Tag: Will Levis

Titans named ‘one of the worst teams of 2024 and beyond’

The Tennessee Titans have been named one of the worst teams of 2024 but it gets worse as the futility is predicted to be long-term.

The Tennessee Titans are coming off their worst loss of the season after falling, 34-10, to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon.

Yet again, the Titans failed to make adjustments and were overwhelmed in the second half of the game. This was the third time in their five losses that they have faltered, a trend that points both at deficiencies in the offense and coaching staff.

At 1-5, it may be time to turn the page and start looking forward to 2025. At least that is what ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell suggests, although he paints a dismal portrait moving forward, listing Tennessee as one of the worst teams of 2024 and beyond.

The Titans are better than their record, although it might take a better quarterback for them to reveal their strengths by stopping the turnovers. Playing in a weak division will help. But this team might not have a single star currently on a rookie contract, with Latham and Sweat as the team’s best hopes. Heck, their only stars on offense or defense might be Simmons and cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. They can be more of a blank slate than most, but other franchises have more upside and top talent.

While he does point out that the Titans do have some positives moving forward with defensive line talent, a young roster and cap room, he does reinforce the sentiment that Will Levis isn’t the guy. He points out the deficiencies within the organization at quarterback and the offensive infrastructure, which are glaring and valid.

A solid quarterback that is less turnover-prone would help, but without improvements along the offensive line and developing home-grown skill position players, the Titans will almost certainly continue to be mediocre. Especially when being led by a coaching staff that cannot adjust on the fly.

The Titans have a solid roster, maybe even a touch above average, but they don’t have enough foundational talent to build a consistent winner. There is no excitement or signs that they can turn the corner and a major rebuild could be on the horizon.

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Titans’ QB Will Levis ‘week-to-week’ with shoulder injury

Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan issued a brief injury update calling QB Will Levis ‘week-to-week’ with his shoulder injury.

When the Tennessee Titans return to practice on Wednesday, all eyes will be on the injury situations after starters QB Will Levis (shoulder) and CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad) missed the 34-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills. When pressed on the injury situation Monday, head coach Brian Callahan gave a few updates but kept most of the information in-house. 

Callahan was optimistic that the team might welcome back RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring) this week, although there was no definitive word. He seemed less optimistic about Levis and OT Jaelyn Duncan, who left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. When mentioning both Levis and Duncan, he categorized their injuries as week-to-week.

Duncan, who started at right tackle in Week 7, gave way to former starter Nicholas Petit-Frere after his injury, and it did not go well. The right tackle position has been a problem all season, and it continued after his departure. 

Besides Duncan, WR DeAndre Hopkins sat out the fourth quarter of the loss with lower leg soreness, but did not see an issue moving forward. He also stated that everything else from the game was the normal “bumps and bruises” that accrue during the week. 

There was no update on Sneed and the quad issue that kept him out of action, giving hope that he will be available this week. That would be a boost for a defense that will have its hands full with the explosive Detroit Lions offense. The first injury report for Week 8 will be released Wednesday.

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Mason Rudolph to start at quarterback for Titans in Week 7 vs. Bills

Mason Rudolph will replace the injured Will Levis at quarterback for the Titans in Week 7.

Is the Will Levis era already over in Tennessee?

According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the Titans will start veteran Mason Rudolph at quarterback on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills as Levis continues to deal with a shoulder injury. Levis was ruled out for Sunday’s game, and the Titans signed quarterback Trevor Siemian from the practice squad to back up Rudolph.

Head coach Brian Callahan said before that if Levis were healthy, he’d be the starter. So, unless Rudolph lights it up in Buffalo, Levis will likely be back in the lineup once his shoulder is 100% healthy.

Tennessee signed Siemian to its practice squad on Oct. 9. The 10-year NFL veteran has played in 40 career games, with 33 starts, including three last season with the New York Jets.

Rudolph’s first appearance this season came in Tennessee’s only win, a Week 4 victory over Miami. Rudolph relieved Levis, which is where he suffered the initial shoulder injury. Rudolph completed nine of 17 pass attempts for 85. He didn’t need to do much as the Titans leaned on Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and the defense.

Titans’ elevate QB Trevor Siemian, CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally for Week 7

Treylon Burks to IR for the Titans.

The Tennessee Titans make a couple roster moves along with dipping into their practice squad Saturday afternoon in preparation for their match-up with the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.

The Titans officially placed WR Treylon Burks on injured reserve with his knee injury. This is the latest setback for the former first-round wide receiver and builds upon the frustrations that have plagued his career. He will miss at least the next four games, although it could be much longer depending on the severity. 

In his place, the Titans signed DT Abdullah Anderson to the active roster from the practice squad  Anderson does have some experience. In his career, he has eight starts in 33 appearances, accumulating 54 tackles and 2.5 sacks with the Bears, Commanders, Falcons, Packers and Vikings. 

The Titans followed that transaction by elevating QB Trevor Siemian and CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally for the game with the Bills. These moves bring  the potential availability of QB Will Levis and CB L’Jarius Sneed for Week 7 into question. Both players are listed as questionable on the final injury report.

The elevation of Jeudy-Lally is not much of a surprise with Sneed missing practice all week with his quad injury. His elevation would insulate the Titans if he can’t go. The Siemian elevation may signal that Levis is still feeling the aftereffects of his shoulder injury.  Levis practiced all week, but seemed to have a setback on Friday being limited after practicing in full on Thursday. 

