Tag: mason rudolph

Titans vs. Texans: 3 causes for concern in Week 18

The Tennessee Titans host the Houston Texans to close out the 2024 season and there are three causes for concern for the Titans.

The Tennessee Titans host the Houston Texans in their final game of the 2024 season this Sunday at Nissan stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. The game kicks off at 12:00 p.m. CDT, and it’s unlikely to look like the same game as their Week 12 meeting.

The Texans clinched the AFC South and a playoff berth, so their postseason endeavors are already set. Houston has not said they will be resting players this week, necessarily, but reps may be limited given that they do not have to win this game.

The Titans have lost their last five in a row and eight of their last 10. It hasn’t mattered which quarterback plays, but this week we’ll get to see them both play apparently. It’s been a long season of disappointment for the Titans.

Heading into Week 18, there are three causes for concern.

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Quarterback controversy

Okay, it’s not so much a controversy as there isn’t a set quarterback. First, it was Will Levis, then he got hurt and Mason Rudolph filled in. Then Levis came back but was benched after throwing three interceptions in a game and Rudolph took over. But Rudolph couldn’t get the job done either and now Brian Callahan says both quarterbacks will play on Sunday.

Switching between quarterbacks isn’t an easy task and definitely contributed to the Titans’ inability to find any rhythm this season. But playing them both in the same game isn’t really the answer either.

Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

The ground game

This goes for both sides of the ball. On offense, the Titans look to have Tony Pollard back this weekend, which is good news since Tyjae Spears is still in concussion protocol. In the absence of Spears and if Pollard goes down or can’t play, the Titans are left with Julius Chestnut, who hasn’t seen much field time this year save on special teams. In their last meeting, Pollard rushed for 119 yards, but that doesn’t mean that Chestnut would have the same success if called upon.

On the other side of the ball, the Titans’ defense held the Texans to 40 yards on the ground in their last meeting. But the Titans’ interior has fallen apart over the last few weeks. If Joe Mixon has limited reps, Dameon Pierce will take every opportunity he can to run the ball down the Titans’ throats.

Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Momentum

The Texans have already secured their playoff spot, but after losing their last two games, they really need to build some momentum in the final week of the regular season. What better way to do that than to defeat a division rival on their home field after they did it to you earlier in the year?

Houston needs to end the season with a win, which is why they may not limit the reps of their starters until they have a solid lead. They aren’t playing for pride; the Texans need a mood shift to prepare them for Wild Card Weekend. And the Titans make for a perfect punching bag.

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Titans to play both Will Levis and Mason Rudolph in Week 18

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan announced his plan to play both Mason Rudolph and Will Levis at quarterback in Week 18.

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan had his final regular season press conference on Monday and made some interesting comments and shed some light on the team’s plan for their finale. 

The biggest news that came out of that press availability was focused on the quarterback position when he was asked if he was going with Mason Rudolph again.

“I’m actually, probably going to play both of them, to be honest.” Callahan stated, “to let both of those guys play.”

While he fell short of naming a starter, he made it clear that both Rudolph and Will Levis will see action against the Houston Texans.

This is an interesting decision and a change in the staff’s attitude since benching Levis two weeks ago. Of course, the Titans did go 0-2 in his absence, and Rudolph threw multiple interceptions in the course of those two games. 

The season is lost and the team is playing for pride, so this would be a good game to get some of the younger players on the field to gain experience. Players like Bryce Oliver, Jha’Quan Jackson, Julius Chestnut, James Williams and Cedric Gray could always use more reps, especially with multiple veterans banged up or underperforming. 

The same could be said for Levis as well. When Rudolph took over and produced similar results with almost identical stats, it does raise the question of whether it is the players or the system. That question won’t likely be answered until 2025. 

Who will the starting quarterback be? We will all have to wait and see when the Titans close out the season at Nissan Stadium against the Texans.

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Jaguars vs. Titans: Key matchups

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans: key matchups

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter their next-to-last game of the season against the Tennessee Titans, fighting to end their campaign on a high note following their loss to the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday.

The Jaguars take on the Titans in their home finale and hope to give their fans something to cheer about in a battle between two teams in contention for top-five selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jaguars Wire takes a closer look at the key matchups Jacksonville must win to beat Tennessee.

