Tag: Brian Callahan

For better or worse, Titans’ Will Levis is the quarterback in 2024

During his press availability, Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan stressed patience in evaluating QB Will Levis.

The Tennessee Titans are off to a 1-5 start after falling to the Buffalo Bills, 34-10, on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, and things will not get any easier moving forward.

It’s not the start that fans or the team hoped for after an active offseason in free agency and a young roster that was fortified with veterans. Quarterback Will Levis has been disappointing and the offense has been a bust. The defense has played well, but the lack of support from the offense and special teams has been an issue.

Unfortunately, things don’t seem to be changing anytime soon, but head coach Brian Callahan is determined to find out what they have in Levis and owner Amy Adams Strunk appears behind the plan.

In his press availability, Callahan reinforced his commitment to Levis, stating he will return as the starter when healthy and that they will have patience with the evaluation of his development moving forward in 2024.

This may not be what fans want to hear as the team moves forward, but that is the reality of the moment. For better or worse, Levis will be the quarterback for the rest of 2024 and Callahan has the support of general manager Ran Carthon and Strunk behind him.

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3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Titans in Week 7

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Titans in Week 7

The Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium in Week 7.

The Bills (4-2) are coming off a crucial divisional win over the New York Jets in Week 6 and lead the AFC East. The Titans (1-4) stand toward the bottom of the AFC under first-year head coach Brian Callahan.

The Bills have an enticing new weapon on offense after trading for Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Even before Cooper’s arrival, the Bills rank third in the NFL in offensive DVOA through six weeks.

On the other hand, the Titans have been a disaster on offense. They are turning the ball over and they have struggled to pass consistently. The Titans do, however, boast the league’s top defense in yards allowed per game.

The Bills are favored by 9.5 points on Sunday but every week is a challenge in the NFL. They’ll need to execute the game plan to gain their fifth win of the year.

Here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 7:

Win the turnover battle

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When it comes to turning the ball over in 2024, the Bills and the Titans are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bills are ranked second in the NFL with a turnover differential of +8, while the Titans are ranked second-to-last with a turnover differential of -7. Will Levis leads the NFL in interceptions with seven. On the flip side, Buffalo’s Josh Allen has not thrown one.

The Bills need to do what they have been for much of the season, and that is win the turnover battle. The Bills are favored by nearly double digits in this one, but a couple of turnovers could shift the momentum quickly.

Get the receivers involved

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It’s not just newcomer Amari Cooper that has to get going in the Bills offense, it’s many of the other wide receivers who are still new to Allen. Among the WRs, only Khalil Shakir had played a game with Allen before the year. And it has shown through six weeks. Shakir has been the only consistent receiver (when healthy). He leads the Bills in receiving while ranking just 55th in the NFL in receiving yards.

The Titans have a stingy defense, but they haven’t seen an offense like the Bills’ this year, especially on the road. If the Bills can get Cooper going, it should open up opportunities for others. Perhaps Cooper is the missing ingredient that will have everybody eating again.

Limit the run

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It’s no secret that the Titans’ passing game has struggled this year, but one constant for them has been the play of running back Tony Pollard. He’s coming off games of 88 and 93 rushing yards, respectively. He’s averaging over four yards per carry and is 18th in the NFL in rushing yards despite already having a bye week. The team will be without RB Tyjae Spears due to injury, so it should be the Pollard show.

If the Bills can limit the Titans’ ground game, it should force Levis into uncomfortable third-and-longs. The idea of playing against a young QB who is turnover prone should have Bobby Babich’s defense foaming at the mouth.

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Titans’ Lloyd Cushenberry on Will Levis: ‘We have to be better around him’

Tennessee Titans QB Will Levis has struggled, but he still has the confidence of the veterans to right the ship.

The fallout from the Tennessee Titans’ 20-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts continued, as the team fell to 1-4 on the 2024 season, and the offense continued to struggle after the bye week. 

The passing game was almost non-existent, with QB Will Levis again struggling against the Colts. He completed 16 of 27 passes for only 95 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the game and seemed out of sync. After the game, he said his shoulder was still not at 100 percent, and he could not make every throw, and it showed. 

Even with this performance, head coach Brian Callahan stands behind his young signal caller and intends for Levis to be under center moving forward. 

Levis also seems to have support within the locker room moving forward. After the game, veteran center Lloyd Cushenberry said, “We still believe in Will Levis.” And, “We have to be better around him.”

Those two lines have been a constant theme around the locker room, almost mirroring Callahan’s comments perfectly, no matter which player or coach repeats them. Which begs the question, what is the problem with the offense?

