Tag: Tennessee Titans

2025 NFL draft: Titans currently slated to pick 2nd overall

At the conclusion of Week 11, the Tennessee Titans are slated to select second overall in the 2025 NFL draft.

The more things change, the more things stay the same for the Tennessee Titans.

Although they put together one of their better games of the season, the Titans once again could not overcome the obstacles that developed during their 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 11.

There are many reasons for some fans to be outraged this week, between inconsistent offensive line play and questionable officiating, this game stings. Other fans who are solely focused on April and the 2025 NFL draft are delighted with the outcome and are celebrating.

While there is no way to predict how a season will end, the Titans appear to be on a collision course with the Jacksonville Jaguars to obtain the first pick in the draft. With two head-to-head match-ups on the horizon, these games will have more of an impact on draft standings than they do inside the AFC South.

If the season ended today, the Jaguars and Titans would have the first and second pick in the draft.  With the Houston Texans on the horizon in Week 12, there is a good chance that the Titans will remain rather static with their positioning for the next few weeks.

The Titans will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to Houston to take on the Texans at NRG Stadium in Week 12 action.

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Will Levis sets a record for former Kentucky quarterbacks in the NFL

Quarterback Will Levis set a record for the longest pass by a former Kentucky player in the NFL.

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, now with the Tennessee Titans, completed the longest touchdown pass by a Wildcat football alumni in NFL history.

Down 16-3 in the third quarter of Sunday’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Levis found wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine thirty yards downfield. The receiver beat his man, and streaked up the sideline for a touchdown.

The pass ended up going for 98 yards, which was the longest completed by a former Kentucky quarterback in NFL history.

Related: Where SEC football is at in latest US LBM Coaches Poll

Beyond Kentucky, it was important in a few other respects as well. For one, it tied for the longest pass in Titans history — matching Jacky Lee’s 98-yard touchdown throw to Willard Dewveall from Nov. 25, 1962. It is also the longest passing touchdown in the NFL so far this season.

Although the Titans still lost 23-13, the pass still showed some of the promise Levis displayed at Kentucky that got him drafted.

The Titans took Levis with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall) in the 2023 NFL Draft. Although he hasn’t yet looked like a premium NFL quarterback, Levis has had a few flashes in the pan — like with Sunday’s touchdown.

Levis transferred to Kentucky in 2021 after spending his first two years at Penn State. He appeared in 24 games between 2021-2022 for the Wildcats, throwing for 5,233 yards and 43 touchdowns.

Former Titans’ cornerback Caleb Farley is back in the NFL

Former Tennessee Titans cornerback Caleb Farley has finally made it back to a 53-man roster after signing with the Carolina Panthers.

There has been a lot of dismal news lately surrounding the Tennessee Titans and former members of the franchise over the past few weeks. Between injuries and players being released, it is always a tough reminder that the NFL is a business. 

Every once in a while a feel good story pops up that should receive more attention and this is one. 

Former Titans first-round pick Caleb Farley is back in the NFL. The veteran cornerback, who has undergone a plethora of setbacks in his career, was signed to the Carolina Panthers’ active roster.

A fan favorite, Farley was never able to duplicate his production at Virginia Tech in the NFL with the Titans and was released at the end of training camp after the team upgraded its cornerbacks by acquiring L’Jarius Sneed and Chidobe Awuzie during the offseason. 

Farley joined the Panthers’ practice squad after his release and returned to the field for the first time since 2022. After reaching his 2024 elevation limit, the Panthers saw enough to add him to the 53-man roster.

Having overcome his vast injury history and off-field tragedies to make it back to an active NFL roster is a great story and one that Titans fans should appreciate, even if it is taking place with the Panthers.  

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Titans’ Jeffery Simmons, JC Latham chime in on officiating

Titans defensive end Jeffery Simmons and offensive tackle JC Latham add commentary on the controversial officiating on Sunday.

