Scouting Report: Bills at Jets 24OKT14

THE 4-3 Buffalo Bills play the 1-6 New York Jets this Sunday, 26 OCT 14 at the Meadowlands. This is going to be a tough game for Buffalo since C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson are both IR. The offensive line is going to be key for the Bills to win this game, QB Kyle Orton has to be protected, he can make some great plays but they have to protect him from sacks. I have the feeling Buffalo can pull this one off and give the New England Patriots a run for their money for the AFC East! GO BUFFALO, MAKE ME SHOUT!!!!!

Scouting Report: Bills at Jets

Posted Oct 24, 2014

Chris Brown Bills Insider Email @ChrisBrownBills Blog: Inside the Bills

The Bills and Jets meet at 1 p.m. on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

Top 3 Individual Matchups

1 – Mario Williams vs. Breno Giacomini – Buffalo’s Pro Bowl pass rusher has had trouble putting heat on Jets’ passers since joining the Bills. He has no sacks in his four games against New York, but that was against Austin Howard, the Jets’ former right tackle. Giacomini isn’t as long-limbed or strong as Howard. 2 – Seantrel Henderson vs. Muhammad Wilkerson – The Bills rookie right tackle has had some growing pains of late. He’ll face a supremely talented defensive lineman in Wilkerson, and may need some help from a tight end to keep the Pro Bowl DL from making a major impact.
3 – Sammy Watkins vs. Darrin Walls – This is a potentially ugly mismatch for the Jets, so safety help over the top will be the order of the day for New York’s secondary if they want to keep Watkins from burning them for big plays.

Bills Top 2 Advantages

Good Advantage – Pass defense – Buffalo allowed a season-low 118 passing yards last week and they haven’t allowed an opposing passer to make more than 18 completions in three of the last five weeks. New York’s passing game has found big plays hard to manufacture.
Best Advantage – Pass offense – Kyle Orton has given the Bills’ aerial attack a shot in the arm. In his three starts the completion percentage on pass plays has risen more than 10 percent helping Buffalo keep drives alive on offense. Perhaps more important is the Jets allow the second-highest opponent passer rating in football (108.3).

Bills Number 1 Must

Red zone execution – Buffalo’s red zone touchdown efficiency has jumped more than 22 percent with Kyle Orton at quarterback (55.5% success rate) as the veteran has made good decisions. They’ll need to continue on that track to post a victory on the road. What should help is the Jets have uncharacteristically struggled to defend their red zone this season allowing opponents to cross the goal line more than two-thirds of the time (68.2%) to rank 28th in the league.

Scouting Eye

Long drives
The Jets aren’t sitting near the top of the league when it comes to points per game (they rank 28th), but when they do score they go on long, clock chewing drives. In fact New York leads the league in average number of plays on scoring drives at almost nine and a half (9.48). And when a Jets’ possession lasts more than five minutes of game clock they score points almost 82 percent of the time.
Ground & pound
Part of their success in hanging onto the ball on offense is a byproduct of their rushing attack. New York stands fifth in the league in rushing at 135 yards a game, and they earn just about every one of those yards. The Jets have just four runs of 20 yards or more this season, but when it comes to short yardage New York knows how to move the sticks. Their offense ranks fourth in the league in converting on 3rd-and-1 at 89 percent and every one was a run play.

Stiff competition The Jets 1-6 record falls on them first, but taking a closer look at the opponents that handed them those losses you begin to realize they’ve faced some of the better clubs in the league through the first half of the season.
The collective record of the teams that handed the Jets their six losses so far this season is 29-14. All but one of the teams that handed the Jets their half dozen losses have five wins through the first half of the season. And in three of their losses they faced the three-highest rated quarterbacks in football right now in Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers.
Poor capitalists
The Jets haven’t finished in the top 10 in the league in interceptions since the Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie cornerback tandem was blown up after 2011. But it has never been this bad. Through the first seven games New York has just one interception and a pair of fumble recoveries. It’s a surprising statistic for a defense with an identity of being physical and aggressive. Compounding the team’s lack of takeaways are their 12 turnovers, leaving the Jets with a takeaway-giveaway margin of minus-nine, the worst in the league.
First down leaders
New York’s defensive line gets a lot of pub and deservedly so. Littered with first-round draft choices up front, the Jets dominate defensively on first down whether it’s run or pass. Rex Ryan’s defense ranks fourth in the league in first down run defense allowing an average of 3.53 yards per carry. When it comes to defending the pass on first down the Jets are tops in the league. They have allowed the lowest percentage of pass plays of four yards or more on first down (42.6%).
That all adds up to the league’s best first down defense rating. Only 40 percent of the time do Jets opponents gain four yards or more on first down.

