Tennessee @ Buffalo preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 11, 2015 ) Buffalo 14, Tennessee 13

The Tennessee Titans play nothing but close games, and they're getting pretty good at coming out on the winning side. The Titans will try to avoid a letdown after knocking off the defending Super Bowl champions in overtime last week when they visit the inconsistent Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Tennessee dropped the opener 27-20 at Miami but picked up three-point wins over Houston, Jacksonville and Philadelphia in the next three, with quarterback Marcus Mariota putting together one of the best games of his young career in the 26-23 overtime triumph over the Eagles, and the team is trying to keep that momentum going. "When you have a group of veterans like this team has, we should be fine,” linebacker Brian Orakpo told reporters. "We are going to carry ourselves as professionals, get ready for the Bills – it’s a new challenge, so erase the Philly game. We don't want to worry about the "trap game" and all that other noise that comes with it." The Bills are trying to erase the negative momentum after getting shut out at Green Bay last week, when they looked like a different team from the one that earned a 27-6 victory at Minnesota the previous week. "(The) offense wasn't good enough at all," Buffalo coach Sean McDermott told reporters. "Bottom line. Not good enough. Running game, passing game, hits on the quarterback."

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Titans -5. O/U: 39

ABOUT THE TITANS (3-1): Mariota was named the AFC's offensive player of the week after passing for 344 yards and two TDs and adding a rushing score against the Eagles. Mariota, who has been dealing with an elbow injury since the opener, is trying to be smart about when he leaves the pocket on a rushing attempt. "I just play within myself," Mariota told reporters. "I think when you start to think about it, it becomes unnatural and you tend to not play like yourself. I just play instinctively. I’ve just kind of trusted what I've done my entire career. Being able to move around in the pocket, or attack and get some yards down the field, it's also being smart and getting down. But, those things to me are very instinctive."

ABOUT THE BILLS (1-3): Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy is having a tough time on and off the field, with news breaking on Wednesday that he is the subject of a lawsuit claiming domestic violence against an ex-girlfriend, in addition to his struggles running the ball. McCoy battled nagging rib and hand injuries through the first four weeks while totaling 85 yards on 21 carries and getting him more involved in the offense is a priority. "The coaches know," McCoy told reporters. "They know when to get the ball to every player. We're just trying to figure it out. It's hard to get the ball a lot. I mean, it's hard considering that the defense comes in to play Buffalo offense, the main guy you want to stop is McCoy."

EXTRA POINTS

1. Titans S Kenny Vaccaro (elbow) was ruled out for Sunday and could miss "a few weeks," according to coach Mike Vrabel.

2. Buffalo QB Josh Allen has been sacked an NFL-high 18 times and is completing 53.4 percent of his passes - 33rd in the league.

3. Tennessee WR Corey Davis recorded career highs of nine catches and 161 yards while hauling in his first TD last week.

PREDICTION: Titans 17, Bills 13