped in with productive games in Brown’s absence.
While the Titans dominated this game, they didn’t have to put up massive offensive numbers to make it happen. Tannehill finished the game with 195 passing yards and three scores and added 42 yards on the ground with another touchdown. On to Week Six!
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Bell Released
Earlier in the day on Tuesday, New York Jets beat writer Manish Mehta reported that the team was attempting to trade starting RB Le’Veon Bell. This came as a major surprise to some, but these same rumors popped up this offseason.
With a hefty contract that called for Bell to earn $8.5 million this season and carried him throughout the 2022 season, the Jets were unable to find any takers. The Jets did the only thing left in their minds, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the team had released Bell, ending his Jets tenure after just 17 games.
This leaves the Jets with veteran RB Frank Gore, who started during Bell’s absence earlier this season, and rookie RB Lamical Perine. Ty Johnson is also on the roster. The Jets would be wise to give Perine a heavy dose of work to find out what they have with the rookie, but that probably won’t happen.
Bell is now free to sign with the team of his choice and given the large number of running back injuries around the league, he should have plenty of suitors. The Jets are also still on the hook to pay Bell $6 million for the remainder of the season, meaning his new team could offer him a minimum deal.
Teams that could use Bell for the remainder of the season include the Bears, Chiefs, Cardinals and Chargers.
Quick Hits
Washington has reportedly not received any calls from teams interested in trading for QB Dwayne Haskins. The team benched their 2019 first-rounder and demoted him to third-string, prompting rumors that he could be involved in a trade. It would be a surprise if Washington found a taker at this point in the year. … 49ers HC Kyle Shanahan suggested QB Jimmy Garoppolo suffered no setbacks with his injured ankle in Sunday’s game. Jimmy G was eventually pulled from the game but the coaching staff insisted that move was only to protect him as he came back from an ankle injury. … NFL commissioner Roger Goodell suggested on Tuesday that a “Week 18” could be used to make up postponed games due to COVID. … Faced with the prospect of having no fans in the stands all season, the Saints are reportedly considering playing home game in Baton Rouge in LSU’s stadium. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook suffered a groin injury and is expected to miss the team’s Week Six game against Atlanta. The Vikings are scheduled to have a bye in Week Seven, so Cook sitting out could result in more than two weeks of rest before he suits up again.
