For the Titans, it was the second consecutive game in which they had the doors blown off them, although this defeat was far more humiliating for the organization than the Week 7 loss to Buffalo.
Most anticipated there would be losing in Tennessee this year, but precious few could have foreseen just how ugly things would get.
Now let’s take a closer look at the snap counts that contributed to the Titans’ Week 8 loss.
Offensive snaps: 76 Defensive snaps: 48 Special teams snaps: 33
Down 38 points in the fourth quarter, head coach Brian Callahan kept most of his starters on the field. That resulted in an injury to wide receiver Calvin Ridley and unnecessarily put other players at risk.
Callahan is normally resistant to rotating but this took it to an entirely different level.
The Titans got lucky given that Ridley’s injury was minor but it could have been a lot worse. There was no reason to continue using the personnel that was on the field, especially since the game had gotten completely out of hand by that point.
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.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
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.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
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.
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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.
Two specific stats prove that Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan has to fix the offensive problems immediately.
The Tennessee Titans knew this season would be tough, but they really didn’t think it would be this tough. The backslide is somewhat expected under a new coaching regime, but they aren’t showing any signs of improvement or that things will change.
Head coach Brian Callahan knows he has a problem with the offensive line and with second-half collapses. But does he know just how bad his team is this season? Two interesting and somewhat crazy stats have been circulating lately.
You can’t make this stuff up. The #Titans are a disaster.
That first one, zero net yards on every single first down for the rest of the game after going up 10-0 against the Buffalo Bills in Week 7. Zero. How does Callahan let that happen? That’s not a player issue, that is a coaching issue.
The second one, well, the Titans are probably getting tired of hearing how well Derrick Henry is doing in a different uniform, but this one has to be a gut punch. The Titans’ quarterbacks have less than 900 net yards passing, combined. That’s less than 150 yards per game.
Some of the problem is with Callahan’s play calling, some of it is protection, some of it is decision making, plus other game-day factors not mentioned here. Brian Callahan has to figure out what he can control and fix those things. But one way or another, he has to start fixing this offense.
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.
Amy Adams Strunk trusts Ran Carthon & Brian Callahan in regards to being patient with Will Levis.
The understanding that the #Titans would be patient for the sake of fully evaluating their young QB has not changed. pic.twitter.com/IghKsfuk19
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.
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
Getty Images
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
Getty Images
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
Getty Images
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.
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.
Brian Callahan fielding the hard questions about Will Levis.
Do the #Titans already have an answer on Levis as the QB?
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.”
.@Titans center Lloyd Cushenberry: We still believe in Will Levis. He works hard, always one of the first guys in the building, one of the last to leave. 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.
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.)
“I need some in the beginning of the f***ing game too. S**t is getting crazy for me.”#Titans WR Calvin Ridley frustrated that he didn’t get involved in the game plan early enough. pic.twitter.com/n47lXKgVKy
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.
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.
Nicholas Petit-Frere “played pretty good on Monday night, but wasn’t put it harms way too often.”
Callahan says right tackle is a week-to-week thing for the #Titans.
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.
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.
“If he’s good to practice and good to go, then he’s going to play.”@Titans QB @will_levis improving, expected to practice this week.
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]
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.