View Gallery | 20 Photos

Top 20 Photos: Jets at Bills

Struggling to put up stop sign
Last year the Jets defense was pretty stingy in the red zone allowing opponents to register a touchdown just 45 percent of the time to rank fourth in the NFL. This year it’s been a reversal of fortune. New York is ranked 28th in red zone defense. Opponents have scored touchdowns on 15 of their 22 red zone possessions (68.2%). Their numbers are even worse in goal to go situations. In those instances the Jets defense ranks 29th in the league allowing opponents to cross the goal line 91 percent of the time.
Pop gun plays
Big plays have been hard to come by for the Jets offense. Through their first seven games New York has managed just 18 plays of 20 yards or more. That’s the second-lowest figure in the league. They’re also 31st in yards per play at 4.81 yards. That combined with a quarterback passer rating that also ranks 31st (70.3) and a red zone touchdown efficiency rating that ranks 30th, and you begin to understand why scoring points has proven difficult for the Jets this season.

Buffalo Chips

Stat of the Week

Last week the Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose a game with 40 minutes time of possession (40:54), 200-plus rushing yards (218) and no turnovers in their 27-25 loss to the Patriots.

Quote of the Week

“I told them I’m going to go out there and I’m going to play for them. I’m going to do my very best and I won’t let them down. This year is important for both of them, so now it’s up on me and Boobie and I won’t let those guys down.” -RB Bryce Brown on what he said to Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller after their injuries

Milestones in reach

-Dan Carpenter needs one field goal for 175 in his career and three field goals for 50 as a Bills player.
-Marcell Dareus needs one sack to set a single-season career high of 8 sacks in a season. His previous high of 7.5 sacks was set last year.
-Kyle Orton needs two touchdown passes for 90 in his career.

Final Note

-Kyle Orton has the fourth-highest fourth quarter passer rating in the NFL at 113.4.

American Football Conference - 2014 Regular Season
AFC East Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts	TD	Home	Road	Div	Pct	Conf	Pct	Non-Conf	Streak	Last 5
New England Patriots	5	2	0	.714	187	154	33	19	3-0	2-2	2-1	.667	4-2	.667	1-0	3W	3-1
Buffalo Bills	4	3	0	.571	135	142	-7	13	2-2	2-1	1-1	.500	1-3	.250	3-0	1W	2-2
Miami Dolphins	3	3	0	.500	147	138	9	16	1-2	2-1	1-1	.500	2-2	.500	1-1	1W	2-2
New York Jets	1	6	0	.143	121	185	-64	12	1-3	0-3	0-1	.000	1-3	.250	0-3	6L	0-4
AFC North Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts	TD	Home	Road	Div	Pct	Conf	Pct	Non-Conf	Streak	Last 5
Baltimore Ravens	5	2	0	.714	193	104	89	21	3-1	2-1	2-1	.667	2-2	.500	3-0	2W	3-1
Cincinnati Bengals	3	2	1	.583	134	140	-6	14	2-0-1	1-2	1-0	1.000	2-2	.500	1-0-1	1L	1-2-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	4	3	0	.571	154	162	-8	16	2-1	2-2	1-2	.333	3-2	.600	1-1	1W	2-2
Cleveland Browns	3	3	0	.500	140	139	1	16	2-1	1-2	1-2	.333	2-3	.400	1-0	1L	2-2
AFC South Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts	TD	Home	Road	Div	Pct	Conf	Pct	Non-Conf	Streak	Last 5
Indianapolis Colts	5	2	0	.714	216	136	80	25	3-1	2-1	3-0	1.000	5-1	.833	0-1	5W	4-0
Houston Texans	3	4	0	.429	155	150	5	17	2-1	1-3	0-1	.000	2-2	.500	1-2	3L	1-3
Tennessee Titans	2	5	0	.286	121	172	-51	13	1-2	1-3	1-1	.500	2-3	.400	0-2	1L	1-3
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	6	0	.143	105	191	-86	12	1-2	0-4	0-2	.000	1-4	.200	0-2	1W	1-3
AFC West Team	W	L	T	Pct	PF	PA	Net Pts	TD	Home	Road	Div	Pct	Conf	Pct	Non-Conf	Streak	Last 5
Denver Broncos	6	1	0	.857	224	142	82	29	5-0	1-1	2-0	1.000	4-0	1.000	2-1	4W	4-1
San Diego Chargers	5	3	0	.625	205	149	56	23	3-1	2-2	1-2	.333	4-2	.667	1-1	2L	3-2
Kansas City Chiefs	3	3	0	.500	142	121	21	17	1-1	2-2	1-1	.500	3-2	.600	0-1	1W	3-1
Oakland Raiders	0	6	0	.000	92	158	-66	11	0-4	0-2	0-1	.000	0-5	.000	0-1	6L	0-4

