After seeing their Week 4 game with the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) postponed due to COVID-19, the Tennessee Titans (3-0) were hoping to get on the field against the Buffalo Bills (4-0) this Sunday. Unfortunately, two more Titans tested positive for the virus Wednesday, putting their game against the Bills in jeopardy.
Tennessee has won six of its last seven games dating back to last season.
“This is a team that started off 3-0 for the first time since 2008,” AP NFL writer Teresa Walker said on After Hours with Amy Lawrence. “This is a team that got to the AFC Championship Game in January and came into this season with Derrick Henry and Ryan Tannehill, they added Jadeveon Clowney, and now they’ve got Vic Beasley back on the field. The pieces seemed to be coming together, and they were about to start a three-week homestand against the Steelers, the Bills and the Texans going into their bye. But now everything has been completely thrown up in the air.”
The Titans had hoped to return to the team facility after back-to-back days of negative tests, but a pair of positive tests Wednesday threw a wrench into their plans. Wide receiver Corey Davis, it is worth noting, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
“They took an expected bye week this last weekend, but with this hanging over them, it didn’t exactly feel like a bye week,” Walker said. “But no bye week is going to feel like a bye in the NFL, not with the continued daily testing being required of teams. But right now, they don’t know when they’re going to play again. They haven’t been on a field. . . . The Titans are still just trying to get back in the building.”
Ideally, the Titans would have at least a walk-through practice before squaring off against Buffalo, but it remains to be seen if that practice – or the game – will transpire.
“It feels like it’s been a little bit of Groundhog Day here for 10, 12 days,” Walker said. “Until they get back in their building, we’re just going to wait and see [if anyone else tests positive]. That’s the one thing we’re watching most closely. If they have a positive test on Thursday or Friday or Saturday, it’s tough not to see this game getting postponed or rescheduled.”