During the Tennessee Titans loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, the story changed course in the second quarter when the Titans stopped the Vikings on 3rd-and-goal. A flag came out after safety Mike Brown laid out Jordan Addison in the end zone.

The officials called unnecessary roughness on Brown, despite Brown hitting Addison in the chest, not launching, and not leading with his head. As NFL officials continue to get calls wrong, Clete Blakeman’s crew heads the list of controversial calls.

Titans’ defensive end Jeffery Simmons chimed in on the impact of the officials:

 

“It’s hard, you know?” Simmons told reporters, “It’s hard when you getting them type of calls when you’re making plays, you’re getting ready to get off the field on third down, what may be, and we get a penalty. And some of them were late, it’s like we’re coming off the field and I’m celebrating, and here comes a flag. Things like that, man, it’s out of our control. I think we’re cursed when it comes to officiating right now.”

He’s not wrong, the timing of many of the Titans’ penalties came at times when the momentum could have swung their way. Offensive tackle JC Latham noted that one of the officials told him to scootch up on the very first play.

 

“I mean, the rule is your head has to crack the center’s hip,” he said. “You know, I always, every time I inches away, I kind of just look to my left and I see the center’s hip. Sometimes they call it and sometimes I disagree, but it is what it is, you just have to keep playing.”

This only adds to the controversy around the Week 11 matchup as it becomes apparent just how involved they were with what happened on the field.

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Titans’ injury update: The latest on linebacker Jack Gibbens

Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens is set to undergo surgery on his broken leg suffered during the 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens suffered a horrific lower leg injury during their 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Today, more details are starting to surface that validate the initial reports. 

With Gibbens already undergoing surgery on the injury, he will likely be placed on injured reserve in the coming days that will end his season. It’s a huge blow for both the Titans and Gibbens, who seized his opportunity after the team traded Ernest Jones to the Seattle Seahawks prior to the trade deadline. 

Gibbens, a former undrafted rookie free agent, is scheduled to become an exclusive rights free agent (ERFA) at the conclusion of this season, meaning the team could easily bring him back on a veteran minimum contract. However, as well as he had been leading up to the injury, he could possibly have worked his way to a longer-term contract. 

There is no doubt Gibbens will attack his four-month rehab with the same intensity he attacks ball carriers on the field. Titans fans will have to wait a few months to see that progress.  

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Titans’ Brian Callahan: ‘Right tackle is by far the weakest link’

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. 


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. 

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Titans’ Mike Brown ‘even Vikings players knew it was a bad call’

Tennessee Titans safety Mike Brown shares his thoughts on the penalty that could have changed the game.

The Tennessee Titans are recovering from their 23-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Monday while many fans across the league continue to figure out how Clete Blakeman’s officiating crew could be so bad.

Many on and off the field were upset with the egregious call, but for safety Mike Brown, it was business as usual and he moved to make an impact. After the game, Brown talked about the play. 

“I tried to make a play, but the referees thought different,” Brown said about the hit and the subsequent penalty. “No, I did hear any explanation. My teammates on the sideline said good play. They didn’t think it was a flag, but the referees think it’s a flag. Not much you can do once the referees do a flag.”

From the comments, the fact that Brown did not receive any explanation is troubling. Especially considering that Blakeman has doubled-down on the legitimacy of the call after the game. If it was truly unnecessary roughness or a players’ safety measure, why no explanation? 

“Some of the players from Minnesota that I know came up to me and thought it was a bad call,” Brown pointed out later in that media availability.

The fact that coaches, fans, and even opposing players in Nissan Stadium knew it was a bad call, and Blakeman could not own up to the mistake even after the game is a problem. Sure the league office will likely apologize later in the week, but real time accountability is needed and in this case would be justified. 

The Titans will take on the Houston Texans in Week 12 action and there is likely hope that Clete Blakeman and his crew are nowhere near the stadium. 

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Panthers reportedly signing former 1st-round pick to roster

Now that he’s out of elevations from the practice squad, CB Caleb Farley is reportedly headed to the Panthers’ 53-man roster.

