Advertisement

AFC Today

Share

* Story line: A matchup of the two hottest teams. The Bills have won three in a row and were dominant in beating the Colts last weekend. The Titans, 8-0 in their new home, the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, have won their last four. Buffalo Coach Wade Phillips stirred a quarterback controversy with the promotion of Rob Johnson over Doug Flutie at a most unconventional time. The Titans had their own quarterback controversy earlier after Neil O’Donnell effectively relieved an injured Steve McNair. But McNair has played brilliantly down the stretch, quelling the debate.

* Key offensive stat: The Titans averaged 44 points in their last two games with McNair looking fully recovered from early season back surgery. The Titans are 5-0 when McNair passes for at least one touchdown and 7-0 when he runs for a score.

* Key defensive stat: The Bills’ defense finished No. 1 in the NFL and gave up only 23 touchdowns in 16 games. “Not bad for a team with no Pro Bowlers,” said defensive end Bruce Smith.

Advertisement

Potential star of the game: Tennessee pass rush. The Titans allowed only one 100-yard rusher this season, and if they are successful in shutting down the Bills’ ground game, Johnson will see pressure from a sack attack that ranked third in the league behind Jacksonville and St. Louis.

* But keep an eye on: Flutie, because surely the cameras will, watching the little guy fume as Johnson rises or falls. And Johnson could fall. He suffered a pair of concussions and bruised ribs in his stint as a starter last year because he held the ball too long.

* History says: The Titans jumped quickly on top of St. Louis and Jacksonville in earlier home games, and if they do it again, ABC will haul out video of Buffalo’s 1993 wild-card comeback from a 35-3 third-quarter deficit to defeat the team then known as the Houston Oilers, 41-38, in overtime.

* Injury update: Titan wide receiver Yancey Thigpen (ankle) and safety Marcus Robertson (facial injuries from motorcycle accident), two key contributors, are listed as questionable. Both of Buffalo’s starting offensive tackles, John Fina (knee) and Robert Hicks (ankle), are questionable.

* And the winner is: Tennessee. And Flutie is seen mouthing the words, “I told you so,” as he trudges off the field.

*

Buffalo at Tennessee

9:30 a.m., Channel 7

Advertisement