Butler's Two Picks Makes Things Easy on Offense

Veteran cornerback set up two touchdowns with long interception returns in Tennessee's 42-16 romp over Buffalo.

Good defense usually leads to success on offense.

That was more than the case in the Tennessee Titans’ 42-16 thrashing of the Buffalo Bills, tabbed by many as one of the NFL’s best teams entering the matchup.

Veteran cornerback Malcolm Butler recorded his second career multi-interception game, and both of them led to touchdowns. In other words, complementary football pushed the Titans to 4-0 for the first time since 2008.

“It’s all about complementary football,” Butler said in his postgame press conference. “Get turnovers, try to take the ball to the red zone. (Ryan) Tannehill, A.J. Brown, Derrick Henry, they’re going to score for us.”

Both of Butler’s interceptions put the Titans in prime position for points.

His first came on the game’s inaugural possession. On a third-down-and-four, Bills quarterback Josh Allen fired a strike to a wide-open Andre Roberts down the middle of the field. The ball deflected off Roberts's hands and into Butler’s, who returned it 29 yards to the Buffalo 16-yard line.

From there, the Titans had it easy. Two plays later, Tannehill dropped a dime to Brown for a 16-yard touchdown that put the Titans up 7-0.

“You’ve got to put everything behind you once you go out there on that field,” Butler said of his first interception and the Titans’ fast start. “We always talk about complementary football and that’s the only way we’re going to be able to win. We’ve just got to go out there and win and do your job the best way you can, be there for your teammates and just play ball, man.”

The Bills drove 76 yards on 15 plays over six minutes to tie the game on the ensuing possession, but did not find the endzone again until the third quarter. While the Titans gave up their share of yards -- 370 of them -- they managed to hold Allen, who has more than proved his worth as a quarterback this season, to a season-low 263 yards passing (26 completions on 41 attempts).

Butler’s second interception effectively sealed the deal. With the Titans up 21-10 early in the third quarter, Allen and the Bills seemed to be putting a much-needed scoring drive together.

Allen delivered another rocket, but nobody besides Butler was there to catch it.

“I just looked back at my post safety and we were just disguising,” Butler said. “I was on the same page with him and we made him think it was something that it wasn’t. I just came off my man and got back in the seam.

“... I just knew we were in one coverage and I saw my safety disguise it. So, I said I’m going to make it look like I’m going to do the same thing he’s doing. Make it look like whatever we’re planning. That’s what I did and that probably confused him, so yes, that’s what happened.”

Butler, who has 15 career interceptions over seven full seasons (four with the New England Patriots, three with the Titans), returned the ball 68 yards while evading multiple tacklers and nearly going down to his knees.

The longest return of his NFL career had Butler thinking about his high school days. While Butler could hear coach Mike Vrabel telling him to “get down and take care of the ball,” he explained that once he has the ball in his hands, he wants to make a play.

“I always wanted to play offense so once I get the ball, I’m trying to show my skills – my running skills and my vision whenever I get the chance,” Butler said. “You know you don’t have many opportunities to get the ball when you’re playing defensive back. I was always told, ‘Don’t go down until you’re tackled.’”

Three plays and a roughing the passer penalty later, Tannehill connected with tight end Jonnu Smith for a four-yard touchdown to put the Titans ahead 28-10.

“Like I said, last week -- I guess two weeks ago now -- we got in those positions a couple times and weren't able to finish in the end zone,” Tannehill said. “I'm proud of our guys the way we were able to capitalize on those great opportunities given to us by the defense.

“Malcolm made a couple huge plays. I don't know how he kept his feet on the one. I'm screaming at him, ‘Get down, get down!,’ and he's getting spun around. Somehow, he keeps his feet and flips the whole field for us. Pretty incredible to watch and just a lot of fun.”

The Titans had to gut out three final-minute victories before their dominant performance against the Bills.

The last time the Titans played a football game before Tuesday -- 16 days ago -- Butler said the defense had a bitter taste in its mouth after giving up 484 yards of total offense in a 31-30 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

A big thanks to Butler, the Titans got a better taste this time around.

“We’ve just got to play complementary football and play as a unit and we’ll be tough to beat, but we haven’t done anything,” he said. “Four games are not enough in this league. We’ve just got to continue working, grind hard and play together.”