Carolina Panthers cornerback Caleb Farley may have found a home at home.

According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Panthers are set to add Farley to their 53-man roster. The 26-year-old Maiden N.C. native had been elevated from the practice squad to the team’s game-day roster in each of their last three games.

Farley, a standout at Virginia Tech, was selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2021 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans. But a number of injuries, specifically to his back and knee, limited him to just 12 games for the Titans between 2021 and 2022.

Tennessee parted ways with Farley back on Aug. 27.

The Panthers would then sign the local product to their practice squad on Oct. 1. Farley was brought up from the group for Carolina’s Week 8 loss to the Denver Broncos as well as the Week 9 and Week 10 wins over the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.

He has played 29 snaps on defense and 23 on special teams.

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Titans-Vikings Week 11: Offense, defense and special teams snap counts

The Tennessee Titans lost their Week 11 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Here are the snap counts on offense, defense and special teams.

The Tennessee Titans lost their second straight game on Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium, falling to the Minnesota Vikings, 23-13.

The loss dropped the Titans to 2-8 on the season and that’s not even the worst frustration. Rather, that’s aimed at NFL officials who made one of their worst calls — perhaps even the worst call — of the entire regular season.

That will obviously be widely discussed this week but before we look ahead, we’ll quickly look back.

Now let’s take a closer look at the snap counts that contributed to the Titans’ Week 11 loss.

Offensive snaps: 59
Defensive snaps: 73
Special teams snaps: 26

The Titans saw a change at right tackle with Nicholas Petit-Frere being benched mid-series in favor of Isaiah Prince, who ended up taking 49 percent of the offensive snaps. It’s safe to assume that Petit-Frere’s starting days are over. He may have even played his last snap for the Titans period.

There was also a notable rotation on defense — something the Titans have largely avoided this season. While it was still a bit top-heavy, there weren’t six or seven players taking 100 percent of the snaps.

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NFL officials double down on incompetence after Titans game

Referee Clint Blakeman doubled-down on the penalty that sent shockwaves throughout Nissan Stadium and the Tennessee Titans’ fanbase.

The Tennessee Titans took on more than the Minnesota Vikings during Week 11, as they took on the officials as well. 

The Titans did not pay attention to detail and played a sloppy game overall, but some of the 13 penalties and 93 penalty yards were questionable at best. In fact, every Vikings touchdown drive was influenced mightily by the officials and their objectively incorrect calls. 

No call was more egregious than the fourth-down unnecessary roughness call on Mike Brown in the end zone. Not only did it allow the Vikings to get a new set of downs and eventually a touchdown, but it caused outrage throughout the fan base and again brought the officiating debacle into the spotlight, 

As the replay showed, Brown made a tremendous and legal play to separate the ball from Jordan Addison. He did not launch himself into the receiver. He made a clean defensive play. It is understandable that the officials approach the game with caution, but in a play of this magnitude, one has to ask if the officials have a complete understanding of the rules of the game. 

For head referee Clete Blakeman, who clearly does not understand the rule, here it is.

Article 9, Section b, Subsection 3 of the 2024 NFL Rulebook defines the term: “It is an illegal launch if a player (i) leaves one or both feet prior to contact to spring forward and upward into his opponent, and (ii) uses any part of his helmet to initiate forcible contact against any part of his opponent’s body.”

Brown did not launch himself at Addison or initiate contact with his helmet. It was a terrible call, and to make things worse for fans, Blakeman doubled down on his interpretation of the rule during a post-game press availability. 


The NFL is a multi-billion dollar entity and should have better officials across the league or a transparent grading system that holds officials accountable for making improper game-changing calls. Today, Titans fans are upset, but this is not just a Titans problem; it is a huge blunder for the league because these signs of incompetence occur every week. 

The Titans were sloppy and could have played better, but their fate was in the hands of an officiating crew that clearly needed extra training and a better understanding of the rulebook.

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