The Tennessee Titans take on the Detroit Lions this Sunday afternoon in Week 8 and here are three reasons for optimism.
The Tennessee Titans are coming off a debilitating loss to the Buffalo Bills and are in desperation mode. Their anemic offense will now be without wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who was traded away earlier in the week.
Even their top-ranked defense will have a massive hole, as the team traded starting linebacker Ernest Jones as well. None of this sets up well for a game against one of the most complete and explosive teams in the NFL: The Detroit Lions.
It’s hard for fans to remain optimistic right now. The team is losing, appears headed toward a rebuild, and questions about the coaching staff continue to arise.
Still, for Titans fans, there are some slight reasons for optimism in Week 8, and here are three of them.
Series dominance
The Titans have history on their side as they travel north to face the Lions. The Titans are undefeated against the Lions since the team relocated to Tennessee in 1997. During that span, they are 6-0, last beating the Lions in 2020. The last time the Titans had history on their side was against the Miami Dolphins, where they continued their undefeated Monday Night Football streak for their lone win of the season. It’s not much, but it’s something.
Trap game emotions
Looking at the schedule, this game may be set up perfectly for the Titans. The Lions are coming off a huge divisional win, knocking off the undefeated Minnesota Vikings, and next week will be facing division rival Green Bay in a critical NFC North battle. Trap games are more prevalent in the NCAA, but they do happen in the NFL and this game sets up as a prime example. Football is an emotional game and the NFL does live up to the “any given Sunday” mantra every week. Titans fans hope that happens this week.
Time of possession
It’s a subtle thing that in the grand scheme of things is often misleading, but in this case, it may be one facet of the game for the Titans to focus on. Even with all of the offensive struggles, the Titans have done a good job of maintaining a time-of-possession advantage. Even in their Week 7 debacle against the Bills, they held a six-minute advantage.
With likely starter quarterback Mason Rudolph having a full week of first-team reps, the offense could continue that trend this week. When you couple that with a stout Titans defense taking on a Lions offense down a significant playmaker with wide receiver Jameson Williams being suspended, it could come into play.
The Tennessee Titans head to Michigan to face the Detroit Lions on Sunday and here are three causes for concern heading into Week 8.
This Sunday, the Tennessee Titans head to Michigan to face the Detroit Lions. The Titans are 1-5 after six games, while the Lions are 5-1 and lead the NFC North division.
As much as the Buffalo Bills and Titans were polar opposites in Week 7, the Lions and Titans are equally as opposite. Jared Goff has exploded onto the scene as a reliable and consistent leader on the field. David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are sharing time and making the most of it. Even with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions’ defense still presents a problem for the Titans.
The Titans have their work cut out for them on the road and there are three major causes for concern in Week 8.
Offensive woes are a persistent problem
Titans head coach Brian Callahan admits there’s a problem at right tackle. Leroy Watson played well against Indianapolis and didn’t allow a single sack but was penalized twice which resulted in Nicholas Petit-Frere getting back on the field against Buffalo. And we all know how that went.
On top of the offensive line issues, the Titans just traded away their top receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs. This still leaves them with Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd. And with Treylon Burks on injured reserve (IR), rookie Jha’Quan Jackson will likely see some playing time.
The thing is, if the quarterback, which looks to be Mason Rudolph as of right now, can’t get the ball to the receivers, then it doesn’t matter which receivers are on the field. Rudolph struggled against Buffalo in Week 7, and Week 8 against the Lions isn’t going to be any different.
Defensive changes will impact on-field play
The Titans traded away Ernest Jones IV on Wednesday. It was the second trade of the day, and this one had a bigger impact than the Hopkins trade. Jones was a leader among the defense, he is second in tackles behind Kenneth Murray Jr., and while he hasn’t recorded any sacks this season, his presence on the field will be missed.
On top of that trade, the Titans made it known that Harold Landry III is on the trading block and the team is open to offers. Landry will still go out there and play and he will do his job to the best of his ability, but that has to be in the back of his head and could affect how well he plays on Sunday.
