NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Titans cornerback Kristian Fulton's hamstring injury will keep him out of Monday night football against the Buffalo Bills.

Pool photo/ George Walker, The Tennessean

First-round draft pick Caleb Farley, who missed a day of practice sick, is likely to get his first NFL start in Fulton's place. He's played just 32 snaps in two games as a shoulder injury has limited him early in his first season.

Breon Borders could also be used as an alternative. [Unlocked]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --  Well, hello!

Welcome to what should be a great football weekend.

It's been a bit since we gather to sort through some mail, so I've torn it open and selected the best of what you've given me and here we go.

DH22 averages 13 more carries then any other RB. How sustainable is this in a 17 game season?

— Donweiser (@Gutenhiemer) October 13, 2021

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans have successfully game-planned versus Josh Allen and the Bills in the past.

Monday night at Nissan Stadium, they need to continue to pressure Allen and force him to make off-balanced throws that put him and his outstanding arm strength in uncomfortable positions that usually result in Allen throwing off target and inaccurate.

Titans pool photo

Lack of accuracy plagued Allen going back to college.

Allen has improved when he is allowed to set his feet and throw from a comfortable position.

When he reverts back to poor lower-body mechanics, he will throw with a wide-open stance and spray the ball on short to intermediate throws.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The pass protection focus has been on the offensive line, with tributaries flowing to quarterback ball-holding and wide-receiver separation.

The lack of explosive plays has been thoroughly discussed, with absences and injury limitations of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones clearly limiting what was supposed to be a dynamic offense.

Geoff Swaim/ Pool photo by Mark Humphrey, AP

But the absence of the Titans’ tight ends as a factor for the offense has not yet had it's turn under the spotlight – and there is some question as to how much that is tied to their deployment, as the team has made a significant move away from two-tight end formations.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The numbers working in Harold Landry’s favor: 4.5 and 14 in five.

The numbers working against Landry: three of 19.

The fourth-year edge rusher is doing the best work of his career in a contract year, which is always a little scary. But he is becoming one of the most valuable commodities in the NFL, a home-grown pass rusher.

Donald Page/ Tennessee Titans pool photo

He’s got 4.5 sacks and 14 pressures in the Titans’ first five games and had been relentless.

While his entire body of work will have to be considered, if the Titans don't manage to re-sign him after the season they will create a hole they’ve shown no knack for filling.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sustaining an excellent offense and lifting a bad defense to merely mediocre was going to be a recipe to lift the Titans to the next level in 2021.

But through five games, that’s not how things have been panning out.

In a lot of ways, because the offense has dropped off, we’ve lost sight of the reasonable expectations of the defense. It's a point Jonathan Hutton wisely raised on Monday’s OutKick 360.

BY BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Titans got back in the win column in Jacksonville and really that is all that mattered.

The Titans couldn’t have had a better start with less than one minute into the contest when Kevin Byard returned a fumble for a touchdown.

Elijah Molden made a textbook tackle and caused the fumble by newly acquired tight end Dan Arnold.

© George Walker IV / Tennessean.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

It could have been seen as a questionable call, but I believe you can’t punish the defense for making a good play and I am glad the play stood.

The second possession by the Jaguars was different. James Robinson ran off tackle for 58 yards. Rashaan Evans had a busted assignment that caused the big hole and long run.

The Titans were so much better on their way to a good result in Jacksonville, doing a lot to find a path to a win.

But it was not hard for Mike Vrabel to top your to-do list when he reviewed all that still ails his team and needs to be worked on as his team faces forward and prepares for a much better team than the Jets or the Jaguars as the Bills come to Nashville for Monday Night Football.

© Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

“It’s really good to do some things that are really positive to mask some of the stuff that is going to cause you to lose,” Vrabel told reporters in Jacksonville. “…The poor fundamentals, poor tackling, penalties, protection issues, not getting Derrick (Henry) enough room in the run game. Just a lot of things.

“That starts with me, and it’s also got to be on the players to go out there and know what to do, play fundamentally sound. But when we had to have plays, we had them.”

They are in an incremental forward progress phase, it seems. And while they can be impatient with many elements of it, we know the drill.