Jaguars QB Mac Jones vs. Titans defense

On the bright side, Jones didn’t turn the ball over last week. On the downside, he is still a below-average signal-caller who cost his team the game when he was too passive in a critical spot.

Jones is who he is; he’ll do just enough to put the ball where he needs it to go before making a few bone-headed decisions and turning the ball over at the most opportune time.

However, the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout had some success against the Titans three weeks ago despite throwing two interceptions, notably setting up a touchdown drive with three completions to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for 57 yards.

The Jaguars would benefit from a clean game from Jones, who took over for the injured Trevor Lawrence almost two months ago. The Titans brandish the No. 3 defense in the NFL in yards allowed per game and they aren’t the easiest unit to throw against.

If Jones can more efficiently get the ball to his best playmakers, Jacksonville will have a clear path to victory.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Titans WR Calvin Ridley

This is not a true offense versus defense matchup, but it’s an important battle nonetheless: Which wide receiver can be the most effective for their team this weekend?

Thomas has had an excellent rookie season, breaking rookie franchise records left and right. He has a 36.1 percent target share and a 52.5 percent air yard share with Mac Jones under-center since Week 14, the third-highest rates in the league, according to Next Gen Stats.

Ridley’s production in the Titans’ offense didn’t spike until DeAndre Hopkins was traded mid-season, but his numbers have been sound this season with 857 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Both receivers could have productive days, although their matchups vary in intensity. Ridley will be going up against the bottom-ranked passing defense in yards allowed (263.0) and Thomas will likely be force-fed the ball to create yards after the catch against the top-ranked passing defense (178.3) in football.

Whichever one has the biggest impact on Sunday could be a determining factor in the game’s result.

Titans offense vs. Jaguars defense

As highlighted in this week’s All-22 review, rookie defensive lineman Maason Smith flashed with some great pass rush and run-defending reps against the Raiders and could see his production spike against a below-average Titans offensive line.

Tennessee has gone through a couple of quarterback changes between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. The latter will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Getting pressure on the journeyman Rudolph will be key for a Jaguars defense that has held several opposing offenses in check in recent weeks.

In their previous matchup, Jacksonville held Tennessee to six points and could see a similar result this week. With the Titans offense struggling altogether this season, this is a favorable matchup for defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen and his unit, spelling an opportunity for win No. 4 on the season.

Titans vs. Jaguars: 5 things to know ahead of Week 17

The Tennessee Titans visit the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday and here are five things fans should know ahead of the Week 17 game.

The Tennessee Titans are gearing up for a trip to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars in Week 17. This will be the second and final meeting between the division rivals in the 2024 season.

In the first matchup, these teams put on performances that nobody who’s not a fan or media member willingly watched. The game featured rain and just one touchdown, with the Jaguars winning, 10-6.

At BetMGM, the Jaguars are favored by just 1 point over the Titans. Now, let’s identify five things to know ahead of this matchup.

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

First meeting was an offensive abomination

These teams met at the beginning of December and it was not easy on the eyes. Neither team reached 300 yards of offense and only one touchdown was scored.

Unfortunately for the Titans, one touchdown was all it took to give the team another loss. Will Levis played badly, and the play-calling was equally atrocious. There were almost no positives to take from this matchup.

Will the rematch be any better? It can’t possibly be worse.

Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Rudolph’s first shot at the Jaguars as a Titan

Mason Rudolph will be starting for the Titans at quarterback this go-round. As mentioned above, the offense can’t possibly be worse with Rudolph than it was with Levis against this defense.

Rudolph did play against the Jaguars once previously in his career. That game was in 2020 and Rudolph came in the game just to kneel a few times. The Steelers won that game, 27-3, so here’s to hoping for a similar result this weekend.

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Titans seeking to avoid being swept by Jaguars for just 4th time ever

Since moving to Tennessee, the Titans have only been swept in the season series with the Jaguars three times. The most recent time was during the 2022 season.

In most seasons, the Titans can rely on picking up at least one win against their division rival. Even when the Titans went 2-14 in 2014, one of those wins was against the Jaguars.

Getting swept by a bad Jaguars team would show just how putrid this version of the Titans is.

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2025 NFL draft implications

If the season ended on Thursday, the Titans would have the No. 4 pick while the Jaguars would have the No. 3 pick.

