The Buffalo Bills continued their 2024 schedule with a Week 7 win against the Tennessee Titans, 34-10.
After the Titans went up 10-0, the Bills scored 34 unanswered points to improve to 5-2 on the year. The Titans fell to 2-4.
This game served as a major milestone for quarterback Josh Allen. It was his 100th career start. It also served as a milestone for the entire offense because it was their first game with wide receiver Amari Cooper.
The new-look offense for the Bills combined with a lights-out second-half performance by the defense made it a fun afternoon in Orchard Park, NY. Following the big win, we were taught a few things about the Bills.
Here are five things we learned from Week 7’s win over the Titans:
Cooper makes a big difference
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Tasked with playing for a new team just five days after being traded, Cooper made a major impact. He reeled in four catches on five targets, had 66 receiving yards, and scored a touchdown.
It didn’t take long for Cooper and Allen to find rapport. After dropping his first pass from Allen’s rocket arm, he settled in nicely. He provides the Bills’ receiving corps with something they were lacking: a true separator on the outside. If he can connect for 66 yards and a touchdown on just 35% of the snaps, then the rest of the league should be on notice for what he and Allen can do the rest of the year.
Second half Bills strike again
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The Bills outscored the Titans 27-0 in the second half in Week 7. Shutting down their opponent in the second half has been a theme for much of the season. In the last three games, the Bills haven’t allowed a single touchdown in the second half.
On the season, the Bills have only allowed three second-half touchdowns on defense. And on offense, they have scored 11 second-half touchdowns.
NFL data metrics support the Bills being a second-half team. On defense, they rank 27th in EPA/play in the first half while ranking second in the NFL in the second half.
Multiple RBs chipping in
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All three running backs left their imprint on Week 7 as James Cook, Ray Davis, and Ty Johnson all found the endzone.
While Cook remains the lead horse in the backfield, Davis is making it known that he deserves snaps too. He ran for 41 yards and a TD on just five carries. Cook ran the ball 12 times for 32 yards and a score.
Having multiple weapons coming out of the backfield will serve the Bills well going down the stretch of the season. Each back has unique traits. The multitude of options at RB gives Joe Brady more ways to deceive defenses and take advantage of mismatches.
Run defense steps up
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Titans RB Tony Pollard was having his way early on the ground, but the Bills put an end to that quickly. Although he finished the game with 61 rushing yards, he was held to just four yards on five carries in the entire second half.
This is just the latest example of the Bills defense adjusting mid-game to shut down their opponent.
Once the run game was taken away, the Titans struggled to move the ball on offense. This resulted in a scoreless half for them.
Rousseau shows flashes of dominance
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Defensive end Greg Rousseau constantly attacked the Titans’ offensive line and made life difficult for QB Mason Rudolph. His six QB hits were the most of any NFL player this season. His fingerprints were all over the game, although the box score suggests he only had half of a sack due to Rudolph getting the ball out quickly.
Rousseau showed his burst and power which can disrupt an entire offense at times. We haven’t seen this type of dominance from him since his three-sack game in Week 1.
