Same game, same result for the Tennessee Titans at the right tackle position, they just aren’t good enough.
The Tennessee Titans lost to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11, and once again, one of their biggest flaws was exposed. The Titans need a right tackle!
The right tackle position has plagued the team this entire season, dating back to training camp, and yet, no matter what changes are made, there is still a major issue. This week, they may have cost the Titans the ball game. Even head coach Brian Callahan acknowledges this.
.@Titans HC Brian Callahan: The right tackle position is by far our weakest link. We haven’t been able to solve it
He is absolutely correct: neither he nor offensive line coach Bill Callahan has been able to find a player that can step in and just be average. Nicholas Petit-Frere, Leroy Watson, Isaiah Prince, Jaelyn Duncan or John Ojukwu, none have been able to step in and hold down that spot due to performance issues or injury.
This begs the question of whether the fundamental issue is the coaching, players, or system. While people on the outside can only speculate about the issues, it is clear that inside the organization, the players are to blame, and they will continue to cycle through body after body to find a solution.
Maybe it is time for the staff to take a deep dive into their techniques or philosophies; it’s clear that something isn’t working. Unfortunately, the Titans sit in uncharted territory, with the son being the head coach and the father in charge of the worst unit on the team. If this were any other franchise, offensive line coach Bill Callahan would be on the hot seat, but instead here the players are solely on the chopping block.
The Titans will take on the Houston Texans in Week 12, and maybe during their preparations, they can find a way to put an average right tackle on the field.
The Tennessee Titans square off in a Sunday afternoon battle against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11. Here are three reasons for concern.
The Tennessee Titans host the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CST.
The Titans’ 2024 season has been rough. Not that anyone expected Brian Callahan to come in and take this team to the Super Bowl in his first season, but people expected a better showing than what we’ve seen so far. It’s not all bad, but there’s a lot of work to be done.
The Vikings, on the other hand, are 7-2 and sit in second place in the NFC North, right behind the Detroit Lions. Their biggest goal is to keep winning and hope the Lions lose or they make wild card weekend. In the toughest division in the NFL this season, the Vikings have their work cut out for them to make the postseason.
Those concerns don’t start for the Vikings this week, though. Up against a Titans team that isn’t playing like it can, the Vikings are heavy favorites this week. That’s certainly a cause for concern for the Titans, although not the only one. Let’s take a look at three causes for concern for the Titans heading into Week 11.
Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union
Vikings boast the top run defense in the NFL
The Vikings typically have a strong defense year-to-year, but this year they hold the top spot in the league with their run defense. In 2024, the Vikings have allowed just 711 rushing yards, that’s an average of 3.8 yards per carry or 79 yards per game. They’ve allowed only two run plays over 20 yards and only one over 40 yards. This is as stout of a run defense as we’ve seen in a long time.
The concern here is that the Titans’ offense goes through Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears on the ground. That is simply not going to be effective against the Vikings, so Brian Callahan and Nick Holz better have a plan in place for when the run game fails.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
More defensive players sporting injuries
Titans cornerback L’Jarius Sneed has missed weeks with a quad injury, which was recently revealed to be a substantial bruise and a strain. He’s not happy and feels guilty that he’s not out there on the field, but he’s not alone. Injuries on the defensive side of the ball have been a problem all season. The concern this week is there are three new defenders with injuries: Arden Key has a back injury, Roger McCreary is dealing with a knee injury, and Justin Hardee has a groin injury.
We won’t know if they will carry an injury designation into the game until Friday, but that none of them practiced on Wednesday shows they all needed rest.
The severity of these injuries isn’t apparent yet, so all three of them may still play this week. Even so, the defense is already struggling with injuries and fatigue, so adding more isn’t helpful.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The offensive line is still a problem
Last week, Will Levis was sacked seven times. The Los Angeles Chargers rank fifth in sacks this season, and the Vikings are right behind them in the sixth spot. They’ve recorded 30 sacks this season, and the Titans’ offensive line simply isn’t going to fare well against the Vikings’ defensive front.
Leroy Watson IV and John Ojukwu will likely continue to rotate at right tackle, although Watson is nursing a back injury now, so who knows how much he will play. On the left side, rookie JC Latham has largely done his job well, but fatigue started to set in last week against the Chargers and could be seen in his play.
The Titans’ offensive line has allowed 28 sacks this season and seven of them happened last week. Brian Callahan and Nick Holz have to find a way to keep Levis protected against a strong Vikings defense in Week 11.
The Tennessee Titans made multiple roster moves headed into their Week 8 battle with the Detroit Lions.
The Tennessee Titans have been busy on the transactions front. After trading DeAndre Hopkins and Ernest Jones earlier in the week and adding Jerome Baker as the only corresponding move, everyone following the team knew more transactions would follow.