With another loss to the Jaguars, however, the Titans would leap their rivals for the No. 3 pick. This could be crucial considering the Titans need a quarterback, as do the New York Giants who currently have the No. 1 pick.

Everybody will want to beat the Jaguars, but losing doesn’t sound so bad if it gets you closer to a potential franchise quarterback.

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Can the Titans stop Mac Jones?

Mac Jones didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet in the first meeting, but he did enough to win. Getting swept by the Jaguars is embarrassing enough, but getting swept by Jones is one of the most embarrassing things I can imagine.

The Titans did force Jones to throw two interceptions in the last game, but couldn’t prevent the quarterback from driving down the field for a game-winning score. That can’t be the case again.

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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.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

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.

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

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 vs. Colts: 5 things to know for Week 16

The Tennessee Titans face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. Here are the five biggest storylines to follow for this contest.

The Tennessee Titans are gearing up for an AFC South showdown with the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. This will be the final meeting between the teams until 2025.

In the first meeting, the Titans fell, 20-17, in Nashville. It was a game the Titans could have won, but the team got outscored 10-0 in the 4th quarter.

Per BetMGM, the Colts are 3.5-point favorites over the Titans with an over/under of 42.5. Now, let’s identify the five things to know for this game.

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Titans last win vs. Colts was over 2 years ago

Matt Ryan was the quarterback of the Colts the last time they lost to the Titans. The Colts swept the Titans in 2023 and won the first matchup in 2024, meaning it’s been over two calendar years since the Titans beat their rivals.

The Titans would love to stop the streak this weekend. The Colts technically are alive in the playoff race, and a loss to the Titans would end any of that talk.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Both teams have disappointed in 2024

If the season ended today, neither of these teams would sniff the playoffs. The Titans have been officially eliminated for a couple of weeks, while the Colts have a slim-but-not-zero chance still.

Coming into the season, the Colts were seen as a team that could compete for a wild card spot or perhaps even the division. Anthony Richardson was supposed to step up and prove he belongs as a starting quarterback.

Instead, Richardson was benched for a stretch. Granted, the quarterback regained his starting job, but he hasn’t been great since then either. The Titans? Well, we know what happened there.

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Richardson has only played the Titans once

Anthony Richardson was injured during the second Titans-Colts meeting in 2023. The quarterback was banged up/benched for the first meeting this year as well.

The Titans have an entirely new coaching staff this year as well, so Richardson has never faced a Brian Callahan-led Titans team. Granted, the Callahan-led Titans team is 3-11, but still.

Perhaps the Titans will take advantage of Richardson’s inexperience this weekend.

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Mason Rudolph is the new starter

Mason Rudolph is the starting quarterback for the Titans now. It should have happened sooner, but better late than never.

Rudolph didn’t get to start against the Colts in the first game. Will Levis started and managed to throw for just 95 yards and the Titans still almost won. I can almost guarantee Rudolph will throw for 100-plus yards this weekend.

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Brian Callahan doesn’t think his team is soft

Brian Callahan went on an NSFW rant on Wednesday. The coach got agitated when a reporter asked if the Titans were a “soft” team.

Callahan couldn’t believe that anyone would dare question his team’s makeup. Do soft teams get blown out weekly, make mental errors, and look unenthused? Oh, wait…

It will be interesting to see if Callahan’s fiery presser inspires this team for a rivalry game.

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Brian Callahan went on an enraged rant about the Titans’ supposed lack of toughness

The Titans aren’t soft. They just suck.

I need to make one thing clear for you, dearest readers.

The next time you wonder whether your awful favorite NFL team is playing terribly because the players are soft … don’t. NFL players, by and large, are grown men with so much more strength and athleticism than the average human. They put themselves through unfathomable physical punishment on a weekly basis. It is the kind of punishment that would likely put most of us regular people with “normal” day jobs in the hospital at the slightest exposure.

They are not soft, at least in the colloquial usage of the word. Far from it.

In the midst of a tough 3-11 season, a Tennessee Titans reporter learned this the hard way on Wednesday when they asked head Brian Callahan if he thought his team was soft.

Callahan reacted appropriately to the mere suggestion his Titans players weren’t tough enough with a fiery, extended rant.

(Warning: NSFW language in the video below.)

Good for Callahan. I’m sure Titans players genuinely loved seeing this defensive passion from him.

On that note, let’s make another thing clear.

