Tag: Brian Callahan

Brian Callahan explains why Will Levis’ 2023 tape made him a believer

In a great interview with Sports Illustrated, Brian Callahan details the plays that made him a believer in Will Levis.

One of the draws of becoming the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for Brian Callahan was the fact that he had quarterback Will Levis already there.

Callahan has stated on multiple occasions that Levis isn’t just someone he’s inheriting, he truly believes in the Kentucky product, something he explained in detail during a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

In what is a fantastic article you should definitely check out, Breer sits down with both Callahan and Levis and goes over some of the signal-caller’s tape, and Callahan explained exactly what makes Levis special.

While the team was prepping for the draft, Callahan told general manager Carthon why he was so high on Levis and noted that he didn’t think anyone in the 2024 class was better than the 2023 pick.

“I’d told Ran the truth,” Callahan said. “I said he has real talent, real ability and I think he’s got a chance to be a very good starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s got enough tools to where his ceiling is high. If he’s all the things mentally you need to be to play quarterback, his physical talent, it’s a high ceiling. He’s got a chance to be (a) really, really good, top-end starting quarterback. And I believe that.”

“[The scouts] still do their due diligence and put grades on guys and all that. I had the conversation with Ran. Part of it was like, if Will’s coming out in this draft class, I don’t know that I feel like anybody is better than him at this point.”

Callahan then showed Breer one of the plays that made him a believer. It wasn’t one of Levis’ touchdowns, either, but rather an incompletion during his debut against the Atlanta Falcons.

It was a play in which Levis was under pressure and took contact but was still able to get off an accurate deep ball to Treylon Burks, who went on to not reel it in.

Callahan went on to point out that Levis should’ve dumped it off in the flat, but he was impressed nonetheless.

“This was not an advisable throw, nor was it an advisable position to be in,” Callahan explained. “It was like, Holy s—, this is not smart. I look at it as I go. God, if Will can just learn that on a first-and-10, let’s just throw the ball right there in the flat. That’s Chig’s in the flat. Chig’s in the flat is going to catch this ball, and he’s going to run for 12 yards and it’s going to be first-and-10 again at the 50-yard line. Instead, Will’s trusting his arm and his ability.”

“The other part of this, it’s a [expletive] unbelievable throw,” Callahan added. “You watch it from the end zone, there’s a guy in his face, it’s horrendous eyes, horrendous progression, guy bearing down on him. He can’t step into the throw. This guy’s 40 yards down the field, and he just sort of flicks it while he’s getting hit and drops the ball right in his hands. It’s an incredibly accurate throw for what was going on. I’m watching this, I’m like, Goddamn.”

“First of all, decision-making can be coached,” he continued. “This right here, you don’t coach that. Will’s mom and dad gave that to him.”

Callahan went on to say that he had to keep reminding himself that this was Levis’ first start, making what he saw even more impressive.

“He played the game like someone who’s played the game,” Callahan said. “It didn’t look, at any moment, like the game looked too big or too fast. I didn’t feel like I was watching a rookie.”

One more great quote in the article is Callahan’s reaction to the touchdown pass he threw to DeAndre Hopkins in the same game.

“He puts the ball… it’s in a great spot,” Callahan said. “It’s a big touchdown. I don’t know how you couldn’t watch this and not be like, ‘Hell, yeah, I want to coach this guy.'”

If there was any doubt about Callahan legitimately believing in Levis, these quotes seal the deal. Clearly Titans fans weren’t the only ones who saw something special in Levis.

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Titans director of sports performance details versatile approach

Titans director of sports performance, Zac Woodfin, recently discussed the approach he’s bringing to Tennessee.

The Tennessee Titans have a new director of sports performance for the first time in five seasons. Zac Woodfin will replace Frank Piraino as a part of Brian Callahan’s inaugural Titans staff.

Woodfin comes to the Titans with 18 years of experience in the strength and conditioning field. The coach spent the previous two seasons as the Director of Player Performance and Wellness for the United States Football League and United Football League.

Before that, Woodfin spent time with the Missouri Tigers, Kansas Jayhawks, Southern Miss, UAB, and the Green Bay Packers.

The new coach recently detailed the unique approach he will bring to training. Woodfin described his style as “blue-collar” and “cutting edge.”

“The simplest way to describe our style is blue-collar, and it’s cutting edge,” Woodfin said, per Jim Wyatt. “It’s the perfect balance between those two.

