In every highlight package recapping the 2020 season, there is at least one version of Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry stiff-arming then-Buffalo Bills corner Josh Norman into space.
Hello, memories:
The Bills haven't forgotten that play either, which was the lowlight of their 42-16 beatdown in Tennessee last season.
"We get reminded every time I see highlights," Bills coach Sean McDermott said of Henry's stiff arm. "I see that play and then, you know, look, give them credit. They outperformed us, they outcoached us, they outplayed us. They're a good football team."
The game in question was played on a Tuesday night last season due to a COVID-19 outbreak in Tennessee. The embarrassment from that loss has stuck with Buffalo.
"You can learn from those experiences," McDermott said. "And we weren't very disciplined in that game, detail-oriented. We didn't take care of the football. I mean, it was like I told you, they outperformed us."
Josh Allen threw two INTs on that night, and the Bills lost a fumble. Buffalo's defense offered little resistance, allowing the Titans to generate 334 yards and put up six TDs on nine drives.
On Monday night, a much-different Bills team than the one stiff-armed into oblivion heads back to Tennessee. For one, Norman is no longer with the club. The Buffalo defense has also flipped the script, dominating opponents through five weeks. The Bills enter Monday's contest ranked No. 1 in points allowed, total yards, yards per play allowed, turnovers and big plays made. They also rank second against the pass, third against the run and fifth in third-down conversion rate.
Henry isn't interested in reliving the magic of last year's big play with the rematch on tap.
"Nahhh, I kind of don't (want to talk about it)," Henry said via the team's official website. "It happened, and it's over with."
Henry knows it's not the same defense he faced last year.
"They are ranked third for a reason," Henry said. "Even looking back, 2019, like two years ago, they still have some of the same guys who played together for a long time, who know the schemes very well and who do great in the scheme. They have a lot of experience from top to bottom. It is a really good defense."
Henry leads the NFL with 142 carries, 640 rush yards, and seven rushing TDs in 2021 -- all career highs through the first five weeks of a season. If the Titans are to pull the upset in prime time, they will need another highlight-reel game from their dominant back.