What they're saying: National media weigh in on the Bills after the 17-16 win over the Vikings 22OKT14

HERE'S what the sports pundits are saying about the Buffalo Bills come from behind win over the Minnesota Vikings on 19 OCT 14. I have to work Sundays so I miss watching most of the season on TV but I follow the Bills games on my breaks at work. When I checked last Sunday they were down 10-16 Vikings with a little over 6 minutes to go. I didn't get bummed cause I didn't hear the Fat Lady singing and sure as shit the team came back in glorious fashion. LOVE YOU BUFFALO Bills!!!!!!

What they're saying: National media weigh in on the Bills

Posted Oct 22, 2014

Buffalo Bills 

A summary of national media comments from around the web following the Bills comeback win against the Vikings in Week 7.

ESPN.com, John Clayton – Last call Defensive game ball – Leodis McKelvin    
Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin intercepted Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater on consecutive throws in the second quarter of Buffalo's 17-16 victory.

CBS Sports, Pete Prisco – Monday musings • I have to give it to Bills quarterback Kyle Orton. I didn't think he would play as well as he has so far in his three starts. Orton threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns in Buffalo's come-from-behind victory over Minnesota. He hit Sammy Watkins for the game-winner with one second left on the clock. Watkins caught nine passes for 122 yards and two touchdowns. The Bills are now 4-3 and have to be considered a playoff contender.

USA Today, Nate Davis – Week seven winners and losers
WINNERS
Sammy Watkins: His career is only seven games old, but he set personal highs with nine catches for 122 yards and two TDs, including the game winner with 1 second left against the Vikings. Safe to say the Bills' new star is picking up rookie of the year momentum.

USA Today, Tom Pelissero – Week seven hot reads

— It was a good omen Bills rookie WR Sammy Watkins hung onto the winning 2-yard TD pass from QB Kyle Orton with one second to go against the Vikings. The Bills will need a lot more from their top draft pick now that RB C.J. Spiller is likely done for the season with a broken collarbone and RB Fred Jackson (groin) may miss some time as well. This was Watkins' best game of his young career — nine catches, 122 yards, two TDs — and journeyman Orton is smart enough to keep feeding him now that their options have thinned in the backfield.