Those dropped today with multiple moves.
The Titans signed wide receiver Mason Kinsey, cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally, and offensive tackle John Ojukwu to the active roster. These players could all play roles on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.
The Titans entered the day with one open roster spot and had to make room on the 53-man roster for these signings.
The first move was expected and mentioned as a possibility during one of Brian Callahan’s media availabilities. Offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan, who suffered a hamstring injury during the Week 7 loss to the Buffalo Bills, was placed on injured reserve (IR). Duncan will now miss at least the next four games, keeping him out of the weekly right tackle sweepstakes.
Tennessee waived linebacker Caleb Murphy, who has been inactive on game days in recent weeks, to open a final roster spot.
The Titans now have a full roster as the head to Detroit to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 8 action.
The Tennessee Titans again struggled with protection on the right side of the offensive line and head coach Brian Callahan took notice.
One week after breaking a three-year streak by not allowing a sack against the Indianapolis Colts, the Tennessee Titans offensive line reverted back to their previous selves, and QB Mason Rudolph faced his share of pressure,
Some of that blame can easily be attributed to Nicholas Petit-Frere, who again struggled after replacing starter Jaelyn Duncan, who was injured on the opening drive of the game. This has been a common topic with Petit-Frere, who lost his starting job in Week 6 to OT Leroy Watson.
Pressed into service following Duncan’s injury, #Titans‘ Petit-Frere allowed 8 pressures (7 hurries, 1 sack) and posted a @PFF pass-block grade of 21.0.
Latham graded out at 71.6, but allowed 4 pressures (2 sacks, 1 hit, 1 hurry).
In the game, Petit-Frere gave up seven pressures and one sack to the Buffalo Bills after being pressed into duty. However, he wasn’t the only lineman that struggled. OT JC Latham went through his worst game since the season opener, giving up two sacks, one hit, and four pressures.
While Latham and the left side of the offensive line are safe, the right side of the offensive line, specifically the right tackle position, is a work in progress. Head coach Brian Callahan also acknowledged the issue postgame. “We need to sort out the right tackle issue,” Callahan said after the game.
Titans HC Brian Callahan on potentially shuffling starters on the OL to fix the RT issues pic.twitter.com/90LnTDmM4m
One week after Watson started against the Colts, he was inactive in Week 7. This left Duncan and Petit-Frere to man the right side. Now with Duncan suffering a hamstring injury and already listed as ‘week-to-week’ things will shift again for Week 8. Callahan basically ruled out Duncan for this week and dispelled the idea of moving RG Dillon Radunz to the position. That leaves Watson, Petit-Frere, and John Ojukwu as in-house options to battle for the right tackle position heading into Week 8.
Anyone who has watched the Titans through six games knows that the right tackle position has been a problem. Unfortunately, the answer to the problem does not appear on the roster. Tune in Sunday when the Titans face the Detroit Lions to see what changes, if any, are made.
The Tennessee Titans have made a few roster moves as they prepare to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6 action.
The Tennessee Titans are back at work in preparation for their Sunday afternoon match-up against the Indianapolis Colts and have made some roster moves ahead of the weekend.
After releasing tackle John Ojukwo on Tuesday, they moved quickly to fill his open roster spot by promoting him from within. The Titans signed tackle Leroy Watson IV from their practice squad to the active roster.
Acquired in April in a trade with the Cleveland Browns for a seventh-round selection in the 2024 NFL draft, the former college tight end saw action in seven games for the Browns during the 2023 season.
The 6-4, 311-pound tackle entered the league as an undrafted free agent from Texas San Antonio (UTSA) and has spent time with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Browns, and now the Titans.
With quarterback Will Levis battling a shoulder injury, the Titans also announced the signing of quarterback Trevor Siemian to the practice squad.
The veteran signal-caller has some history with head coach Brian Callahan and has seen action in 40 career games. In 33 starts, Siemian has a 15-18 record, throwing for 7,751 yards, 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions.
The Titans will be the seventh team to reach the journeyman, who has also spent time with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Cincinnati Bengals.
The Tennessee Titans made an adjustment to their roster, waiving offensive lineman John Ojukwu.
The Tennessee Titans made another roster move ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts. Previously, the Titans announced they opened the window for Cedric Gray to return to the field from injured reserve. Today, the Titans waived offensive lineman John Ojukwu.
The @Titans have waived offensive lineman John Ojukwu.
Ojukwu joined the Titans in 2023 as an undrafted free agent and spent most of that season on the practice squad. He was inactive for the first three games of 2024 and played just five snaps against the Miami Dolphins in Week 4.
