Titans' Kevin Byard shares the real reason for the rivalry with Bills
Tennessee Titans All-Pro safety Kevin Byard spoke to the media over zoom on Tuesday to preview the Titans' week two matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. A game that Byard expects to lead to an "electric" environment. The Rivalry The Bills-Titans rivalry is one of the most storied in the NFL today. […]
Tennessee Titans All-Pro safety Kevin Byard spoke to the media over zoom on Tuesday to preview the Titans' week two matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. A game that Byard expects to lead to an "electric" environment.
The Rivalry
The Bills-Titans rivalry is one of the most storied in the NFL today.
The saga began during the American Football League's inaugural 1960 season, when the Titans (Houston Oilers at the time) and Bills were charter teams in the league, playing against each other in the AFL East division.
The rivalry that was once highlighted by playoff matchups between Warren Moon and Jim Kelly, and included the Music City Miracle, has had a renaissance in recent years with both franchises returning to playoff and Super Bowl contention.
Since quarterback Josh Allen got to Buffalo, running back Derrick Henry the Titans have played Bills in every season. 2022 will mark five consecutive matchups, with the teams splitting the first four games 2-2 (Titans victorious in two straight).
Most games between the Titans and Bills come down to just a few points, and according to Byard, the competitive gameplay is a result of two team's with similar culture and mutual respect.
"I think it's a respect thing," Byard said of the rivalry with Buffalo. "The way both teams play…guys play hard. That's what makes the matchups exciting. These are two blue collar cities. Two blue collar teams."
With the Titans looking to bounce back from their Week 1 loss to the Giants and keep their recent success against the Bills going, Byard also gave some quotes to the media that are sure to fire up Titans fans:
"I would rather be the one chasing than the one being chased."
– Titans All-Pro safety Kevin Byard
Electric Atmosphere
Byard's expectations for the game on Monday are high. Not only is he confident that his Titans teammates will bounce back from the loss, he's anticipating the energy in Buffalo to match the big stage that is Monday Night Football.
"I think it's gonna be electric," Byard said. "It's gonna have a big time college game feel. The whole city is gonna be shut down for this game on Monday night, it's gonna be incredible."
When dealing with that noise, Byard says the Titans are going to let their play do the work for them. "When you're looking at that type of atmosphere, the way you quiet that crowd is go out there and make plays," said the safety.
The Titans are currently 10 point underdogs (+10) on BetMGM.com for Monday's game.
That's a lot of point for a historical tight-fought rivalry.
Image via Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
