Top 3 Things We Learned

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Top 3 things we learned from Bills vs. Titans | Week 7

Oct 20, 2024 at 09:56 PM

Alec White

Content Coordinator

The Buffalo Bills ran away in the second half with a 34-10 win over the Titans. The Bills move to 5-2 on the year and will head to Seattle next week.

Here's the top three things we learned from Bills-Titans:

1 — Cooper scores in debut, shouts out Bills Mafia

When WR Amari Cooper got the call from Bills GM Brandon Beane Tuesday night after he learned he'd been traded, he also found out that Buffalo planned for him to suit up and play five days later.

"As soon as I got traded, right on the phone call, he was like, 'You playing this week'," Cooper said.

Over the course of the next several days, Cooper and the Bills staff put in extra work outside of practice and meetings to get the receiver up to speed on Buffalo's playbook. Cooper worked closely with offensive assistant coach DJ Mangas to learn the plays that he'd be in for against the Titans.

"The plays that were for me I was 100% comfortable with. I went over them a lot. It was just another day at the office at the wide receiver position," Cooper said.

In his Bills debut, Cooper aced his first test, hauling in four catches for 66 yards and touchdown. Cooper's 12-yard TD catch on the first possession of the second half was his first catch as a Buffalo Bill.

"It's a huge shoutout to him for putting in the extra hours of getting ready for this game. It's not easy being traded in the week and playing a game," QB Josh Allen said.

As has been tradition at his previous stops in the NFL and at Alabama, the home crowd lets out a ceremonious cheer of 'COOP' anytime the WR does something of note. Cooper said he was impressed by how loud the cheers for him were in Orchard Park.

"It seems like a different Coop chant every single time. Just grateful, appreciative, there was something special about the one today though," Cooper shared. "It's very impressive. I mean, the fans, they have a good feel to the game, like I said, it just felt different, the fans for some reason."

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The chemistry between Allen and his new weapon was already apparent in their first game together. Allen pointed out a play late in the second half, an 8-yard slant to Cooper to pick up a first down, that showed just how important the addition can be to the Bills this season.

Cooper made an impressive adjustment to catch a ball that was thrown just slightly behind him.

"Absolutely. We talked about it beforehand, too, how he was going to run a slant," Allen said. "I was waiting for him, and unfortunately we were hot off the right side. I changed the protection to the boundary because I thought they were bringing a Will pressure. They ended up bringing somebody else from the other side."

"I feel the guy, and I'm just trusting that (Cooper's) getting out of this break. And put it behind him, he made a hell of a catch there."

As Cooper continues to get adjusted to his new home, the WR says he's focused on helping the team keep their two-game winning streak chugging along.

"Momentum is very important. I think the best teams, they're the ones who build off of it and just they understand how to keep the ball rolling. So, that's exactly what we have to do," Cooper said.

2 — Second half dominance

Both sides of the ball dominated in the final two quarters with the Bills outscoring the Titans 27-0. They also outgained Tennessee 299-72.

This marks the first time since the 2011 season that Buffalo has rallied from down 10+ points in multiple games and gone on to win both times (AZ, Wk. 1).

After a sluggish first half in which the Bills didn't record a first down until their fourth series of the game, it was the team's defense that turned the momentum in the third quarter. On the opening series of the second half, Buffalo got a fourth down stop on the Tennessee offense thanks to back-to-back tackles for a loss by LB Terrel Bernard and DT DeWayne Carter.

"That's a huge play. And it changed the momentum of the game for sure," CB Taron Johnson said.

Six plays later, Allen found Cooper in the end zone to give Buffalo its first lead of the game.

"It allowed us to get some momentum right there. We just found a way," Josh Allen said. "It didn't look like it was going to be pretty in the first half, but to win the way we did speaks a lot to the guys in the locker room."

Buffalo scored 10 points in the third quarter, bringing their season total to 55 points this year. The Bills are the highest scoring third quarter team in the league through Week 7 and also own the second-highest point differential (+35).

During half time, DE Greg Rousseau said the message was to stick together and good things will happen.

"Whenever the (offense) is down or we're down, the other side, you have to take responsibility of, 'Let's get the job done. Let's get the juice flowing.' We try not to point fingers, because that's not going to get you anywhere," Rousseau said.

Rousseau, who recorded his fourth sack of the season, also had six QB hits today — most by any player in an NFL game this season.

"Sometimes you kind of just get in the flow, you know what I'm saying. I feel like that was one of those days. You're out there just winning your rushes," Rousseau shared.

Allen explained that one of the keys for the offense in the turnaround was staying ahead of the sticks and continuing to move the chains. The Bills were 3 for 5 (60%) on third down conversions in the second half and picked up 15 first downs; they had just three first downs in the first half.

"I think just first and second down efficiency in that second half, we were pretty good. Getting the ball past the sticks, I think we skipped quite a few third downs in that second half," Allen said.

3 — Rookies make splash plays

Buffalo's win wouldn't have been possible without key plays made by a handful of their rookies. WR Keon Coleman, RB Ray Davis and DT DeWayne Carter all contributed to the victory in different ways.

And while he wasn't a member of the team's 2024 draft class and was acquired via a trade, DB/returner Brandon Codrington also stepped up with 56 punt return yards.

Coleman became just the third rookie receiver this season to record 125+ receiving yards in a game, joining Malik Nabers and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Coleman posted a career-high 125 yards on four catches and tying for the team lead with seven targets. The receiver showed an ability to break off big plays as his catches went for gains of 44, 14, 57 and 10 yards.

"Pretty much everything Joe Brady was calling (worked)," Coleman said. "All the different looks we was practicing, we got it in the game and executed at a high level."

Allen praised Coleman for his continued growth in his first season.

"It's hard not to throw it to him. But just staying in it, trusting the offense, trusting what's going on," the QB said.

Added new teammate Amari Cooper, "Congratulations to the young buck Keon for his first 100 yard game. He really put together string of plays out there."

Carter provided a spark on defense with his fourth down stop in the third quarter. He finished the day with three tackles, bringing him to nine on the season. Davis closed out the win in style with a 16-yard TD run in the final stages of the fourth quarter. The Kentucky product finished with 41 rushing yards on five attempts and has led the Bills in rushing in back-to-back games.