Tag: Calvin Ridley

Titans vs. Colts: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 16

The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts will get together for an AFC South battle on Sunday and here are three reasons for optimism.

The Tennessee Titans are heading to Lucas Oil Stadium for an AFC South tilt with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The Titans (3-11) are coming off another disappointing loss against the Cincinnati Bengals and would like nothing more than to dampen the Colts’ slim playoff hopes.

The Colts (6-8) struggled against the Denver Broncos and are barely holding on to hope.

There is a lot on the line for both teams and this should be an interesting AFC South battle. Here are three reasons for optimism heading into this match-up.

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Calvin Ridley

Calvin Ridley had one of his worst games of 2024 in the first match-up between these teams and will be highly motivated to make amends in this contest.

A lot has changed since that Week 6 battle, and Ridley has become more consistent. With Mason Rudolph now at the helm, the Titans should be able to use his dynamic receiving ability to help open up the running game. Plus, with both Tyler Boyd and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine banged up, he has had time this week to build some chemistry with Rudolph.

If the Titans are to win on Sunday, they need a receiver to step up and Ridley should be that guy.

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The change to Mason Rudolph

Will Levis imploded during Week 15 and destroyed any chance to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals with his poor decision-making and turnovers. After the game, head coach Brian Callahan decided to go with Mason Rudolph and it was the right call.

Rudolph may not have the physical attributes of Levis, but he understands the offense, can read defenses, and make the right decisions. He looked good against the Bengals and now 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 Colts offense with an erratic quarterback, good things could happen.

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It’s a divisional matchup

Games within a division are different and are almost always closer than they should be when looking solely at the statistics or the standings. This AFC South battle should be no different. The talent differential between these two teams is not as wide as their records may indicate, and the Titans are growing every week. This could be the week they get back on track. There is belief in the locker room and that could be the recipe for a win on Sunday.

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Titans injury report: Calvin Ridley out, Jarvis Brownlee limited

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field on Wednesday and saw wide receiver Calvin Ridley lead a group sidelined by injury.

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field on Wednesday in preparation for their Week 13 battle with the Washington Commanders. 

Prior to practice head coach Brian Callahan outlined the adjustments being made to deal with the Thanksgiving holiday practice schedule and the impact it will have. Because of those adjustments, he warned that there would be a higher-than-usual amount of players held out on Wednesday, and he was right. 

Being held out of Wednesday’s session were defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, linebacker Luke Gifford, outside linebackers Arden Key and Harold Landry, cornerback Roger McCreary, offensive tackle Leroy Watson and wide receiver Calvin Ridley. While some were for rest, others are battling injury, and their status at this point is unknown. 

Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie returned to practice as expected and was limited. Cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr., defensive back Justin Hardee and running back Tyjae Spears were also limited participants. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: DT Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Roger McCreary (knee), OLB Arden Key (back), WR Calvin Ridley (ankle), LB Luke Gifford (hamstring), OLB Harold Landry (NIR/rest),

Limited Participant: RB Tyjae Spears (concussion), CB Chidobe Awuzie (groin), DB Justin Hardee (groin), CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (ribs)

Full participants: S Amani Hooker (illness)

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Titans’ injury report: Roger McCreary out, Calvin Ridley returns

Tennessee Titans cornerback Roger McCreary headlines a list of players that did not practice Thursday ahead of this critical AFC Sounth battle.

The Tennessee Titans were back on the field Thursday in preparation for their Week 12 AFC South battle with the Houston Texans. 

Running back Tyjae Spears, who remains in concussion protocol, was held out for a second day in a row putting his availability for this week in doubt. The same can be said for starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad), who once again missed practice and is unlikely to suit up on Sunday. Cornerback Roger McCreary, defensive back Justin Hardee and offensive tackle Leroy Watson were also held out. 

Wide receiver Calvin Ridley, defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and linebacker Kenneth Murray returned to practice on Thursday. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), OT Leroy Watson (back), LB Jack Gibbens (ankle), RB Tyjae Spears (concussion), DB Justin Hardee (groin), CB Roger McCreay (knee)

Limited Participant: N/A

Full participants: Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), DT Sebastian Joseph-Day (biceps),  WR Calvin Ridley (illness),  LB Kenneth Murray (shoulder)

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Titans’ injury report: Multiple starters sit out practice

The Tennessee Titans released their first injury report for Week 12 and see multiple starters on the sidelines.