Losing Ojukwu leaves Nicholas Petit-Frere without a backup. Considering how he has struggled this season, that could pose a problem. Ojukwu may not have been the answer, but coach Brian Callahan and general manager Ran Carthon need to nail down an offensive line that’s allowed 15 sacks this season.
With Gray’s designation to return, the Titans gain some defensive depth, which they will need if their offense doesn’t improve. That offense will have a hard time improving if Will Levis isn’t protected, so Callahan and Carthon need to figure out the offensive line sooner rather than later. [lawrence-related id=151758,151750,151747]
Watch Tennessee Titans general manager break the news to five players that they embarking on a new challenge. Making the 53-man roster.
It has been no secret that the Tennessee Titans have had a changing of the guard over the past two years. First, the team hired Ran Carthon as general manager in 2023 to replace Jon Robinson. This was followed by a shocking move, firing head coach Mike Vrabel and transitioning to Brian Callahan.
Carthon and Callahan have overhauled the roster almost totally in a very short period of time. They have also become more transparent with some of their behind-the-scenes moments. This includes the moment that five underdogs discovered their fate on cut day.
"You don't have to thank us, you earned it" 🥹
BTS of the moments Andrew Rupcich, David Martin-Robinson, Thomas Odukoya, John Ojukwu and James Williams found out they made the Titans 53-man roster pic.twitter.com/EwPwYVGklK
None of Andrew Rupcich, David Martin-Robinson, Thomas Odukoya, John Ojukwu, and James Williams knew what was about to transpire when they were summoned to the front office, and their emotions were all over the map. The sincerity of this life-altering moment for these players is apparent, and now they have a video to remind them of their journey.
Titans second-year tackle John Ojukwu has stepped up this offseason with two of the team’s tackles sidelined due to injury.
Two of the candidates for the right tackle job this offseason, Nicholas Petit-Frere and Jaelyn Duncan, have not been able to practice due to injury, and that has opened the door for John Ojukwu — and he’s making the most of the opportunity.
With Duncan and NPF sidelined, the second-year offensive lineman, who was a UDFA signing of the Titans in 2023, has been getting the first-team reps at right tackle.
Head coach Brian Callahan admits that he didn’t know much about the Boise State product upon arriving in Tennessee, but he’s been surprised by how well Ojukwu has done, both in the meeting room and on the practice field.
“He’s doing everything that you’d want a player in that situation to do,” Callahan said. “He takes it very serious, he’s outstanding in the meeting room, he’s taken the scheme and he’s learned it. I’ve been really surprised. He’s a guy that I didn’t know much about, and as he’s gotten more opportunities, he’s started to show up. When you’re a guy in that position, that’s all you can ask for. And so, he keeps stacking good days together, and so, again, we’ll see when we get to training camp what that looks like. But he’s done everything you can possibly do with an opportunity that he’s been given and that’s always good to see.”
Ojukwu didn’t get many opportunities during his rookie season, despite the mess that was the team’s offensive line. This year, he has a shot to land a reserve role, and he might find himself in the starting competition if he can continue to impress moving forward.
A look at the Titans’ top-three candidates for the right tackle job now that Jamarco Jones is gone.
The Tennessee Titans dropped offensive lineman Jamarco Jones like a bad habit and released him on Thursday after he got into yet another spat that led to his being tossed out of practice for the second time this week.
While the move to get rid of the problem child is certainly understandable, it does throw an already uncertain situation into even more turmoil.
That’s because Jones appeared to be the frontrunner for the job, as it seemed he was getting the most first-team reps in practice. Granted, he was a major question mark thanks to a lack of starting experience, but at least we had a handle on who might get the job to temporarily replace Nicholas Petit-Frere.
So, who are the next men up to consider for the starting job? There are three candidates to discuss, and one of them should be considered the favorite, although he’s hardly a lock.
Our latest Tennessee Titans 53-man roster projection after the first week of training camp includes five newcomers from our last one.
We are through one week of Tennessee Titans training camp and there are already some changes to be made from our last 53-man roster projection.
It has been an interesting camp thus far, with a ton of attention being paid to the quarterbacks, and in particular Will Levis and Malik Willis, both of whom are battling for the No. 2 spot behind Ryan Tannehill.
And, in the case of Willis, he’s battling for a roster spot altogether, although I think he’s done enough so far to keep him around in my latest projection.
A few undrafted rookies have stood out enough to earn themselves a spot here, but, of course, that doesn’t mean they’re completely safe with such a long way to go until final cuts.
Now, our updated 53-man projection based on what happened at training camp the first week. Players with an asterisk are new additions, and we’ve provided a write-up for each.
Note: Nicholas Petit-Frere and Dillon Radunz are not included because the former is suspended for the first six games and won’t count towards the 53-man group, while we expect the latter to start the season on the PUP list.
