Buffalo offense vs. Tennessee defense

	BILLS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	8
	Pass	21
	Tot. Yds.	11
	Scoring	16
	Int's allowed	16
	Sacks allowed	27
	TITANS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	11
	vs. Pass	25
	Total yds. allowed	17
	# of Ints.	16
	# of Sacks	54
	Turnover differential	+18

Usually a conservative decision maker, head coach Wade Phillips is going with the hot hand by starting Rob Johnson -- who shredded the Colts for 31 points and 287 yards passing in Week 17. Johnson gives this unit an entirely different look at the quarterback position. He is a strong-armed pocket passer who will force the Titans to play a more honest secondary scheme.

Although Phillips' move may disrupt team chemistry, it opens up the offensive scheme and gives the Bills a more diversified attack. Teams have been packing it in against Buffalo because Flutie has had some trouble connecting on the deep ball. If WR's Eric Moulds and Peerless Price can get vertical against the Titan secondary, Tennessee will not be able to play as aggressively up front.

Tennessee's pass rush is the most important variable of this playoff matchup. The Titans are second in the league with 54 sacks, and their constistent pressure make throwing the ball difficult. Tennessee plays an aggressive "46" defense, featuring a heavy blitz package wherein defensive lineman often drop into coverage to disguise reads.

Johnson will be forced to make frequent hot reads against Tennessee's pressure, especially in light of Buffalo's injuries at offensive tackle. OT Robert Hicks aggravated his high ankle sprain on the first series of last weeks' game, and was replaced by Marcus Spriggs. Spriggs will get the start at the right tackle position, where his inability to mirror and slide in pass protection could be a huge factor in when he matches up against DE Jevon Kearse -- a 14 + sackman in his rookie season. At left tackle, John Fina will play, but he is hobbled by a knee injury which will hinder his ability to move a solid Henry Ford (5 sacks on the season) in the running game.

The Bills need to run the ball well if they expect to hold onto the football and slow down the tempo on the road. Buffalo rushed for an average of 127.5 yards per game -- a deceiving stat when viewing film of the team. The Bills have done a poor job in short-yardage situations and have been unable to put games away running the ball.

Fortunately, the Bills finally have three healthy running backs to run at the Tiatans. RB's Antowain Smith, Jonathan Linton and Thurman Thomas will be able to spell each other, which means the running attack should be fresh late into the game.

The Titans are a tough unit to run against, yielding just 96.9 yards per game, but if the Bills are able to connect on some downfield passes early on, it should open up some room underneath and force the Titans to play a more honest scheme in the box.

Eddie George is obviously the catalyst of the running game, where he ranks second in the AFC in scoring (among non-kickers) with 78 points and total yards from scrimmage with 1,762, but just as critical to the running game are the play of FB Lorenzo Neal and the offensive line.

Anchored by NT Ted Washington, the Bills line must play tough up front. Washington is a big, powerful inside player, who is relied upon to take up space in the middle and clog the running lanes between the tackles. Against a team with such a productive isolation blocker like Neal, the key is to close up the running lanes before the fullback can get through the line of scrimmage.

In last week's dominating defensive performance against the Colts, Buffalo did an excellent job of penetrating up front, allowing the linebacking corps to make plays on the move. Edgerrin James managed just 50 yards rushing, as the Bills No. 1-ranked defense got another stellar game out of their linebackers. Once again, Sam Cowart and John Holecek need to play actively in the middle to nullify George's cutback lanes, while OLB Sam Rogers and Gabe Northern must continue to string plays to the sideline.

The passing game in this matchup is an interesting one because of the injuries in the Bills secondary and the marginal performance the Titan receivers have given their team. Thinned by injuries to DC Ken Irvin and dime safety Manny Martin, the Bills are in a predicament when the Titans decide to spread the field.

Tennessee does not have a tremendously deep or potent receiving corps, but they get a lot of help from the H-Back position and are capable of forcing the Bills into a lot of nickel and dime situations. Buffalo is forced to move starting cornerback Antoine Winfield inside on the slot receiver on nickel downs, leaving reserve Donovan Greer to play the right cornerback position, an area of weakness that the Titans will certainly try to exploit.

With the return of WR Yancey Thigpen to the lineup, QB Steve McNair becomes a greater threat. McNair seems to have found his rhythm in the offense after struggling after his return from injury, and if Thigpen can stretch the Buffalo secondary, McNair will have a lot more room to work to his underneath receivers and force the Bills to defend against the pass/run option.