Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Nick Selbe

Bills Gamble on Fourth Down, Titans Stand Tall in Wild 'Monday Night Football' Finish

As the Bills and Titans traded scoring drives in a Monday Night Football shoot-out, it seemed like a no-brainer for Buffalo to go for it on 4th-and-1 inside the Tennessee 5-yard line, trailing by three with 22 seconds to play. Bills coach Sean McDermott entrusted his franchise quarterback Josh Allen to sneak for the needed three feet and set up a potential game-winning touchdown.

The Titans' defensive line had other ideas.

Tennessee stuffed Allen's sneak attempt to preserve a wild 34-31 win over the Bills in a game that saw seven lead changes, tying the all-time record for Monday Night Football. For a team that ranked 16th in the league in rushing yards allowed coming into the game, it saved its best performance when it needed it most.

While defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons made the pivotal play, the star of the night for the Titans was once again running back Derrick Henry. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year carried the ball 20 times for 143 yards and three touchdowns, turning in his fifth straight game with over 110 rushing yards and his third three-score game of the year.

Excluding the Titans' two possessions at the end of each half when they simply ran out the clock, Tennessee scored on its final six possessions of the game, the first of which came on a 76-yard run by Henry.

The result gives both teams a 4—2 record, tied with the Chargers and Raiders for the second-best in the AFC behind the 5—1 Ravens. The Titans will host the Chiefs in Week 7, while the Bills are on a bye.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.