The Titans’ defense is riddled with injuries, and with how this season started, it’s clear that Ran Carthon is looking forward and brushing this season off as a loss. Whether that’s his intention or not, that’s the perception, and you better believe it impacts how every player on the team performs.
The locker room is frustrated, morale is down
Losing games. Trading key players. The same problems happening week after week. The Titans’ locker room is frustrated, and it’s not just the receivers. No one likes losing, and the people who are most impacted by the losses are the players trying their hardest on the field. There is nothing more frustrating as an athlete than doing your own part and doing everything in your power to win a game, only to lose it because of coaching or front office issues.
That’s where the Titans are this week. Brian Callahan’s inability to make in-game adjustments has cost them at least three of their six games. Ran Carthon’s decision to trade both Hopkins and Jones feels like a gut punch,and is a clear indication that the Titans are going to rebuild, and they’re starting now.
When players are frustrated, they don’t play well. When they don’t play well, their mood comes down and turns to anger. Continuing to lose amplifies those feelings. Carthon just dropped a match on a tinder box filled to the brim, and it’s going to explode. Probably on Sunday if (when) they lose.
Here is the preliminary grade for the Tennessee Titans trade of LB Ernest Jones to the Seattle Seahawks.
Ran Carthon and the Tennessee Titans front office were busy on Wednesday. Not only did they deal WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs, they made a second trade, sending LB Ernest Jones IV to the Seattle Seahawks.
Unlike the Hopkins deal, which took some time for the full details to come out, this deal moved quickly, making it easier to make a snap judgment and grade the transaction.
In the deal, the Titans sent Jones to the Seahawks in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft and LB Jerome Baker.
Titans grade: A
Baker is nowhere near the player of Jones caliber, but he is a veteran and could add some experience to the unit. With rookie Cedric Gray likely being activated from injured reserve and taking a spot on the 53-man roster, this move opens a path for him to get onto the field.
Where the Titans win is with the draft capital gained. After trading a 2026 fifth-round selection for Jones in September, the team flipped the linebacker and secured a 2025 fourth-round pick for a player with an expiring contract who was most likely not in the team’s long-term plans.
Jones was a solid addition to the Titans’ defense and seemed like a solid fit during his short stay in Nashville. However, with the season trending in the wrong direction, moving on from a potential free agent and receiving any type of compensation is a coup.
The Titans appear to be headed into a total rebuild, and these trades could be the opening for more transactions in the coming days. Stay tuned to Titans Wire for all of the updates.
Here is the preliminary grade for the Tennessee Titans trade of WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Tennessee Titans made some news on Wednesday by trading fan-favorite WR DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs. Now that the dust has settled and the official details of the deal have been released, it is easier to make a snap judgment and grade the transaction.
Full details on the DeAndre Hopkins trade:
— #Chiefs get DeAndre Hopkins.
— #Titans get a fifth-round pick that elevates to a fourth rounder if KC makes the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays 60% of the snaps.
— Tennessee eats $2.5M in salary. https://t.co/hor9cd6obh
In the deal, the Titans sent Hopkins to the Chiefs in exchange for a conditional fifth-round selection in the 2025 NFL draft. The selection can move up to the fourth round if the Chiefs make the Super Bowl and Hopkins plays 60 percent of the snaps. The Titans also paid Hopkins $2.5 million in salary to make the deal happen.
Titans grade: B
While this move will not please fans, it is a prudent business deal for general manager Ran Carthon, who sees his team struggling at 1-5. Gaining draft capital for an aging veteran at the end of his contract is a win.
However, between eating the $2.5 million and sacrificing one of the better locker room leaders in place for a young, struggling offense does pose some questions about the direction of the franchise moving into the second half of 2024.
For the defending Super Bowl champs, this is a home run. Add a veteran receiver of Hopkins’ caliber for a mid-round pick and having the Titans help out financially, who wouldn’t want that? Plus, it helps to fill a void in their decimated receiving corps. It is a win-win from their perspective.