The Tennessee Titans dropped a tough one on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings and suffered some damaging injuries in the process. 

Heading into Week 12, it is already known that linebacker Jack Gibbens will be out and likely placed on injured reserve prior to kickoff. Gibbens suffered a devastating lower leg injury that required surgery on Monday. Since has not been placed on IR yet, he was a non-participant. 

Running back Tyjae Spears (concussion) and linebacker Otis Reese IV (ribs) were also injured during that contest. Spears is in concussion protocol and did not practice, while Reese practiced and was not listed on the injury report. 

Starting cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) did not practice and is likely out for Week 12. Wide receiver Calvin Ridley, tackle Leroy Watson IV, defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day, defensive back Justin Hardee, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, Cornerback Roger McCreary, and linebacker Kenneth Murray did not practice

Defensive Back Justin Hardee was limited with a groin injury. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), OT Leroy Watson (back), CB Roger McCreary (knee), DT Sebastian Joseph-Day (biceps), WR Calvin Ridley (illness), LB Jack Gibbens (ankle), DB Justin Hardee (groin), LB Kenneth Murray (shoulder), RB Tyjae Spears (concussion)

Limited Participant: N/A

Full participants: N/A

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Titans’ Tony Pollard, Texans’ Joe Mixon top fantasy options in Week 12

The Titans and Texans face off in Houston on Sunday and both teams boast players who are worthy of starting on your fantasy rosters in Week 12.

The Tennessee Titans head to the Lone Star state on Sunday to face division rival Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. The Texans sit atop the AFC South division with ease and will likely have no issue making the playoffs. The Titans are third in the AFC South but have a division-heavy schedule to end the season which could change things a bit.

The Titans, while it’s been slow, are making progress and beginning to look better each week. There have been a lot of challenges and obstacles to overcome, but even in last week’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Titans looked better than they have all season.

This week, the Titans’ stout defense faces a dynamic Houston offense that is capable of making big plays. But the Houston defense isn’t as tough as some the Titans’ have faced recently, which provides an opportunity for Will Levis & Co. to move the ball down the field.

Let’s take a quick peek at the fantasy options these two teams provide in Week 12.

Despite missing time with an ankle injury, Joe Mixon has been lighting up the fantasy scoreboard. Last week against the Dallas Cowboys, he rushed for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, plus added two receptions for 44 more yards. He has exceeded 100 rushing yards in six of eight games with the Texans and has a total of 11 touchdowns this season. He is the eighth ranked running back in the league, despite missing time.

Against the Titans in Week 12, he is poised for another strong game. The Titans’ have allowed 13 scrimmage touchdowns to running backs, tied for fourth-most in the NFL. He’s not only going to get his ground yards this week, but he will find the end zone.

Tony Pollard is the Titans’ number one back. That’s not a secret and it’s not going to change anytime soon. Tyjae Spears has been a nice compliment to Pollard on the field, gaining solid yards when needed. But after the Titans’ loss to the Vikings on Sunday, Spears entered the NFL’s five-step concussion protocol. He remains questionable against the Texans, and in games when he hasn’t played, Pollard averages 24 touches per game. It’s still a tough matchup behind a flimsy offensive line, but Pollard will get his touches this week and could find the end zone at some point.

Prior to landing on injured reserve for five weeks with a hamstring injury, Nico Collins was taking the league by storm and sitting at the top of the receiver rankings. Since then, the rankings have changed without him on the field, but his return against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday definitely gave the team a boost. He was a bit rusty, which is expected, and the Titans’ secondary might prove to be a difficult matchup, but by the end of the game when the Titans’ defenders are fatigued, look for him to make his mark.

After DeAndre Hopkins was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, Calvin Ridley became the undisputed WR1. Over the last four games, he has 358 receiving yards and two touchdowns and would have had a third had it not been called back for a penalty last week. The Texans’ secondary allows the most touchdowns to wide receivers and gives up over 150 receiving yards per game to wideouts.

Will Levis looks much improved since his return as well, racking up 295 passing yards in Week 11, which bodes well for Ridley going forward. If Levis and Ridley can consistently be on the same page, it could prove to be a solid combination.