Yahoo Sports, Frank Schwab – Winners and Losers
WINNERS
Kyle Orton and Doug Marrone: When the Buffalo Bills fell to 2-2, Marrone made a decision that was second-guessed, sitting 2013 first-round pick E.J. Manuel for journeyman veteran Kyle Orton.
Not that Manuel had played well, but it was still a bold move to give Manuel the hook so soon into a season, with the Bills still at .500. Especially since Orton has established his role in the NFL: a solid quarterback who can execute the offense but rarely will do anything special. But lo and behold, Orton made one of the biggest plays of the NFL season so far, and Marrone looks pretty smart. Orton – who also led a last-minute drive in his first start to beat the Detroit Lions – took the Bills 80 yards in 3:06 with Buffalo trailing by six, and hit rookie Sammy Watkins with one second left to give Buffalo a dramatic 17-16 win. The degree of difficulty on the win was high after the Bills lost their top two tailbacks, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. Orton came through.
Orton's career looked to be over when he threatened retirement all offseason. He did that to force the Cowboys to release him (you can argue the ethics of that), and then the Bills gave him a two-year, $11 million contract that seemed a bit expensive. But now with the Bills at 4-3 thanks to two late victories led by Orton, it all makes sense.

MMQB, Peter King – Monday Morning Quarterback
10 things I think
m. The Bills putting longtime play-by-play man Van Miller on their Wall of Fame at Ralph Wilson Stadium. So deserving.
v. Buffalo quarterback Kyle Orton with a beautiful 26-yard touchdown pass laid in perfectly to Sammy Watkins.

Talk of Fame Network, Clark Judge – Judgements
FIVE HALL-OF-FAME SIZZLES
1. Buffalo WR Sammy Watkins. He has a career-best 122 yards in catches; he has a career-best nine receptions; he has a career-best two touchdowns; and he makes the only catch that matters — a game-winning TD grab with one second left. Memo to St. Louis: You should’ve drafted this guy when you had the chance.

NFL.com, Marc Sessler – 39 things to know from week seven
Buffalo Bills 17, Minnesota Vikings 16
1. Trailing 16-10, Kyle Orton drove Buffalo on a gutsy 15-play, 80-yard drive that saw him connect with four different pass-catchers before finding rookie Sammy Watkins in the end zone with one tick left on the clock. Orton's biggest toss on the march saw wideout Chris Hogan make an outstanding 28-yard catch that set up the Bills at the Minnesota 2. It's a critical win for Buffalo, one that keeps them alive in the AFC East.
2. The win didn't come without a cost to Buffalo. After Bills running back Fred Jackson was lost for the day to a groin injury, C.J. Spiller was carted off the field with the broken collarbone he suffered on a dazzling 52-yard sprint in the second quarter. With enigmaticBryce Brown inactive for the seventh straight game, Anthony Dixon -- the only running back left -- held his own to rumble for 51 yards at 3.9 yards per clip.
3. After throwing an ugly interception last week against the Lions, Teddy Bridgewater flung a pair of picks to Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin. The second of those interceptions saw Teddy underthrow wideout Adam Thielen, who couldn't stop McKelvin from jumping the route to give Buffalo the ball back at the Minnesota 26. Orton hit Watkins one play later for the 7-3 lead.

View Gallery | 29 Photos

Game photos: Vikings vs. Bills

  NFL.com – Seven plays that explain week seven
Kyle Orton is far from perfect, but the Bills passer delivered on a 15-play, 80-yard march that saw him connect with four different pass-catchers before finding rookie Sammy Watkins in the end zone with one tick left on the clock. Chris Hogan made the biggest catch on the drive with this outstanding 28-yard grab that set up the Bills at the Minnesota 2. It's a critical win for Buffalo, one that keeps them alive in the AFC East. -- Marc Sessler

Sports on Earth, Sheil Kapadia – 10 Takeaways from NFL’s week seven
6. Everyone's been saying it for years: Any time you can get the ball to Chris Hogan in a big spot, you have to do it. The little-known 25-year-old Bills wide receiver has spent time with four different organizations in four years. But with the game on the line Sunday, he came up with a huge catch, attacking the ball in the air for a 28-yard gain that got Buffalo to the Vikings' 2-yard-line. Sammy Watkins, who was brilliant all day, then sealed the win, keeping his feet in bounds for the touchdown from Kyle Orton.
The Bills lost running backs Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller to injuries. They turned it over four times and allowed six sacks, yet escaped with a 17-16 victory.