The two main quarterbacks to play for the Titans this year — Will Levis and Mason Rudolph — have a combined 20 turnovers between them. They’re two of the least efficient passers in pro football. Unsurprisingly, Tennessee is just 30th in expected points added (EPA) per play, according to RBDSM.com. The middling defense doesn’t get much better with a unit ranked 19th in EPA per play. The Titans don’t get stops. At all.

These Titans aren’t soft. They just suck. They’re simply not a good football team. Let’s all remember that saying the former is a big leap to make about anyone’s character. Please?

Former Steelers QB set to take over starting duties for Titans

Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph is the Tennessee Titans’ starter for Week 16, showcasing his ability to step in at a moment’s need.

It appears the Atlanta Falcons aren’t the only NFL team looking for a change at quarterback in Week 16, as it is being reported that the Tennessee Titans will bench QB Will Levis in favor of former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph.

Rudolph’s five years with the Black and Gold highlighted his growth as a signal caller, from ultimately sitting out his rookie year in 2018, to relieving Ben Roethlisberger following his season-ending elbow injury in 2019, and his return to form by beating out Kenny Pickett for starting QB duties to finish out the 2023 season.  Rudolph would price himself out of Pittsburgh, but signing with the Titans was the correct decision to make, as he is currently slated to earn starting duties for the Titans Week 16 game vs the Indianapolis Colts.

Rudolph has averaged 209 passing yards per game for the Titans in 2024, and has thrown 5 TDS, as well as 5 INTs, through his three starts for Tennessee.

Rudolph’s starting opportunity surprises very few fans of the Black and Gold, as he has proven time and time again to step up to the challenge when his name is called upon.

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Report: Titans benching Will Levis, Mason Rudolph to start

According to media reports, the Tennessee Titans will be moving off Will Levis and start Mason Rudolph in Week 16.

After pulling quarterback Will Levis in their Week 15 loss, Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan was non-committal on who would be his starting quarterback for Week 16 during his weekly press availability.  

Callahan stated that he wanted to show locker room accountability and would take the next two days to make a decision. Apparently, a decision has been made and the team will be benching Will Levis this week. 

Multiple outlets are reporting that the Titans are moving on from Levis and will start Mason Rudolph on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. 

Levis struggled against the Cincinnati Bengals and looked nothing like the player that has been playing over the past few games. He went 8-for-12 for 89 yards, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, was sacked once, and lost a fumble.  At one point, he had three interceptions in five passes. It was the latest implosion from the young quarterback, who has battled costly turnovers and poor decision-making throughout the season. 

This change definitely creates an air of uncertainty around Levis and his future with the Titans.  Unfortunately, for fans, turning the page on Rudolph does not appear to be a move for the future. Rudolph is a solid veteran, but has never shown the ability to be a franchise quarterback. Now it looks like he will be given another shot to impress and seize the opportunity. 

He will have his chance on Sunday when the Titans travel to Lucas Oil Stadium to face the Colts in AFC South action. 

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Titans’ Brian Callahan not naming starting quarterback for Week 16

The Tennessee Titans have a quarterback controversy and head coach Brian Callahan does not know who will start in Week 16.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis is coming off a horrendous game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday and now questions surround his status for the rest of 2024. During his press conference, head coach Brian Callahan said that he is going to use the next few days to decide who his starting QB will be. 

Levis was extremely bad against the Bengals and looked nothing like the player that has been playing over the past few games. Callahan benched Levis in the third quarter after he threw his third interception of the game. In total, he went 8-for-12 for 89 yards, zero touchdowns, three interceptions, was sacked once, and lost a fumble.  At one point, he had three interceptions in five passes. 

Mason Rudolph came in and added veteran leadership and poise, but he didn’t set the world on fire either. He went 20-for-25 for 196 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw an interception, and his touchdown pass was on the game’s last play. It was not a dynamic performance, but it was better than Levis. 

Levis had shown positive signs before imploding against the Bengals, but it is becoming clear that he isn’t the answer at the quarterback position. Rudolph is a solid backup but hasn’t been able to seize the opportunity when presented. 

Now Callahan will face one of the biggest decisions of his brief stint as head coach: who will start on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. This not only impacts the 2024 season, but it may also shape their fortunes moving forward. 

Who would you select to start against the Colts in Week 16? Chime in and let us know your thoughts. 

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