Due to his age and contract status, trading Hopkins was never going to net the Titans a major haul, but there were likely multiple suitors out there that could have driven up the price. With teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, and San Diego Chargers, all likely buyers heading into the trade deadline, a more lucrative deal could have been made. This leads one to wonder if Hopkins himself played a role in his final destination and the eventual compensation.
No matter what, this move leaves the Titans with a new hole in their struggling offense and could be a signal that they are about to head into full rebuild mode. If that is the case, one has to wonder what moves are to follow and how this impacts the evaluation of quarterback Will Levis. Stay tuned to find out.
The Titans will return to action without Hopkins on Sunday when the Titans face the Detroit Lions in Week 8 action.
The Tennessee Titans need some help at offensive tackle, making this an easy target to grab off the Detroit Lions’ roster.
The Tennessee Titans will be back on the field Sunday when they face the Detroit Lions in Week 8 action.
That, of course, provides those of us here at Titans Wire the opportunity to hypothetically steal from the Lions’ roster in search of depth and/or talent upgrades.
The Titans are struggling, coming off an embarrassing loss to the Buffalo Bills, and need talent across the board. The Lions are on a completely different spectrum and have many players who could upgrade the Titans’ roster.
There are many players on the Lions roster who are intriguing names for this exercise, and would make a ton of sense. There is no doubt that QB Jared Goff would be an upgrade over either Will Levis or Mason Rudolph. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RB Jahmyr Gibbs, and TE Sam LaPorta would all be amazing as well.
However, the Titans’ offense will continue to struggle until the gaping hole at right tackle is filled, and the Lions’ Penei Sewell is one of the best in the league.
A first-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft from Oregon has been a standout since entering the league and is one of the catalysts in revitalizing the Lions franchise. At 6-foot-5, 335 pounds, he is an explosive run blocker and, most importantly, an outstanding pass blocker and consistently grades near the top of the Lions’ PFF rankings.
After signing a four-year, $112 million extension in early 2024, he would also be a long-term bookend to JC Lathan at tackle, transforming the Titans offensive line from a severe weakness and liability to potentially one of the better units in the league.
What are your thoughts, Titans fans? Would you pick Penei Sewell or steal an entirely different player from the Detroit Lions?
The Tennessee Titans fell to the Buffalo Bills, 34-10 in Week 7 and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is our Player of the Game.
The Tennessee Titans fell to the Buffalo Bills, 34-10, on the road on Sunday in a game that came with some surprises.
The first one was that Will Levis was ruled out with a shoulder injury, leaving Mason Rudolph to start the game. This took even the Bills by surprise as the Titans got out to an early lead.
However, after trailing by three at the half, the Bills head coach Sean McDermott made the necessary adjustments at halftime and the Bills came back to win big.
Despite the loss, the Titans had one player who stood out above the rest this week in rookie cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
Brownlee recorded six tackles (five solo), and both of his passes defensed saved the Titans’ defense from allowing a touchdown.
Brownlee Jr. was drafted by the Titans in the fifth round this year, and he has stepped up in a big way. The Titans’ defense has little depth, and Brownlee has proven that he can get the job done in the absence of Chidobe Awuzie.
Brownlee has 13 tackles (12 solo), two passes defensed, and two stuffs on the season.
The Titans were not expected to win in Buffalo today, but watching young players continue to give 100 percent effort through the final whistle is refreshing. Brownlee is one of those players, and that effort paid off today even if it didn’t change the outcome.
The Tennessee Titans take on the Buffalo Bills this Sunday afternoon in Week 7 and here are three reasons for optimism.
After a tumultuous week, the Tennessee Titans (1-4) are set to travel to Orchard Park to take on the Buffalo Bills (4-2) at Highmark Stadium in Week 7 action.
There is no secret that the Titans are struggling to get going in 2024. Their offense has been anemic behind turnover-prone Will Levis and the defense tends to fade late in ballgames. Heading into a game against the high-powered Bills offense and a ball-hawking secondary, this could spell disaster.
Yet, for Titans fans, there are some reasons for optimism, and here are three of them.