PRO FOOTBALL FOCUS – Performances of note

Buffalo Bills – Performances of Note
Sammy Watkins, WR:  3.0
Breakdown: Watkins has had a very up-and-down season so far, but this was an outstanding performance he put up against the Vikings. He had nine receptions (in 14 targets) for 122 yards and two touchdowns, setting personal bests in all three categories. He looked extremely quick in and out of breaks all afternoon. Signature Play: Q2, 9:28 remaining. On his first touchdown grab of the day, he jumps inside on the go-route, giving Orton a good angle to hit him on at the goal line, beating Captain Munnerlyn for the touchdown.
Jerry Hughes, DE:  2.5
Breakdown: Hughes managed his fourth straight game at 1.0 or higher against Minnesota, and continued to show quickness off the edge. He got to Bridgewater twice for sacks, and added three stops in the run game.
Signature Play: Q4, 13:35 remaining. On first-and-goal for the Vikings, Hughes puts an inside move on left tackle Ryan Kalil and is immediately on Bridgewater for the sack.
Signature Stat: After finishing tied for fourth last year in Pass Blocking Efficiency among offensive tackles, Glenn is currently 24th out of 55.
Game Ball: Sammy Watkins gets our game ball for his career (albeit early) performance against the Vikings.

Bills get QB in round one, draft Manuel 26APR13

THE Buffalo Bills have a new head coach and a new QB! Maybe, just maybe, if this coach isn't cowed by the players he will actually get them to play football and win some games. With the help of C.J. Spiller and other team veterans maybe we'll end up with a winning season! 

Chris BrownLead JournalistEmail @ChrisBrownBills

The Bills make a draft day trade and land signal caller E.J. Manuel.

It’s been a long time coming, but the Bills believe they have their long term quarterback of the future. After swinging a trade with the St. Louis Rams to move down from the eighth overall pick to the 16^th, Buffalo took the first quarterback off the board in Florida State’s E.J. Manuel.

E.J. Manuel: "I am so proud to be a Buffalo Bill"

“We did a lot of work on these guys and we felt like we knew them about as well as you could from a distance,” said Bills GM Buddy Nix. “This guy to us has got the upside to be whatever you want him to be. All these quarterbacks had good qualities we said from the start. I think if we can develop this guy that he’s got the physical talent to take you to the dance.”

Being the first quarterback selected he was obviously Buffalo’s top rated quarterback in the draft class on the Bills’ board.

“Obviously we did (like him most),” said Nix. “We think this guy has got a chance. We researched him every way we can and we really like his upside.”With the pick of Manuel he’s the first ever quarterback selected by the Bills in team history with their first draft choice. The Bills newest quarterback was elated.

“I’m just so excited,” said Manuel. “I’m so proud to be a Buffalo Bill. I’m just proud of my family, my teammates at Florida State, my coaches who helped me get to this point. I’m extremely proud and happy right now.”

Manuel posted a 25-6 record at Florida State as a three-year starter. He completed 66.9 percent of his passes in his career with 47 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also posted a 4-0 record in bowl games during his Seminoles career.

PHOTOS: E.J. Manuel on Draft Day

“Being 21-3 his last three years in that conference… the guy is a winner,” said Nix.

The Bills scouting department was as thorough as they could be in researching Manuel. They met with him at the Senior Bowl, the NFL Combine attended his pro day, conducted a private workout and brought him up to One Bills Drive for a pre-draft visit. Manuel got a good vibe from the Bills front office and coaches.

“I thought Mr. Nix and the coaches liked me a lot at the Senior Bowl, and then when I met with them again at the combine I felt the same way, and then also when I went out and worked out for them, and then I went up for a visit,” said Manuel. “There was a lot of confirmation going on. To me it was just more so a matter of when they were going to take me in the draft.”

Blessed with tremendous physical tools, Manuel (6’5” 237) has a big arm and fast legs as he clocked the second fastest 40 time at the NFL Combine (4.65) among quarterbacks. He also has giant hands, which measured at almost 10 and a half inches.

Bills head coach Doug Marrone was concise in explaining what appealed to them the most about Manuel.

