The Buffalo Bills weren’t able to pull out a win against the Tennessee Titans, losing 35-34 in the final seconds of the game.

While Ryan Fitzpatrick played better than usual, the Bills defense prevented the team from putting away the Titans early.

Running back Chris Johnson, who’s been on and off this season, exploded for 195 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, including an 83-yard touchdown run.

On the other side of the ball, Buffalo was efficient on the ground. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller combined for 141 yards on 21 carries.

Much has been made of the Bills potentially trading for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, but pass catcher Donald Jones proved that no such trade is necessary, adding 47 yards and a touchdown on four receptions Sunday.

The Bills run defense holds them back from being an elite contender, as another poor day against the run leads to a disappointing loss.

Up 34-28 with just over a minute left to go, Buffalo had a chance to put away the Titans, but Tennessee quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completed a seam route to Nate Washington for a decisive, late score. More troubling was the fact that the Bills gave up the touchdown on a fourth down play.

With the pieces to be successful on defense, a lack of execution prevents another would-be win for the underachieving Bills. After spending a hefty sum of money and draft picks to upgrade defensively in the offseason, the early returns are discouraging for GM Buddy Nix and the team.

For the Titans, Matt Hasselbeck leads his team to another big victory. After knocking off the Steelers on Thursday Night Football, the quarterback was efficient (22-of-33 completions) on the day and kept the ball moving.

Tennessee should be fine moving forward, whether Jake Locker or Matt Hasselbeck is under center.

As for the Bills, though the offense played well, the defense was unable to hold down the fort. Ryan Fitzpatrick was not the issue today, nor were injuries. If the team doesn’t improve on defense, it’ll be another long year in Buffalo.