Bills Further Legitimacy As Super Bowl Contenders In MNF Rout
Sep 19, 2022, 8:33 PM | Updated: Oct 11, 2022, 10:18 am
Stefon Diggs #14 of the Buffalo Bills celebrates with Josh Allen #17 after scoring his third touchdown of the night against the Tennessee Titans during the third quarter of the game at Highmark Stadium on September 19, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
(Photo by Joshua Bessex/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY – Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills advanced their position as Super Bowl contenders and a team to beat in the AFC with a rout of the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football.
The Bills hosted the Titans at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York on Monday, September 19.
Buffalo blew out Tennessee, 41-7.
FINAL: All @BuffaloBills on Monday Night Football. #BillsMafia #TENvsBUF pic.twitter.com/nyQgO4NLA3
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
Last season, the Bills arrived to the postseason as AFC East champions with an 11-6 record in the regular season. Buffalo started the playoffs with a 47-17 win over the New England Patriots before losing in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. Allen & Co. didn’t get a turn in overtime and the Bills were eliminated from the postseason by Patrick Mahomes’ squad. Had Buffalo started overtime on offense, there’s no way to know how far the Bills could have gone in 2021. Bills Mafia will ask itself that question for seasons to come.
Fast forward to this season, the Bills returned Allen, Stefon Diggs, and many of their playmakers from a year ago. Two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller signed as a free agent and Buffalo became an easy preseason pick to win it all, like Sam Farnsworth and I predicted.
No one sets the edge like @VonMiller.
📺: #TENvsBUF on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/j1VWc0P4Rm pic.twitter.com/XlcrUTjZ9T— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
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On September 8, Buffalo opened Week 1 with a season-opening contest on the road against the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Los Angeles Rams. In their first test of the season, the Bills passed with flying colors. Buffalo cruised to a 31-10 win on the Rams’ home field. Allen looked every bit of the MVP candidate that he certainly is after two games. The Wyoming product was 26/31 passing for 297 yards and four total touchdowns in Buffalo’s win.
The Bills had to wait 11 days for their second test of the season, a meeting against the Tennessee Titans. Like the Bills, the Titans suffered an abrupt end to their postseason, only Tennessee’s was more unexpected. After a 12-5 record in the regular season, the Titans entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC and earned a first round bye. However, the eventual Super Bowl bound Cincinnati Bengals beat the Titans in the Divisional Round. After dropping its season opener, Tennessee arrived in New York looking to pick a statement win. The statement was made — by the Bills.
Less than six minutes into the game, Allen found Reggie Gilliam for 11 yards and the first touchdown of the night. Tennessee responded with a goal line touchdown run by Derrick Henry to tied the game at 7-7 at the end of the opening 15 minutes of action.
Aside from a 49-yard Tyler Bass field goal that made it 10-7 Buffalo, the second quarter was a defensive battle until the final minute of the first half. With 1:00 until the break, Allen connected with Diggs for the first of the duos three touchdowns.
Allen to Diggs like clockwork. #BillsMafia
📺: #TENvsBUF on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/j1VWc0P4Rm pic.twitter.com/l42LW0mXNW— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
The Bills came out of the locker room on fire.
During the third quarter, Buffalo outscored Tennessee, 24-0, and extended its number of unanswered points to 34.
ONE. TWO. THREE TDs FOR @STEFONDIGGS.
📺: #TENvsBUF on ESPN
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/j1VWc0P4Rm pic.twitter.com/rg6tF4ntdS— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
At the end of the third quarter, the Bills owned a 41-7 lead and Allen didn’t enter the game in the fourth quarter.
The quarterback finished the game 26/38 passing for 317 yards and four touchdowns. In addition to Diggs’ three touchdowns from Allen, the receiver had 12 catches for 148 yards.
He's not wrong.@StefonDiggs pic.twitter.com/l4kut1U6eR
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2022
The duo were the star players on Monday Night Football and the Bills were the otherworldly team.
#LocalsInTheNFL
Buffalo Bills
Zack Moss: three carries for 17 yards and one target as a receiver
Taron Johnson: a team-high five total tackles and four solo tackles
With the blowout win, the Bills improved to 2-0 and improved their stock as a favorite to win the Super Bowl.
Buffalo’s next game is on the road against the Miami Dolphins (2-0) on Sunday, September 25 at 11 a.m. (MDT) on CBS.
Buffalo Bills’ Remaining 2022 Schedule
- @ Miami Dolphins on September 25
- @ Baltimore Ravens on October 2
- vs. Pittsburgh Steelers on October 9
- @ Kansas City Chiefs on October 16
- vs. Green Bay Packers on October 30
- @ New York Jets on November 6
- vs. Minnesota Vikings on November 13
- vs. Cleveland Browns on November 20
- @ Detroit Lions on November 24
- @ New England Patriots on December 1
- vs. New York Jets on December 11
- vs. Miami Dolphins on December 18
- @ Chicago Bears on December 24
- @ Cincinnati Bengals on January 2
- vs. New England Patriots on January 8
Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for sports.ksl.com and co-host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
