Tennessee Titans Head coach Mike Vrabel said nothing after a 41-7 loss to the Buffalo Bills – the Titans’ heaviest defeat of the Vrabel era and their worst loss in nearly half a decade.
“We got kicked in the ass, simple and straightforward,” Vrabel said. via reporter Jim Wyatt of the Titans. “We were overtaken and underplayed, and we had to fix it.”
Tennessee, the No. 1 seed at the AFC last season, has been exposed in several areas.
The Titans had to commit to a run this season after trading AJ Brown and releasing Julio Jones, but with Derrick Henry’s Bottling Bill, it created stagnation for the Titans’ offense. Henry was held for up to 25 yards on 13 executions, averaging 1.9 yards per take.
It doesn’t help the longtime left settlement that Taylor Lewan was left with with Monday’s injury and that the Bills’ side has kept the recipient in check. Rookie Treylon Burks was the most successful with four catches for 47 yards.
Full-back Ryan Tannehill was kept up to 117 yards to pass and throw two interceptions. He was substituted in the second half when the score got out of hand.
Tennessee’s problems defensively can be attributed to the growing injury to the number seven up front. Top passer Bud Dupree and valuable reserve OLB Ola Adeniyi left Monday’s game with an injury. With Harold Landry having lost the season to an ACL tear, that makes Rashad Weaver in the fourth round of 2021 the team’s top urgent pick.
The Titans’ second place isn’t much better, with starting full-back Kristian Fulton (hamstring) not playing and 2021 starter and first-round player Caleb Farley sidelined for several games.
The start of the Titans was not a disaster because the AFC South was too weak. Tennessee, however, must stay on track Sunday in Nashville against the Raiders, who are also going 0-2.
