The Tennessee Titans fell to 2-8 with a 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. Even with the loss, the Titans looked functionally better. Unforced errors and a lot of penalties (a few were controversial) hampered their efforts to win, but collectively, they looked halfway decent for the first time under Will Levis this season.
The Titans face a tough task again in Week 12 when they head to Texas to face the Houston Texans. It’s just their second divisional game this season, with the first being a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6. Save for games against the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals, the Titans’ remaining schedule is against division opponents.
As we enter Week 12, here’s a look at where the Titans place in a multitude of power rankings.
They don’t score much – their 18 TDs the AFC’s second fewest – but they get their money’s worth. WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine’s 98-yarder Sunday was the longest touchdown reception in the league this season.
The Titans put up a fight. Per usual, it was a losing fight.
Preseason hot seat: RG Dillon Radunz
Current temperature of hot seat: ColdRadunz has settled in nicely now that he knows he can focus on one position — in 2023, he made starts at right tackle, left guard, left tackle and right guard. He has started nine out of 10 games and has been a big factor in the rushing attack. Running back Tony Pollard benefited directly from Radunz’s blocks on two of his longest runs this season. His pass protection could stand to improve, especially after Radunz gave up a sack in each of the past two weeks. But he has played his way into what should be a multiyear contract.
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:
It’s hard to be too positive about the Tennessee Titans, who have now lost five of their last six games. Tennessee’s defense continues to fall away compared to the strong start, and unfortunately, the offense is barely registering a pulse. Will Levis looked better this week, and that is kind of all you can ask for at this stage.
The Titans will benefit more from losing and gaining draft position than from winning and keeping any faint playoff hopes alive. Levis’ development and evaluating the roster are the key elements of the last seven games.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Titans have been overwhelmed in Will Levis’ second season, as their pass-reliant ways also put a decent defense in more harm’s way than expected. Brian Callahan is also learning how to coach from week to week.
Will Levis’ last two games: 470 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, 103.2 passer rating. It’s far from perfect, but it’s giving him some momentum. A strong finish could be very important for him and the Titans.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
The moments that provide a spark are too short, too few, and too far between.
If you’re ever fortunate enough to watch the Titans play against your favorite team, relish the opportunity to witness the wide range of outcomes possible in a game with Levis at quarterback. If the first read isn’t there for him, all bets are off. On throws of 2.5 seconds or longer, Levis ranks 29th in passer rating out of 36 qualifying quarterbacks and has been sacked the eighth-most times despite starting just seven games. Levis isn’t a good quarterback when he gets the ball out quickly, but operating on time makes the offense much more viable. The main issue is that the scheme has no guardrails in place to keep Levis from making terrible decisions. After he took five sacks and committed a turnover on Sunday, I have to wonder when the coaching staff will bench him to cover their own behinds.
Will Levis’ bomb to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine that went for a 98-yard score gave the Titans life, and the offense put a few plays together in the second half. But in the fourth quarter Sunday, they settled for a field goal and turned it over twice on downs before Levis’ game-sealing pick. The Titans were also doomed by their earlier mistakes, including several drive-extending penalties that helped the Vikings offense significantly. This game came down to execution, and Minnesota was clearly superior in that department. One of the biggest differences between Brian Callahan’s Titans and the Bengals team he came from is that Cincinnati under Zac Taylor has been one of the more disciplined clubs, flags-wise, since becoming a head coach. But Tennessee now has 82 accepted penalties through 10 games under Callahan, with 67 of those setbacks coming in the past seven games. The Titans are also minus-11 in turnover differential, the second-worst mark in the league, so it’s no shock they’ve only won once since September.