“Blue-collar in the nature of, this is a very physical, violent game, and you have to train hard. There is no way you can train soft and play hard. So, the training has to be hard training at times.

“The cutting-edge part is the assessment, using the technologies that we have, that we brought in with our sports science department, to assess our guys, to know: ‘Are there asymmetries to understand what the things are they really need in order to improve their performance?’ Because everybody is different, and having a very individual training plan for each one of our guys based on the position they play, based on the needs that they gave.”

This will certainly sound nice to Titans fans, who grew tired of seeing Titans’ players consistently appear on the injury report. Under Callahan, the Titans have expanded the sports performance department.

In addition to hiring Woodfin, the Titans also added Mark Lovat, Grant Thorne, and John Shaw. Lovat and Thorne were hired as assistant strength and conditioning coaches while Shaw was hired as a speed training coach. That group of coaches joins holdovers Brian Bell (Assistant Director of Sports Performance) and Haley Roberts (Sports Performance Assistant).

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Would Titans’ Brian Callahan cut off a body part to win a Super Bowl?

After Mike Vrabel said he would cut off a body part to win a Super Bowl with the Titans back in 2019, Brian Callahan was asked the same question.

Back in 2019, former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said he would cut off his male appendage to win a Super Bowl, but is new head coach Brian Callahan willing to put his on the line?

He was asked that very question during an appearance on “Bussin’ With The Boys” recently but had a different answer than Vrabel initially had.

“I don’t know if I can commit to that part,” Callahan said. “I got young kids. I might need another one.”

Taylor Lewan then asked Callahan if he’d be willing to sacrifice his dominant hand for a Super Bowl.

“My dominant hand for a Super Bowl for the Tennessee Titans? That would be tough to offer up. But in fairness to the commitment, if that’s what it meant, I would give it some consideration.”

When pressed further on his non-answer, Callahan admitted he would not do it, saying, “I cannot cut off my right hand.”

Callahan did say he would be willing to get a “Bussin’ With The Boys” 2024 championship tattoo on his lower back, so there’s that. You can check out the full exchange below.

Callahan isn’t as committed as Vrabel, confirmed.

In all seriousness, even Vrabel reneged on his claim he would cut off his body part for a Super Bowl. Let’s just win it the old-fashioned way, eh?

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Titans’ belief in Will Levis helped spur on offseason spending

Titans head coach Brian Callahan said the team’s spending during the offseason was at least partly due to the its belief in Will Levis.

The Tennessee Titans showed they have at least some belief in quarterback Will Levis after spending a pretty penny in free agency to beef up the wide receiving corps. and offensive line, and using a top draft pick on the latter.

And Titans head coach Brian Callahan confirmed that the team’s belief in Levis helped spur on the offseason spending during an interview on “The New Athletic Football Show” podcast recently.

“All of that is true,” Callahan said (h/t John Glennon, Nashville Post). “We feel like we’ve added really high-end pieces at positions that we needed it, and we have a team that is going to be competitive. A lot of that has to do with what I saw from Will, [what] the organization saw from Will in his time as a starter. The things you see in Will are [what] you want to see in your quarterback.

“He’s tough. He plays with a ton of passion. It’s important to him. He wants to be good. And then you add in the physical part of it. He’s athletic, he’s strong, he can throw it as good as anybody. You saw the flashes of his ability … I just love everything he’s about. He’s got real talent and [the] ability to be a high-level quarterback in the NFL. Those are the things I’m excited about.”

On top of being pleased with what he’s seen from Levis on the field, Callahan has also been happy with the way the second-year signal-caller has attacked the offseason and the progress he’s made.

“He’s been great,” Callahan said of Levis earlier this month. “Really, really happy with the work he’s put in. What he’s learned — there’s a lot of information coming at him, a lot of technical things, a lot of mental things, a lot of physical things as far as fundamentals, techniques, how we teach, what we teach. He’s attacked it with awesome enthusiasm.”

Even though we certainly saw some negatives among the positive flashes Levis showed during his rookie campaign, it’s hard to hold anything against him considering the lackluster supporting cast he had.

Now that things have improved around him, we’ll know a lot more about the Kentucky product after the 2024 season.

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Joe Burrow, Peyton Manning comparison comes up again via Brian Callahan

Joe Burrow and Peyton Manning are alike, says Brian Callahan.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been mentioned alongside the name Peyton Manning every now and then since the tail end of his college days.

