Game story
In Week 1 of the 2000 NFL season on 2000-09-03, the Buffalo Bills took care of business against the Tennessee Titans, pulling away with a 16–13 final that came down to the wire.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
S. McNair (Tennessee Titans) paced the passing game, with -8.92 total EPA.
On the individual side, J. McDaniel (Buffalo Bills) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +3.51 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+53.6% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when Buffalo Bills changed the game: C.Hentrich kicks 67 yards from TEN 30 to BUF 3. C.Watson to BUF 14 for 11 yards (G.McCullough).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Titans | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Buffalo Bills | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 J. McDaniel · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +3.51 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.88 EPA/play
- 2 A.Van Pelt · Buffalo Bills · Passing · +2.00 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.25 EPA/play
- 3 S. Bryson · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +1.04 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.52 EPA/play
- 4 S. Morris · Buffalo Bills · Receiving · +0.98 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.98 EPA/play
- 5 C. Sanders · Tennessee Titans · Receiving · +0.91 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.46 EPA/play
- 6 R. Johnson · Buffalo Bills · Rushing · +0.70 total EPA · 1 snaps · +0.70 EPA/play
- 7 S. Morris · Buffalo Bills · Rushing · +0.22 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.11 EPA/play
- 8 C. Pickens · Tennessee Titans · Receiving · -0.24 total EPA · 3 snaps · -0.08 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
J. McDaniel — BUF · Receiving
J. McDaniel posted the highest total EPA (+3.51) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Buffalo Bills's efficiency. Across 4 counted snaps, they averaged +0.88 EPA per play.
The signature play (-4.21 EPA) came from Tennessee Titans: (11:25) S.McNair pass intended for F.Wycheck INTERCEPTED by K.Carpenter at BUF 34. K.Carpenter to BUF 42 for 8 yards (F.Miller). Receiver and coverage over middle.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Buffalo Bills — unlisted player
- Tennessee Titans — unlisted player
Field goals
- Tennessee Titans — unlisted player
- Tennessee Titans — unlisted player
- Buffalo Bills — unlisted player
- Buffalo Bills — unlisted player
- Buffalo Bills — unlisted player
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: Buffalo Bills won the period 7–6. Buffalo Bills found the end zone from the TEN 15 (Q2 43:57) — (13:57) R.Johnson pass to P.Price for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught in rear right corner of end zone; Buffalo Bills added 1 points from the TEN 2 (Q2 42:29) — S.Christie extra point is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr.; Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the BUF 20 (Q2 35:04) — (5:04) A.Del Greco 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich.; Tennessee Titans connected on a field goal from the BUF 9 (Q2 30:14) — (:14) A.Del Greco 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich..
The third quarter: Buffalo Bills won the period 3–0. Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the TEN 25 (Q3 19:04) — (4:04) S.Christie 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr..
The fourth quarter: Tennessee Titans won the period 7–6. Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the TEN 23 (Q4 14:24) — (14:24) S.Christie 41 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr.; Tennessee Titans found the end zone from the BUF 2 (Q4 8:49) — (8:49) E.George right tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tennessee Titans added 1 points from the BUF 2 (Q4 8:44) — A.Del Greco extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich.; Buffalo Bills connected on a field goal from the TEN 15 (Q4 0:35) — (:35) S.Christie 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Buffalo Bills (Q1 60:00) — C.Hentrich kicks 67 yards from TEN 30 to BUF 3. C.Watson to BUF 14 for 11 yards (G.McCullough).
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 0:04) — (:04) C.Hentrich 60 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-K.Dyson.
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 9:01) — (9:01) S.McNair pass incomplete to C.Pickens. PENALTY on BUF-K.Irvin, Defensive Pass Interference, 41 yards, enforced at BUF 43 - No Play.
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 1:15) — (1:15) C.Hentrich punts 41 yards to BUF 42, Center-K.Long. C.Watson to BUF 44 for 2 yards (R.Thomas).
- Buffalo Bills (Q4 4:14) — (4:14) (Shotgun) A.Van Pelt pass to J.McDaniel ran ob at BUF 48 for 20 yards. Caught along right sideline at BUF 48
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Tennessee Titans (Q1 56:25) — (11:25) S.McNair pass intended for F.Wycheck INTERCEPTED by K.Carpenter at BUF 34. K.Carpenter to BUF 42 for 8 yards (F.Miller). Receiver and coverage over middle.
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 9:01) — (9:01) S.McNair pass incomplete to C.Pickens. PENALTY on BUF-K.Irvin, Defensive Pass Interference, 41 yards, enforced at BUF 43 - No Play.