Let’s be real; the Titans’ offense is inconsistent at best. Yes, Will Levis played well last week, but on the road against a division rival? It’s going to be a tough test. The Texans’ defense is projected to have the second-most fantasy points in Week 12 behind the Denver Broncos, who are playing Las Vegas. Will Levis is likely to turn the ball over; he has only one game this season where he hasn’t thrown an interception. Plus, the Titans are still trying to find their footing during this rebuild, especially at the right tackle position. If the Texans attack from that side, they’ll have no trouble disrupting the Titans’ offense and having a nice fantasy outing this week.

Titans’ Calvin Ridley: ‘It’s been the same thing all year’

The Tennessee Titans fell to 2-7 on the season, and some players, like Calvin Ridley, have started to voice their frustrations.

The Tennessee Titans suffered through another disappointing Sunday, falling to the Los Angeles Chargers 27-17 in Week 10 action. 

The Titans again struggled in the second half and watched their chances at victory fade away. With the loss, the Titans fall to 2-7 on the season. While there were some things to build upon, the inconsistencies between the different phases of the game continue to be a story. 

The Chargers were more physical and capitalized on every opportunity they were given. In the end, it was consistency that was the talk of the locker room. Even wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who had a great fantasy output, let his frustration be known. 

 

“Not consistent, not consistent enough,” Ridley said after the game. “It’s been the same thing all year. It’s the way the game (has) been going, we gotta figure a way to stay ahead of the game.”

When pressed on the consistency aspect, he continued, “I mean it’s a lot of stuff, we got to be more consistent to win games. When the games going like that, you can’t give them opportunities to have points; easy points. It makes the game harder.”

After being asked if this is insanity, he said, “Even if you win, we’re gonna go back and do the same thing to prepare, anyway. We just gotta, we gotta win the games.”

These comments point to the reality of the Titans season, the same inconsistencies are a plague. Whether it is special teams, turnovers, or big plays; every game something happens that starts a downward spiral that the team cannot overcome. And again, it sounds like there is a disconnect with the practice environment that may sit at the heart of the issue.

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Titans’ Will Levis, Tyjae Spears practice in full, L’Jarius Sneed sits again

The Titans’ injury report after Thursday’s practice ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Chargers on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans have seen their fair share of injuries this season. The offensive line is in a shambles after losing Lloyd Cushenberry for the season. With Dillon Radunz also injured, it moved Daniel Brunskill to guard and Corey Levin became the center. Safety Quandre Diggs is also gone for the season, and for the umpteenth straight practice, L’Jarius Sneed continues to nurse a quad injury.

This week, though, the Titans are seeing progress with some of the nagging injuries players have been playing through. Will Levis was a full participant on Thursday, T’Vondre Sweat is not on the injury report, and Tyjae Spears practiced in full. There were a couple of new injuries, but only two players sat out of Thursday’s practice.

The Titans’ Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), RB Tony Pollard (foot)

Limited participants: WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), S Amani Hooker (groin), DT Jeffery Simmons (hamstring), G Dillon Radunz (foot), RB Julius Chestnut (foot), TE Nick Vannett (neck)

Full participant: WR Calvin Ridley (shoulder), QB Will Levis (shoulder), S Mike Edwards (NIR-Rest), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring), CB Tre Avery (hamstring)

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Titans vs. Chargers: 3 causes for concern in Week 10

The Tennessee Titans square off in a Sunday battle against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. Here are three reasons for concern.

The Tennessee Titans head west on Sunday to face the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Riding the momentum of their overtime win over the New England Patriots last week, the Titans look to continue their winning ways on the road.

But the 5-3 Chargers have their own agenda on Sunday, and they aren’t going down without a fight. The Chargers’ defense is tougher than the Patriots’ defense, and their offense is led by a more experienced quarterback in Justin Herbert than the Titans’ faced in Drake Maye.

This week’s matchup is different in a lot of ways, and while any team can win on any day, there are three causes for concern for the Titans heading into Week 10.

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Continued quarterback controversy

Even though Mason Rudolph was the quarterback in both of the Titans’ victories, head coach Brian Callahan still says that Will Levis will play if he’s healthy. Levis has been sidelined with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. He returned after the bye week and failed to defeat the Indianapolis Colts, and he’s been on the injury report ever since.