Former offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, now head coach of the Tennesse Titans, recently did so again while talking to The Athletic’s Robert Mays:

And that part is really cool. But, yeah, I think our Cincinnati time was unique because we did take a lot of things that I did from my past in Indy and integrate them in our offense. And we did a great job of playing to the players that we had. And Joe’s sort of in the similar mold that Peyton is in, in terms of his processing and his quickness and his accuracy. A lot of these things we did in Denver fit him.

Callahan was talking about his own career trajectory, which included, among other things, a stop in Denver with Manning. He’d certainly be one to know when it comes to player comparisons.

And while Callahan is usually talking about his own young quarterback Will Levis these days, the topic of Burrow usually comes up because onlookers are curious about how he’ll develop passers without Zac Taylor overseeing things.

And when it comes to Burrow, that processing is usually the main point folks make when making such a lofty comparison, so it’s notable to see it come up yet again.

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Where Titans landed in Bleacher Report’s offense rankings

The Titans didn’t fare too well in Bleacher Report’s rankings of NFL offenses.

If you’re looking for some respect for the Tennessee Titans ahead of the 2024 season, you aren’t going to get much (if any) of it, even after the team drastically improved its roster via free agency and the draft.

Another example of this comes from Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, who recently ranked the Titans at No. 27 in his offense rankings. Here’s what he had to say about that:

The Tennessee Titans are officially starting a new era on offense this season. Gone are the days of having a functional attack by just handing the ball off to Derrick Henry 20 times a game. Henry is off to Baltimore, and Brian Callahan was hired as head coach because of his ability to run a highly effective offense with Joe Burrow in Cincinnati.

The Titans took the right steps toward having a better offense in 2024. They added Calvin Ridley to give them a good one-two punch at receiver with DeAndre Hopkins. The offensive line should be much better with the addition of Lloyd Cushenberry III and JC Latham. Everything is going to depend on how quickly and how much Will Levis can improve in his second season.

It’s fair to question the Titans’ offense. Yes, they made significant additions to their wide receiving corps., but the jury is still out on Will Levis, despite his showing plenty of promise in 2023.

And, the offensive line has to prove it can actually protect him. Tennessee will be depending on rookie JC Latham to improve what has been its most problematic position the last few years, which is left tackle, and he has to make the transition from the right side, where he played in college.

The Titans also don’t know who is going to start at right tackle or right guard yet. On the bright side, Tennessee seriously beefed up center with the signing of Lloyd Cushenberry, and left guard Peter Skoronski should be better.

As many question marks as the Titans have on offense, there is just as many reasons for optimism, especially given Tennessee’s transition to a more modern offense under new head coach Brian Callahan.

We’ll just have to wait and see how things play out.

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Titans’ Will Levis: My relationship with Brian Callahan is different

Titans QB Will Levis explains why his relationship with head coach Brian Callahan is different than any other he’s had with a head coach.

As he navigates his way through a new offense, Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis has been studying different quarterbacks, all of whom have a connection to head coach Brian Callahan.

Ahead of rookie minicamp over the weekend, Levis revealed that he’s been watching the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, the Los Angeles Rams’ Matthew Stafford and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

Callahan was Stafford’s quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions in 2016-17 and was on the Denver Broncos’ staff as an offensive quality control coach and offensive assistant during Manning’s days there.

And, of course, he was most recently Burrow’s offensive coordinator in Cincinnati.

“All the tape we watch from the installs to even just the individual drills, it’s Joe, it’s Matt, it’s Peyton,” Levis said, per ESPN’s Turron Davenport. “It’s cool to see those guys and know that they’ve been in a system, at least similar to this or very similar to this, and been able to have great success. It’s big shoes to fill but I want to be the next guy and get to that level. I don’t want to be them, I want to be me, but I want to perform and exceed the levels they performed at.”

When it comes to quarterbacks and head coaches, the relationship means a great deal. As Levis detailed, not only does he have a good one with Callahan, he says it’s different from anything else he’s ever had.

“I think it’s just, for one, earning his trust as a player,” Levis said. “I do feel like there’s a friendship there but I’ve never really had that I feel like, where it’s like a friend with a coach. You always have that dynamic that he’s the boss and I’m his worker. But he’s done a good job coming in with mindset of ‘hey, I’m the coach, what I say goes and I’m going to tell you guys what to do, but I’m also here for you guys and to talk about anything.’

“So, I feel like I’ve been able to talk with him comfortably about other things other than football. He’s been great in that way.”