“He can throw the football vertically down the field,” said Marrone. “He has a good arm. He can get himself out of trouble. He can create things with his feet.  He has good presence in the huddle. He’s accurate and we’re excited to have him.”

RELATED: E.J. Manuel conference call

Manuel has the ability to run the popular read option game that came into vogue last season with the likes of Cam Newton in Carolina, Robert Griffin III in Washington and Russell Wilson in Seattle. But Marrone indicated he’ll make use of Manuel’s physical abilities in other ways.

“You can take him out on the perimeter and elude the rush and make plays down the field, keep his eyes downfield,” Marrone said. “That is something that we appreciate and look for in quarterbacks.”

Manuel’s completion percentage outside the pocket was slightly better than inside as he connected on just over 70 percent of his pass attempts on the edges compared to 66.8 percent in the pocket.

“I thought he did a very good job of keeping his eyes downfield,” said Marrone. “I thought he did an excellent job of knowing when to run and not to run. I thought he did a great job when he did run of creating plays and keeping the chains going. That’s what I saw on film.”

Marrone confirmed that Manuel is now part of the open competition for the starting job at quarterback.

“Every player that we’re taking no matter how we take them is entering a competition and at that position I’ve already said that and that remains the same,” Marrone said. “He’s thrown into the mix of that competition.”

“I know there’s more to be done,” said Manuel. “I’m going to go work hard and get with Coach Hackett and get ready to go.”

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-2/Bills-get-QB-in-round-one-draft-Manuel/14c31fe1-a684-457f-98b6-9851c44b4397?campaign=BillsBuzz

Titans-Bills Preview 2DEZ11

WHILE the Bills lost to the Jets in New York last week they at least put up a fight and looked like a football team. Fans are loosing heart, this game is not sold out in Buffalo and so will not be broadcast on TV. A win against the Titans can turn the season around, and give a much needed boost to the team and fans alike. Buffalo, you can be a winning team, 5-6 doesn't end your season, you can beat the Titans...just believe!
When the Tennessee Titans step on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, they'll be looking for their first set of back-to-back wins in more than two months. Still, the Titans remain within striking distance of their first playoff berth in three years.
The Buffalo Bills might need to win the rest of their games to avoid a 12th consecutive year without a trip to the postseason.
The Titans try for their fourth straight victory in the series while the Bills look to snap a season-worst four-game losing streak Sunday.
Tennessee (6-5) has gone 3-4 since a three-game winning streak Sept. 18-Oct. 2, but trails AFC South-leading Houston by only two games. The Titans are also one game out of the final wild-card spot and tied with New York and Denver.
With the Texans down to third-string rookie quarterback T.J. Yates and newly signed Jake Delhomme, the Titans are in position to make a run before a potentially critical matchup in Houston on Jan. 1 in their season finale.
"We're aware of where we are in the standings every week and what our situation is, and that's why we have to realize how important this game is for us,'' coach Mike Munchak said. "... We've got to win if we're going to have a chance to play more than 16 games.''
The Bills (5-6) had high hopes of playing at least a 17th game after opening 5-2, but the sliding club can't afford many more slip-ups if it wants to make the playoffs.
A 28-24 loss to the Jets on Sunday was Buffalo's fifth straight on the road, capping a three-game stretch away from home.
"We have to win out, and we probably have to get some help - and that's what I told the team," coach Chan Gailey said.
Buffalo's offense took a step forward last week, scoring two fewer points than it did in the previous three games combined. However, the team committed a season high-tying nine penalties while giving up 138 yards rushing on just 23 carries.
The Bills' 21st-ranked rush defense is allowing 123.8 per game, and that unit could face a tough test with Chris Johnson coming off a season-best 190-yard effort in a 23-17 victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Titans ran for a season-high 202 yards.
"I read my blocks well, they blocked well," said Johnson, the AFC offensive player of the week. "... I feel like everybody executed.''
No team has executed like the Titans inside the 20-yard line, as Tennessee leads the NFL in red-zone touchdown efficiency at 70.8 percent (17 for 24). That's due in large part to Matt Hasselbeck, whose 118.8 passer rating in those situations is the best in the league among players with more than eight passing attempts.
Last Sunday, Hasselbeck threw his 12th TD inside the 20 - he has no INTs in the red zone - with a two-yard pass to Damian Williams on a fourth-and-2 with 3:01 left.
Buffalo's defense has the second-worst TD efficiency inside the 20, with opponents converting 68.3 percent (28 for 41) of the time.
With leading rusher Fred Jackson out for the season and second-year back C.J. Spiller still finding his way, the Bills may have to rely heavily on a passing game led by Ryan Fitzpatrick and receivers Stevie Johnson and David Nelson to reach the end zone.
Both caught their fifth touchdowns of the season last week, but Johnson dropped a pass on the Bills' final drive that could have gone for a significant gain and possibly a touchdown.
The Bills have been unable to control the Titans in the fourth quarter of the last two meetings, getting outscored 34-0. Tennessee scored 24 unanswered points in the final period in a 41-17 home win Nov. 15, 2009, in the last matchup.
Johnson rushed for 132 yards with two TDs in that game while catching nine passes for a career-best 100 yards.
The Titans rallied from nine down in the fourth quarter to win 30-29 in their last visit to Buffalo on Dec. 24, 2006.
Tennessee has won six of the last seven in the series, including playoffs.

