The Bills–Titans rivalry is a National Football League rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and the Tennessee Titans. The series originated during the American Football League's inaugural season in 1960, as both the Titans, then known as the Houston Oilers, and Bills were charter teams in the league, playing as divisional opponents in the AFL's East division. Despite being moved to different divisions following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bills and Oilers/Titans have had several heated competitions since, including two of the most memorable moments in NFL playoff history, namely The Comeback and the Music City Miracle.[1][2] Since 1999, several games have been decided by less than a touchdown.[2]
| First meeting | October 30, 1960 Bills 25, Oilers 24 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | October 20, 2024 Bills 34, Titans 10 |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 51 |
| All-time series | Titans, 30–21 |
| Regular season series | Titans, 29–19 |
| Postseason results | Bills, 2–1 |
| Largest victory | Bills: 41–7 (2022) Titans: 35–6 (1968) |
| Longest win streak | Titans, 10 (1967–78) Bills, 3 (achieved 3 times, most recently 2015–19) |
| Current win streak | Bills, 2 (2022–present) |
| Post–season history | |
| |
As they play in different intraconference divisions: Buffalo in the AFC East and Tennessee in AFC South, they do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium during which their divisions are paired up, sometimes more often if the two teams finish in the same place in their respective divisions or meet in the playoffs.[3][4][5]
History
edit1960–1978: AFL dominance and league merger
editWhen the American Football League was founded, the Bills and Oilers were placed in the AFL East division. Both Buffalo, New York and Houston, Texas had been passed over for National Football League franchises during recent expansion talks at that point, with Bills founder Ralph Wilson and Oilers founder Bud Adams becoming part of what would now be called the "Foolish Club" for their venture as part of the fledgling AFL.[6] Nonetheless, the two teams dominated the AFL, combining for four league championships, two each, as well as seven divisional titles. After then AFL merged with the NFL following the 1969 season, Houston would be moved to the AFC Central division, while Buffalo and the other AFL East teams would be joined by the Baltimore Colts to form the AFC East division.[7]
Despite several competitive games from 1960 to 1966 as divisional rivals, Houston won 10 straight games from 1967 to 1978, long after the two teams were separated into different divisions.[8][6]
1983–1999: Pivotal playoff matchups and the Oilers' move to Tennessee
editWith Buffalo now being led by quarterback Jim Kelly and Houston by Warren Moon, several marquee matchups occurred during the late 1980s and 1990s after a 5-year hiatus in the series between 1978 and 1983. During this era, the two franchises would play three postseason games against each other, with the first contest being a 17–10 Bills win in the 1988 AFC divisional round.[7] The latter two competitions would have major adverse effects on the losers.
After beating the Bills 27–3 during the final game of the 1992 season, Houston rematched the Bills at Rich Stadium in the wild card round. Despite being up 35–3 at one point against an injury-depleted Buffalo team missing Kelly, running back Thurman Thomas, and others, the Oilers were unable to prevent Bills backup quarterback Frank Reich from engineering what is now the largest playoff comeback in NFL history, as Buffalo ultimately won 41–38 in overtime. While "The Comeback" is now considered one of the proudest moments in Bills history, as they would go on to their third of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances,[9] the Oilers arguably never recovered from this loss, with Houston fans now calling this game "The Choke".[10] Despite making the playoffs again the following season, tension among players and coaches, in addition to several off-field incidents, became widely reported. The team's drama boiled over during Houston's loss in the wild-card round that year. Within the next few years, the team's core players, including Moon, were sent away and after several unsuccessful seasons, Bud Adams decided to move the Oilers to Nashville, Tennessee, with an interim stop in Memphis, to become the Tennessee Titans.[11] Houston sports radio host Rich Lord said in 2013 that "The Choke" and other Oilers playoff losses were among reasons why the team relocated.[10]
After the Titans rebranded themselves two years into their move to Nashville, they would host the Bills in the 1999 AFC wild card round at the newly completed Adelphia Coliseum. While the Titans now featured new players such as quarterback Steve McNair and running back Eddie George, much of the Bills' core, namely Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith were at the end of their careers, while their veteran quarterback Doug Flutie was controversially benched for Rob Johnson.[12] In what would become a defensive struggle, Johnson led the Bills to a go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter, losing his shoe in the process, to put Buffalo up 16–15.[13] However, on the ensuing kickoff, the Titans scored the game-winning touchdown in what would now become known as the Music City Miracle, as tight end Frank Wycheck, corralling the ball from Lorenzo Neal, threw a lateral pass to Kevin Dyson, who returned it untouched for the score.[14] Though the ball appeared to travel forward, further review, confirmed by a computer analyst who studied the play years later, determined that the pass was indeed a lateral.[15] Tennessee went on to appear in Super Bowl XXXIV after the win while Buffalo did not appear in the postseason again until 2017.