Levis seems to be regressing in 2024, and its offensive approach is extremely conservative, especially coming off the bye. One thing is certain: The offense must improve moving forward, or it will be a long season in Nashville.

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Calvin Ridley went off on a NSFW rant about his insignificant role in the Titans’ offense

Calvin Ridley is fed up with Brian Callahan and Will Levis.

Call it a hunch, but I’m fairly certain the 1-4 Tennessee Titans have more pressing concerns than a lack of volume for their struggling, supposed No. 1 receiver. Then again, maybe it’s a not-so-small sign that encapsulates everything wrong with head coach Brian Callahan and Will Levis’ operation.

I personally wouldn’t blame Calvin Ridley for being frustrated.

Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts saw Ridley catch zero passes on eight targets. On the season, the veteran has just nine catches for 141 yards on 19 targets. For whatever reason, the Titans have just not been able to get him involved.

And as Ridley’s NSFW rant after the Indy defeat showed, he’s so fed up.

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

When we boil it down, Ridley is a professional who isn’t contributing much to one of the NFL’s worst teams. This is a perfectly acceptable reaction. From that perspective, I’m a little surprised he didn’t rant earlier.

Titans’ Callahan taking a ‘week-to-week’ approach with Petit-Frere

The Tennessee Titans offensive line played better in their last game, but head coach Brian Callahan is still taking it ‘week-by-week’.

The Tennessee Titans are back on the field preparing for their Week 6 battle with the Indianapolis Colts, but they still have concerns along the right side of their offensive line. 

Even after a solid performance against the Miami Dolphins in their Week 4 victory, head coach Brian Callahan alluded to the performance and stated that changes can still be made, and players will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis. 

Callahan is right to point out that Nicholas Petit-Frere performed better in that game, but he was not put in a situation that could exploit the deficiencies he had shown earlier in the season with such a run-heavy approach. 

Petit-Frere has struggled mightily with pass protection throughout 2024 and has shown to be a liability in the passing game. With Levis out and backup Mason Rudolph in the fold, the entire game plan was changed in that game.

With the Titans still having a glimmer of hope coming out of the bye, they need to figure out what type of identity they want to have on offense. If they want to develop into a smashmouth run-oriented team, then they may be able to get by as the unit is constructed. If they want to open things up, the right side, specifically Petit-Frere, must play better than he has in the first four weeks, and Callahan realizes that. 

Having almost two weeks to prepare for the Colts, this will be a big game for Petit-Frere and the rest of the offensive line. It will go a long way in determining what this week-to-week approach will look like moving forward. 

The Titans will hit the field Sunday at Nissan Stadium in an attempt to move up the AFC South standings in what is developing into an important early-season contest with the Colts. 

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Titans’ Brian Callahan stands by Will Levis: ‘If he’s healthy, he’s going to play’

Titans head coach Brian Callahan is sticking by quarterback Will Levis, saying, “If he’s healthy, he’s going to play.”

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has not had a good start to the 2024 season. He leads all quarterbacks in interceptions thrown with six. Patrick Mahomes and Anthony Richardson share that spot with him, but Levis was on bye this week and they weren’t. Levis’ 72.8 rating also lands him among the bottom of all starting quarterbacks in the league.

On top of this, Levis has been sacked 15 times this season, more than all but a handful of starting quarterbacks. And still, head coach Brian Callahan says that Levis is the starter when he’s healthy.

Through three games and part of a fourth, Levis has gone 67-for-98 through the air for 604 yards, four touchdowns, and six interceptions. His QBR puts him second-to-last in the league, above only Deshaun Watson.

Suffice it to say that Levis’ 2024 campaign has been ugly, which makes it confusing why Callahan would continue to start him.

But here’s the thing: what if Callahan isn’t as blind as we think he is? His quote was, “If he’s good to go, then he’s going to play.” And while Levis is expected to practice this week, what if Callahan leans on that injury to keep Levis on the bench?

He said what he said to appear as if he backed his quarterback, the quarterback he selected to be the starter for 2024. No head coach wants to bail on the guy they thought would lead their team, but sometimes you have to admit when a mistake is made. Maybe Callahan will keep Levis on the bench with his shoulder injury for another week and let Mason Rudolph run the offense again.

You probably shouldn’t hold your breath on that, but it was nice for a moment to consider that Callahan left himself a back door.[lawrence-related id=151741,151719,151704]

Titans’ Brian Callahan explains snap counts for Treylon Burks, DeAndre Hopkins

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan had an interesting explanation for why Treylon Burks out-snapped DeAndre Hopkins.