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 11:06) — (11:06) S.McNair pass incomplete to E.Kinney (H.Jones). Receiver and coverage in front left corner of end zone; pressure on QB: S.Rogers
- Tennessee Titans (Q4 14:19) — S.Christie kicks 62 yards from BUF 30 to TEN 8. D.Mason pushed ob at BUF 35 for 57 yards (S.Christie).
Quarterback report card
S.McNair led all passers in efficiency for Tennessee Titans, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- S.McNair (Tennessee Titans) · 37 dropbacks · 45.9% completion · -0.24 EPA/play · -8.92 total EPA
- R.Johnson (Buffalo Bills) · 31 dropbacks · 29.0% completion · -0.08 EPA/play · -2.33 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Tennessee Titans | Buffalo Bills |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.130 | -0.088 |
| Offensive success rate | 31.7% | 35.3% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.241 | +0.009 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.338 | -0.412 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.088 | +0.130 |
| Defensive success rate | 64.7% | 68.3% |
By the numbers
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Tennessee Titans -0.13, Buffalo Bills -0.09) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
- Buffalo Bills: 15 drives, -8.96 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Tennessee Titans: 15 drives, -10.68 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Buffalo Bills leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- J. McDaniel (Buffalo Bills) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Buffalo Bills TD (+6) — Q2 43:57 · TEN 15 · Score 0-6
(13:57) R.Johnson pass to P.Price for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN. Caught in rear right corner of end zone - Buffalo Bills XP (+1) — Q2 42:29 · TEN 2 · Score 0-7
S.Christie extra point is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr. - Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q2 35:04 · BUF 20 · Score 3-7
(5:04) A.Del Greco 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich. - Tennessee Titans FG (+3) — Q2 30:14 · BUF 9 · Score 6-7
(:14) A.Del Greco 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich. - Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q3 19:04 · TEN 25 · Score 6-10
(4:04) S.Christie 42 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr. - Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q4 14:24 · TEN 23 · Score 6-13
(14:24) S.Christie 41 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr. - Tennessee Titans TD (+6) — Q4 8:49 · BUF 2 · Score 12-13
(8:49) E.George right tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Tennessee Titans XP (+1) — Q4 8:44 · BUF 2 · Score 13-13
A.Del Greco extra point is GOOD, Center-B.Matthews, Holder-C.Hentrich. - Buffalo Bills FG (+3) — Q4 0:35 · TEN 15 · Score 13-16
(:35) S.Christie 33 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-E.Albright, Holder-C.Mohr.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
The Buffalo Bills beat the Tennessee Titans 16-13 in Week 1, 2000 on 2000-09-03.
What was the final score of Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
The final score was Tennessee Titans 13, Buffalo Bills 16 (TEN 13-16 BUF) in Week 1, 2000 on 2000-09-03.
What was the score by quarter in Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
Q2: Tennessee Titans 6, Buffalo Bills 7; Q3: Tennessee Titans 0, Buffalo Bills 3; Q4: Tennessee Titans 7, Buffalo Bills 6; Final: Tennessee Titans 13, Buffalo Bills 16.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
Buffalo Bills touchdown — unlisted player (Q2 43:57) Tennessee Titans touchdown — unlisted player (Q4 8:49) Tennessee Titans field goal — unlisted player (Q2 35:04, 3 pts) Tennessee Titans field goal — unlisted player (Q2 30:14, 3 pts) Buffalo Bills field goal — unlisted player (Q3 19:04, 3 pts) Buffalo Bills field goal — unlisted player (Q4 14:24, 3 pts) Buffalo Bills field goal — unlisted player (Q4 0:35, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
S. McNair (Tennessee Titans), 45.9% completion, -0.24 EPA per dropback, -8.92 total passing EPA. R. Johnson (Buffalo Bills), 29.0% completion, -0.08 EPA per dropback, -2.33 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills?
J. McDaniel (Buffalo Bills) led the game in total EPA with +3.51 on receiving plays. across 4 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-4.21 EPA): (11:25) S.McNair pass intended for F.Wycheck INTERCEPTED by K.Carpenter at BUF 34. K.Carpenter to BUF 42 for 8 yards (F.Miller). Receiver and coverage over middle.. The biggest win-probability swing was +53.6%.
Was Tennessee Titans vs Buffalo Bills a close game?
Yes — the margin was 3 points. Buffalo Bills won 16-13 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Tennessee Titans
Now 0-1 L
Buffalo Bills
Now 1-0 W
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