Overall, Buffalo held the advantage in the series from 1983 to 1999 at 8–6, including winning 8 of 11 games between 1983 and 1994 after 10 consecutive losses.[6]
2000–2017: Bills' decline and concurrent playoff droughts
editFollowing the Music City Miracle, Buffalo would suffer a major decline of its own;[16] after beating Tennessee in a Sunday Night Football rematch the following season, the Bills would not beat the Titans again until 2015, in addition to missing the playoffs for the next 17 seasons. There were also widespread rumors the Bills would move to Toronto, stemming from the team playing several games in the Canadian metropolis as part of the Bills Toronto Series.[17] Despite staying as one of the league's better teams for most of the 2000s, Tennessee would also miss the playoffs for 9 years after losing in the divisional round in 2008.
Two of Buffalo's losses to Tennessee in this era directly eliminated the Bills from playoff contention, namely in 2003 and 2006. The 2006 matchup saw Titans rookie quarterback Vince Young lead a fourth quarter comeback to put the Titans up 30–29 with 2 minutes left. The Bills drove down the field on the ensuing drive to the Tennessee 28-yard-line, but instead of attempting the field goal on 4th-and-5, they opted to have J. P. Losman attempt a pass due to high winds, resulting in the game-sealing interception.[18] Tennessee would also be eliminated with a loss the following week, squandering a 6-game winning streak after starting 2–7.[19]
In 2009, the Bills and Titans were honored as two of the original AFL teams, with their matchup being featured as one of the "AFL Legacy" games to honor the 50th anniversary of the AFL's founding. Bud Adams, who maintained a friendly rivalry with Ralph Wilson, was fined $250,000 by the league following the 41–17 Titans win in which he obscenely gestured towards the Bills sideline. Adams and Wilson were the last living original AFL owners at that time,[20] with the two dying in 2013 and 2014, respectively.[21][22]
During the 2015 game in which Buffalo finally ended a five-game losing streak in the series, quarterback Tyrod Taylor accounted for two touchdowns in the second half while setting a then-franchise record for quarterback rushing yards in a game, paving the way for a 14–13 Bills comeback win in Nashville as the Bills defense also stifled Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota.[23] It was the second of three straight matchups between the Bills and Titans decided by just one point.[6]
2018–present
editAfter the Bills and Titans both broke lengthy playoff droughts in 2017, the two teams returned to being two of the premier franchises in the league, both having qualified for the postseason again from 2019 to 2021 and won their divisions in 2020 and 2021. The Titans' home games during this era were also noted for a large influx of Bills fans visiting Nashville to attend the games, with the exception of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out.[24]
In his rookie season in 2018, Bills quarterback Josh Allen led Buffalo to a 13–12 victory over the Titans, accomplishing his first career come-from-behind win.[25] After a Buffalo 14–7 win in 2019, in which Titans kicker Cairo Santos missed 4 field goals before being cut,[26] the teams were set to rematch in 2020 before several COVID-19 infections ravaged the Titans organization and forced the game's rescheduling from a Sunday afternoon to a Tuesday night,[27] marking the first time since 2010 that an NFL regular-season game was played on a Tuesday.[28] Despite this, Tennessee routed the Bills 42–16 behind a strong performance by new quarterback Ryan Tannehill and several Bills turnovers, staying unbeaten while handing Buffalo its first loss of that year.[29]
The two teams rematched for the fourth consecutive year in 2021. During a hotly contested Monday Night game, the lead changed seven times throughout during an offensive shootout, as Allen and Titans running back Derrick Henry both turned in strong performances. The game was decided in the final minutes, when Allen was stopped by the Titans defense on a crucial 4th-and-1 at the Tennessee 3-yard line, allowing the Titans to win 34–31.[30] Both teams won their respective divisions in 2021, but the Titans' victory over the Bills (along with a win against the Kansas City Chiefs the following week) allowed them to clinch the AFC's top seed while Buffalo had to settle for the third seed. Both teams lost in the divisional round.[31][32]
Despite the heated matchups and recurrent success of both teams, they have yet to meet in the postseason in the 21st century.[8]
Season-by-season results
edit| Buffalo Bills vs. Tennessee Titans Season-by-Season Results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1960s (Oilers, 13–7)
