NFL Moves Bills-Titans Game To Tuesday In Wake Of COVID-19 Outbreak

In an 11th-hour decision, the NFL has moved the Buffalo Bills game against the Tennessee Titans to Tuesday at 7 p.m. on CBS
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, as long as the Titans don’t have any more COVID-19 teams in the interim, the league announced Thursday.

The game was originally to be played on Sunday, but it became apparent in the last day or two that holding this game on Sunday was not going to be possible because the Titans have not been able to practice in their facility all week due to the COVID-19 outbreak on the team.

That means Buffalo will face another schedule change. Their game against the Kansas City Chiefs will be bumped from Thursday to next weekend (date to be announced), and that’s if the Titans game actually takes place on Tuesday. More testing in the Titans camp will be needed before the game on Tuesday is confirmed. The disadvantage is the Bills will have two days’ less rest than the Chiefs when they meet for what should be perhaps the biggest game of the season.

The league is also rescheduling the Broncos-Patriots game from Sunday to Monday at 5 p.m., as part of an ESPN doubleheader with the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints. The Patriots, who will be featured in the earlier game, had a much smaller outbreak than the Titans.

The Patriots did not work out Thursday for the second straight day after reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore joined quarterback Cam Newton on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

“These scheduling decisions were made to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts,” the NFL said in a statement on Thursday night.

These changes were made after the Titans became the center of the outbreak, with 23 players and staff having tested positive. The Titans facility remains closed and the team is still prohibited from any in-person activities.

The NFL closed the Tennessee facility Sept 29 after eight positive tests. But a group of Titans, including quarterback Ryan Tannehill, worked out at a private school on Sept. 30.

On Monday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell warned all 32 teams that violations of the protocol forcing scheduling changes could lead to teams being stripped of draft choices and even forfeiting games.

The NFL has been investigating the Titans for protocol violations. They have examined video inside the Titans facility and interviewed people within the organization. The Titans facility has been closed since Sept. 29. The Titans also announced that tight end Tommy Hudson, a practice squad member currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list, has been suspended without pay for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The league has already stepped in to make scheduling changes due to positive tests. They moved the Titans game last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers to Oct. 25. The Titans have 13 players on the reserve/COVID list, including four starters.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Maurice Hurst was put on the Reserve/COVID-19 list after he tested positive for the virus. Since the Bills played in Las Vegas last week, there were concerns the virus could have spread to Bills players, but so far there have been no positive tests on the Bills.

The Bills (4-0) will have some extra rest before facing the Titans (3-0) on Tuesday. The Bills have a chance to improve their record to 5-0 for the first time since the 1991 season.

The Bills high-octane offense will be featured with quarterback Josh Allen getting off to a fast start in his third season and injecting himself into the conversation as league MVP. He is second in the league in passing yards, while his favorite receiver, Stefon Diggs, is tied for the league lead with 403 yards receiving.

Wide receiver John Brown may not be at full strength because he appeared to re-aggravate a calf injury during practice on Thursday.

This week the Bills promoted cornerback Cam Lewis to the 53-man roster and placed Levi Wallace on the injured reserve list.