The biggest problem with this scenario this week is that Lloyd Cushenberry, the Titans’ reliable center, is done for the season with an Achilles injury. So on top of not being sure who will be throwing the ball on Sunday, the Titans don’t know who will play center either. If Dillon Radunz is healthy, Daniel Brunskill gets the nod. If not, we see Corey Levin again, which did not go well last week.

The Titans’ offense has some critical questions to answer before kickoff on Sunday, and preparing for a game in these circumstances is less than ideal.

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Injuries continue to pile up

As mentioned above, Lloyd Cushenberry left last week’s game with an Achilles injury and his season is over. But he’s not the only one who’s dealing with an injury. The Titans have a slew of players on both sides of the ball with some kind of injury. Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley have been playing through injury, and so have Amani Hooker and T’Vondre Sweat. Three of the four offensive players on injured reserve are offensive linemen, and there are five additional players with a questionable status.

On defense, there are six players on injured reserve and two more with a questionable designation.

The Titans can barely field a team at this point, and while they managed to eke out a win last week, it’s not likely to be the same story this week

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The Chargers are not the Patriots

The Chargers are a much more established team than the Patriots. The Titans managed to overcome the Patriots in overtime, but the Chargers’ defense is much stronger. The Titans’ offensive line is in shambles, and they don’t know who the quarterback will be. The Chargers will exploit that and do everything they can to get to the quarterback. And, depending on who the quarterback is, they might find success.

L’Jarius Sneed sitting out with injury for a couple of weeks has paved the way for Amani Hooker and Mike Brown to make some plays, but the Titans would really like to get Sneed back on the field. The defensive front, save for T’Vondre Sweat, is relatively healthy, and the Titans will rely heavily on their strongest piece. But they can’t do it all, either.

The Chargers are one of those teams that is hard to gauge this season because of who they’ve played. Still, it won’t be an easy task for the Titans to walk away with a win on the road. We’ll see if they’re up to the task on Sunday.

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Titans injury report: L’Jarius Sneed sits out again

The Tennessee Titans returned to the practice field Wednesday and released their first injury report for the week.

The Tennessee Titans are banged up as they prepare to take the field Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10 action. Prior to hitting the field to start preparations for this one, the Titans made a couple of injury-related roster moves. 

The team officially placed center Lloyd Cushenberry (Achilles) and safety Quandre Diggs (foot) on injured reserve, likely ending their seasons. To fill one of the roster spots, the Titans signed veteran safety Mike Edwards, who was in Tennessee Wednesday for a physical. 


Once they hit the field, eyes were on the players who sat out the Week 9 victory due to injury to see if there was any chance of a return to action. Unfortunately, cornerback L’Jarius Sneed continued to be sidelined with his quad injury. He was joined on the sideline by defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Quarterback Will Levis, guard Dillon Radunz, and running back Tony Pollard led the group of eight players that were limited, which included newly acquired safety Mike Edwards. 

Cornerback Tre Avery returned as a full participant with his hamstring injury. 

The Titans’ Wednesday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest)

Limited Participant: RB Tony Pollard (foot), WR Tyler Boyd (shoulder), WR Calvin Ridley (NIR/rest), S Armani Hooker (groin), G Dillon Radunz (foot), QB Will Levis (shoulder), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring), S Mike Edwards (NIR/rest)

Full participants: CB Tre Avery (hamstring)

Jerod Mayo discusses why Patriots pursued Calvin Ridley in free agency

Jerod Mayo spoke about what stands out most with Titans WR Calvin Ridley

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo opened up about why the team pursued Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley in free agency.

Ridley and the Patriots were often connected via rumors, but the star receiver ultimately signed a four-year deal with the Titans. He has helped strengthen the Titans’ struggling receiving group. So far this season, he has tallied 22 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown.

He put on an incredible performance in a losing effort to the Detroit Lions last week with 10 catches for 143 yards.

The wideout isn’t putting up elite numbers with the Titans, but Mayo believes he’s doing his job on offense.

“He’s open a lot on film, sometimes doesn’t get the ball,” said Mayo.

One has to wonder how Ridley would have performed if he struck up a deal with the Patriots in the offseason. If anything, the veteran would have given rookie quarterback Drake Maye a consistent wideout to throw to.

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