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1970s (Oilers, 4–0)
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1980s (Bills, 5–1)
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1990s (Oilers/Titans, 5–3)
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2000s (Titans, 3–1)
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2010s (Bills, 3–2)
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2020s (Tie, 2–2)
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Summary of Results
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Source:[8]
References
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- ^ a b Gray, Nicklaus (2019-10-06). "Is Titans-Bills a rivalry? Let's evaluate". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
- ^ Davis, Scott. "The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "NFL gives East teams a break traveling West". ESPN.com. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ Trapasso, Chris. "How Is the NFL Schedule Created?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ a b c d "Tennessee Titans recent matchups against Buffalo Bills". Clarksville Online. 2021-10-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ a b Harris, Iestyn (2021-10-15). "Bills vs. Titans: Rivalry History". Buffalo Fanatics. Archived from the original on 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
- ^ a b c "All Matchups, Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
- ^ Tasker, Steve; Pitoniak, Scott (2013). "4: It Ain't Over Till It's Over". The Buffalo Bills: My Life on a Special Team. Sports Publishing. ISBN 978-1-61321-328-5.
- ^ a b Seminara, Dave (January 1, 2013). "The Greatest Rally, or the Biggest Fade?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
- ^ "Houston '93". A Football Life. Season 3. Episode 15. December 10, 2013. NFL Network.
- ^ Smith, Timothy W. (2000-01-06). "PRO FOOTBALL; Bills' Benching of Flutie Going Against the Grain". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans - January 8, 2000". Pro Football Reference. January 8, 2000. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
- ^ NFL Films (2016-10-28). Top 10 Playoff Finishes – #3: The Music City Miracle (Video). YouTube.
- ^ "Tennessee vs. Buffalo, 1/8/00". NFL Films Game of the Week. 2007-07-11. NFL Network.
- ^ Dunne, Tyler (October 10, 2015). "Fifteen Years Later, the 'Miracle' Lingers On for Bills". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on January 8, 2018. Retrieved December 21, 2021.
- ^ Simmons, Steve (2008-12-07). "The dream that wouldn't die". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-18.
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- ^ "Patriots vs. Titans - Game Recap - December 31, 2006 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ "Adams draws $250K fine from NFL", ESPN News service, November 16, 2009, accessed November 21, 2009
- ^ Associated Press (October 21, 2013) "Titans owner Bud Adams remembered as pioneer, innovator Archived October 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine". khou.com. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
- ^ "Ralph Wilson, owner of Buffalo Bills, dies at 95". Buffalonews.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ Maiorana, Sal (2015-10-11). "Taylor, Bills start slow, finish strong vs. Titans". Democrat and Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ Warrick, Michael (2021-10-17). "'Bills Mafia' descend on Nashville for Monday's game against Titans". WSMV Nashville. Archived from the original on 2021-12-20. Retrieved 2021-12-20.
- ^ "Instant analysis: Bills grind for thrilling win vs. Titans". Bills Wire. 2018-10-07. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
- ^ Michael David Smith (October 6, 2019). "Cairo Santos goes 0-for-4 as Titans lose winnable game to Bills". ProFootballTalk.NBCSports.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
- ^ Middlehurst-Schwartz, Michael (October 8, 2020). "Titans' game against Bills delayed to Tuesday amid COVID-19 outbreak". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 11, 2020.
- ^ Gray, Nick (2020-10-13). "When was the last NFL game on a Tuesday night?". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 2022-01-02. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ "Titans' reasons for optimism and concern vs. Bills in Week 6". Titans Wire. 2021-10-15. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
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- ^ "Cincinnati Bengals at Tennessee Titans 2021 POST 2 - Game Center". NFL.com. NFL Productions LLC. January 22, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ "Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs 2021 POST 2 - Game Center". NFL.com. NFL Productions LLC. January 23, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2024.