Titans rushing attack
The Titans will likely be without Tyjae Spears this week as he recovers from his hamstring injury. But, that will mean a bigger dose of Tony Pollard. Pollard has been the one constant for the struggling offense leading the team with 339 yards rushing and three touchdowns. He appears fully recovered from past injuries and has shown flashes of being the dynamic back of the past.
The Bills defense is tough against the pass but sits near the bottom of the NFL against the run. The Titans should employ another conservative run-oriented game plan to take advantage of this and protect Will Levis from the Bills secondary.
Improved offensive line play
This by no way means that the offensive line is complete or close to the top of their game, but with the insertion of Leroy Watson at right tackle the unit showed improvement coming off the bye against the Indianapolis Colts. Not only did Levis have time to throw, they did not allow a sack for the first time in three seasons. The Bills will be without their top pass rusher Von Miller, who is serving a four-game suspension and the line could again take a step forward.
Nick Folk
If there is one area where the Titans have a clear advantage in the game it is at kicker. Nick Folk has been perfect on the season, going 8-for-8 on field goals, with a long of 53 yards, and 10-for-10 on extra points. This is in sharp contrast to Bills kicker Tyler Bass, who has only connected on 75 percent of his attempts in 2024. Buffalo is so concerned about their erratic kicking situation that they added kicker Lucas Havrisik to the practice squad this week to compete with Bass. This may be a small advantage for the Titans, but it could be a critical one.
The Tennessee Titans head to upstate New York to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and here are three causes for concern heading into Week 7.
The Tennessee Titans head north on Sunday to face the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have a solid hold on the AFC East and have consistently made the playoffs since Josh Allen was drafted in 2018, winning the AFC East the last four seasons. They have yet to win a Super Bowl, though, and desperately want to get that ring.
The Titans are struggling mightily this season. Offensively anyway. Defensively, the Titans have a solid unit and rank in the top 10 in both the pass and run game. Still, their depth on defense is thin, and they haven’t faced the likes of the Bills yet.
All of that said, there are several causes for concern in Tennessee right now, but for this week, we’ve narrowed it down to three.
Secondary woes rearing up
Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans allowed Joe Flacco to throw for 189 yards, but it was more the two touchdowns that hurt. The one pictured above happened the play after Quandre Diggs went to the blue tent and Flacco saw the mismatch with linebacker Harold Landry III on the outside. It wasn’t hard to exploit, Landry isn’t used to being out there. Even with Diggs’ return to the field, the Titans never recovered after that.
Against the Bills, the Titans cannot let mismatches like this happen. Even if a player goes down with an injury, whoever steps into their position has to be ready to do the job. When you’re facing a quarterback like Josh Allen, even with the number one pass defense in the league, you can’t afford mistakes.
Teams should be forced to run against the Titans, and so far, the Titans have held opposing quarterbacks to under 200 yards per game. That will likely change on Sunday when they face Allen.
Will Levis is still the quarterback
There’s not much more to say that hasn’t already been said. Levis isn’t hacking it in the NFL, and Brian Callahan is too stubborn to bench him. The Bills pass defense ranks in the middle of the pack, but the run defense is ranked fourth. This will force Callahan to call more pass plays, which provides more opportunity for interceptions to be thrown.
As long as Levis remains under center and the Titans continue to lose, having him as quarterback is always a cause for concern.
The Bills’ run defense
The Titans want to run their offense through Tony Pollard. It’s safe, it ensures the ball stays with the offense, and he moves the ball down the field better than anyone else. It would be helpful if Tyjae Spears could suit up, but we likely won’t know his status until Sunday. In his absence, Pollard will have Julius Chestnut to help with the ground game.
However, as mentioned above, the Bills have the fourth-ranked run defense in the NFL this year. The offensive line has to be up to the task for Pollard on Sunday, he needs room to run, and bouncing to the edge isn’t always an option. The Titans’ offensive line has allowed 16 sacks in six games. They have to do better on Sunday if the Titans want any shot at putting points on the board.