The Tennessee Titans defeated the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, 31-12.

Looking back at the game, one of the interesting trends from early in the season continued — wide receiver Treylon Burks out-snapped DeAndre Hopkins for the fourth time in as many games. This time, the difference was significant.

On Monday night, Burks took 35 snaps while Hopkins was on the field for only 21 plays. Usually, the snap counts are almost even, but in this contest, Hopkins took a backseat.

Was this because of an injury? The heat? No, that was nowhere near the case.

Head coach Brian Callahan revealed that there was a simple answer and that the answer may need to be dissected during the bye. Burks was on the field to block, not catch passes.

“We rotate those guys. But there are some things Burks does that help us in the running game, with blocking,” Callahan said. “We weren’t throwing the ball, either.”

That explanation would make some sense if the game wasn’t as close as it was. Yes, the Titans ran the ball efficiently, but the game was still close. Plus, this could be a huge flaw in the game plan moving forward, if opponents realize Burks is primarily a blocker, they could start to discount the passing attack.

Callahan did mention that they were going to self-scout over the bye week and they should see this tendency and likely make a change. Unfortunately, for fans, they will have to wait until Week 6 to find out what they discovered.

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Titans’ Brian Callahan commits to Will Levis ‘if healthy’

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan made it clear the team will ride with Will Levis when he returns from his shoulder injury.

The Tennessee Titans continued their Monday night dominance against the Miami Dolphins with a 31-12 victory. With the game much closer than the final score, the Titans got a huge boost from backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, who came in for injured Will Levis in the first half and led the team to the win.

Levis injured his shoulder diving for a potential first down and was unable to return. Unfortunately, for Levis, he was far from perfect when he did play, throwing another inexcusable interception, killing a promising drive.

While it wasn’t a pretty game, Rudolph was a steadying presence and his veteran leadership was apparent from his first snap. His pedestrian numbers — 9-of-17 for 85 yards — are not jumping off the page, but he was efficient and in control throughout and did not make the critical mistake that doomed the team in the first three weeks of the season.

With many fans calling for a change at quarterback, head coach Brian Callahan stands firmly behind his injured starter.

“He’s our starter, and when he’s healthy, we’re ready to roll with him,” Callahan said when asked about Levis.

Fans may not like to hear that but Callahan has been consistent with that message throughout the season, although Rudolph’s performance does start to plant a seed of uncertainty in the situation.

With the team entering their bye week, Levis will have extra time to get ready for their Week 6 match-up with the Indianapolis Colts and if healthy, he will remain the starter.

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Titans now tied for top waiver claim priority

Tennessee is now No. 1 in the waiver wire order, along with a division rival.

The Tennessee Titans have had a nightmare start to the 2024 season.

The team is sitting at 0-3 heading into Week 4, and not much has gone right for the team so far. However, there is one silver lining to being among the league’s worst teams.

As of Tuesday, the Titans are tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the top waiver claim priority. Before Tuesday, the waiver order was still tied to the 2024 NFL Draft order. Now, it is tied to 2024 records, which is why the Titans are at No. 1.

The waiver order will be updated weekly, so obtaining a better record slides you down the priority list.

This is a notable development, considering the Titans have plenty of needs. The Titans can have any player that gets cut unless the Jaguars also claim said player.

The Titans will be looking to end their losing streak in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. The struggling Dolphins are hosting the Titans for Monday Night Football.

Titans can make history in Week 3

The Tennessee Titans are hoping to they don’t tie a record on Sunday, by doing something that hasn’t been done in decades.

The Tennessee Titans have been plagued by many issues early in the 2024 campaign. Between decision-making on offense, line breakdowns, and uneven special teams performances, it is easy to see how they are 0-2. 

Blocked punts in consecutive weeks are rare, almost unheard of.  If it happens again this week, the Titans will truly be in rarefied air. 

https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL/status/1836386745178366427?t=vO9TWPBFv7YNA2rDaVF4Rg&s=19

In the long history of the NFL, only three teams have ever had punts blocked in three consecutive weeks. That last one being the Cleveland Browns 34-years ago in 1990.

What makes this even more concerning is that there is no single player or element at the heart of the blocks. The first against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 was a total breakdown of the right side of the line, with the second likely due to a single missed assignment. 

In the end, the Titans must play better on special teams and cannot have another breakdown while punting. Their number one ranked defense is already under pressure from an underperforming offense and having a short field will only add to that. 

One thing is certain: this is a record that the Titans and head coach Brian Callahan hope to avoid this week when they take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 3 action. 

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