Ivy League QB, Bills bond over blue-collar roots 27SEP11

COME on BILLS, make it 4-0!!!! 
Each Tuesday, NFL Network reporter Albert Breer will share his thoughts on topics around the NFL as teams transition from the previous Sunday's game to the next encounter on the schedule. Today, he begins with a look at a blue-collar worker from Harvard.
I've always thought the term "blue-collar work ethic" was a little silly. It implies those who labor in offices and boardrooms aren't capable of pulling long hours, grinding themselves to exhaustion, or have to go through adversity to succeed. That notion, of course, is ridiculous.
Exhibit A is now playing quarterback for the Bills.
Can you be blue-collar coming from Harvard, as Ryan Fitzpatrick does? If you follow the definition above, the answer has to be yes.
"That is a great question," Bills coach Chan Gailey said, laughing. "But if it's possible, he is. I would certainly put him in the blue-collar category. I don't know if Harvard can go in the blue-collar category. He is, though. He is blue-collar."
So, it seems, is Fitzpatrick's entire arsenal of skill position weapons. C.J. Spiller is the only one of the 12 backs, tight ends and receivers on the active roster who was drafted in the first three rounds. The lone fourth-rounder, tight end Scott Chandler (by San Diego in 2007), was claimed off waivers last December. Half the group was undrafted, including four of the five receivers on the list.
No, the quarterback didn't go to a place like Coe College (Fred Jackson) or even Youngstown State (Donald Jones). But Fitzpatrick's underdog roots, as a seventh-round pick from a place where football players become stock brokers and lawyers, make him a perfect fit for this ragtag bunch.
"That's definitely something we bond over, and I think it makes us appreciate the opportunity we've been given even a little bit more, because we're all so unheralded and had to work so hard to get where we are," Fitzpatrick told me. "All of that fits with this city, that blue-collar mentality. I enjoy playing with those guys so much. There's zero ego. That makes my job a lot easier. The guys that I work with, they're all in to win, they're not about individual statistics."
That's led to two more important stats -- 3-0 (the team's record) and 113 (the league-leading number of points the Bills have scored) -- which are impressive, no matter where you're from. And it answers the question, too. If you want to follow the definition of that well-worn colloquialism, blue-collar work ethic, then yes, a Harvard guy is capable of rolling up his sleeves and fitting the bill.
"I guess you can say that," Jackson said, laughing. "He epitomizes a blue-collar guy. I've never seen a guy work as hard as he has, to get to where he is now."
Fitzpatrick got a kick out of the idea, too. But he was sure to add, "You're from Harvard, they assume you're spoon-fed your whole life. I promise you, that wasn't my upbringing."
And that goes especially for the way he's made his bones in the NFL.