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Titans OL coach Bill Callahan literally invented his own sled

On Friday, Titans head coach Brian Callahan talked about the new sleds the team was using that were invented by his dad, Bill.

As if Tennessee Titans offensive line coach Bill Callahan didn’t bring enough to the table already with his being one of the best in the business at his job, he’s also an inventor.

During the first day of rookie minicamp, Titans players were using new sleds, dubbed “Olga” and “Bertha”, both of which were invented by Callahan during his time in Washington.

“Some background on this new sled: Was invented by O-line coach Bill Callahan,” Jim Wyatt wrote. “It weighs 380 pounds, per Latham. I’ve watched every lineman struggle with it during offseason program. Latham figured out the right technique to move it pretty quickly.”

“It’s designed in a way to more accurately mimic what it feels like to have to clamp and brace on what a normal defender would feel like,” head coach Brian Callahan explained. “Some of the old-school sleds, they don’t really give you that same balance issue. And they’re really hard to move, I can’t tell you how hard those things are to move, and to move straight. Because they tip and they’re off balance, they’re meant to really stress guys’ ability to strengthen their core, keeping their hands tight and be able to drive the sled vertically, as opposed to getting all off kilter. It’s a balance thing. So, there’s a lot of indoctrination that goes into those sleds. Our guys, even now, it’s taken them a couple of weeks to feel good about moving them the way they’re supposed to move. It’s fun to watch, I like watching those guys do it but they improve pretty quickly, it happens fast.”

The Titans will be back on the practice field for Day 2 of rookie minicamp on Saturday. You can check out some of the highlights from Friday’s session right here.

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Titans’ Bill Callahan explains why he joined son Brian in Tennessee

Titans OL coach Bill Callahan explained why he joined his son, Brian, after he got the head coach job.

As soon as the Tennessee Titans hired Brian Callahan to be their next head coach, speculation ran rampant about his father, Bill, possibly joining the staff.

And that’s exactly what ended up happening, which is significant because he’s one of the best in the business at his job.

Callahan touched on joining his son in Tennessee on Thursday.

“I just felt compelled to help him,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt. “I felt that at this juncture of my career – God willing, how many years do I have left? I just really wanted to help him. I wanted to help the Titans, and help (Brian) succeed. It was really kind of a no-brainer in that regard. It’s family, and I want to see him succeed just like any parent wants to see their children succeed. It’s rare, it’s unique, and so, yeah, I’m fired up about it.”

Making the addition of Bill even more significant is the fact that the Titans have had no shortage of offensive line issues in recent years, and now the team is in the process of rebuilding the group.

Tennessee drafted Peter Skoronski in 2023 to play left guard, and they spent another first-round pick in 2024 on JC Latham, who the team hopes will fill the void at left tackle. On top of those moves, Tennessee signed Lloyd Cushenberry to play center.

But Callahan will also be tasked with developing players the Titans hope can fill the starting roles at right tackle and right guard, a group that includes Dillon Radunz, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan.

Radunz figures to battle it out with veteran Daniel Brunskill at right guard, and NPF and Duncan will be among those vying for the right tackle spot.

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Titans’ Will Levis, Brian Callahan talk addition of Tyler Boyd

Titans QB Will Levis has reached out to WR Tyler Boyd and is excited to have him on board to help learn the offense.

The Tennessee Titans made an addition to their wide receivers room this week, with the team agreeing to terms with former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd.

The addition of Boyd not only strengthens Tennessee’s receiving corps., it also gives the team someone who has experience in head coach Brian Callahan’s offense.

Boyd played for five seasons under Callahan, serving as the team’s slot receiver.

“He hasn’t signed the papers, just to put that out there,” Callahan said, per Jim Wyatt. “That will be official sooner than later, but not quite yet. But Tyler is a slot receiver — that’s what he does. That’s where he’s made his money, that’s where his production has come from. He’s a fantastic slot receiver on top of it.

“Most importantly I think he’s an awesome addition to the locker room. He’s a great human being, great worker, and everything about him is what we want to be about. So, to add him is an impactful add for us, and I’m excited about it.”

Boyd’s experience in the offense will be especially valuable to quarterback Will Levis, something he fully realizes.

“I texted TB: I can’t wait to learn the offense from you,” Levis said. “It’s cool to watch the tape and all the cut-ups of him balling out, and making all these plays. And, on the teach tape, running these routes exactly like we’re telling everyone else to. That’s going to be some great insight to hear from a guy who has been in the offense and knows what it is like when the bullets are flying.”

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