This is the first elevation of 2024 for both Siemian and Jeudy-Lally.

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Will Will Levis play this week? Injury update for Tennessee Titans’ QB

Will Levis’ status for Sunday’s game at Buffalo has been determined

The  Tennessee Titans play the Buffalo Bills in Week Seven of the NFL season. A key question for the AFC South team as it visits the AFC East leaders is who will start at quarterback, Will Levis or Mason Rudolph?

Will Levis injury update

News finally popped on Saturday that Levis will be unable to go for the Titans against the Bills. He has an injured shoulder and that will be enough to keep him out of the starting role.

How long has Will Levis been out?

Levis has started all five games for the Titans in 2024. Rudolph replaced him Sept. 30 against the Dolphins, Tennessee’s lone win.

Tennessee Titans’ quarterback depth chart

Mason Rudolph appears as No. 1 on the Titans’ depth chart. Levis is listed as second with journeyman Trevor Siemian third.  However, Levis will be inactive with Siemian as the backup to Rudolph.

Causes for concern as the Bills face the Titans in Week 7

Causes for concern as the Bills face the Titans in Week 7

The Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans in Week 7 at Highmark Stadium.

The Bills (4-2) and Titans (1-4) have largely trended in different directions in the first six weeks of the NFL season.

The Bills are favored by nearly double digits (-9.5) but the Titans shouldn’t be taken lightly. Anyone can beat anyone in the NFL. And, the Titans currently have the league’s number one defense. The Titans haven’t had to face a contender on the road so it will be a big test for first-year head coach Brian Callahan.

Still, the Bills need to execute to come away with the win. To improve to 5-2 on the year, they will need to be wary of these three things from the Titans on Sunday:

Interior defensive line

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The Titans’ defensive tackles are nothing to mess with. Jeffery Simmons is a veteran who has caused havoc in the middle of the trenches over his six-year career. And, rookie T’Vondre Sweat is following in his footsteps at 366 pounds.

They are disruptive in the middle, and both have a top-25 PFF defensive grade among NFL interior defensive linemen. Simmons grades as the 23rd-best while Sweat grades as the 19th-best just six weeks into his career. The Bills would be wise to find ways to either combo-block these guys or attempt to avoid them.

Titans running game

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While the Titans’ passing game has struggled to find its rhythm so far in 2024, the running game is averaging over 118 yards per game. With Tyjae Spears ruled out with injury, the backfield will be led by Tony Pollard who has averaged 90.5 rushing yards in his last two outings. On the flip side, the Bills have struggled at defending the run. They give up over 140 yards per game.

When Pollard runs for over 60 yards, the Titans have either lost by one score or won the game. In the one game he was shut down, the Green Bay Packers beat them by 16.

(USAT)

Titans still have playmakers

Despite being ranked second-to-last in the NFL in pass yards per game, the Titans still have excellent skill players. They can make a chunk play at any given moment. Things haven’t connected between quarterback Will Levis and first-year offensive coordinator Nick Holz. If things do click, they have the pieces around Levis to do something.

Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tyler Boyd are one of the better receiving trios in the league. Tight end Chig Okonkwo, along with Pollard in the run game, have the talent to make a big play or two. Bills have to be disciplined or these guys can make you pay. That’s if Levis can get the ball to them.

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Titans QB Will Levis, CB L’Jarius Sneed questionable vs. Bills

The Tennessee Titans released their final injury report for Week 7 and see two starters questionable for the meeting with the Buffalo Bills.

The Tennessee Titans will return to the field against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.

Coming off another disappointing loss, the Titans have accumulated some injuries this week. DT Keondre Coburn, RB Tyjae Spears, and WR Treylon Burks will be out. LB Cedric Gray was not activated to the active roster and is also out after a full week of practice. 

CB L’Jarious Sneed again missed practice with his quad injury but is listed as questionable. He will be joined by QB Will Levis who was limited on Friday and is also questionable for the battle with the Bills.

DT T’Vondre Sweat returned Friday, was a full participant in the practice session, and has no injury designation. 

Full injury reports for both the Titans and Bills can be found below.

Tennessee Titans

Out: DT Keondre Coburn (knee), LB Cedric Gray (shoulder), WR Treylon Burks (knee), RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring)

Doubtful: N/A

Questionable: CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), QB Will Levis (shoulder)

Buffalo Bills

Out: N/A

Doubtful: RB Darrynton Evans (hamstring)

Questionable: RB Ray Davis (calf), S Mike Edwards (illness)

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3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Titans in Week 7

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Titans in Week 7

The Buffalo Bills will host the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium in Week 7.

The Bills (4-2) are coming off a crucial divisional win over the New York Jets in Week 6 and lead the AFC East. The Titans (1-4) stand toward the bottom of the AFC under first-year head coach Brian Callahan.

The Bills have an enticing new weapon on offense after trading for Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns. Even before Cooper’s arrival, the Bills rank third in the NFL in offensive DVOA through six weeks.

On the other hand, the Titans have been a disaster on offense. They are turning the ball over and they have struggled to pass consistently. The Titans do, however, boast the league’s top defense in yards allowed per game.

The Bills are favored by 9.5 points on Sunday but every week is a challenge in the NFL. They’ll need to execute the game plan to gain their fifth win of the year.

Here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 7:

Win the turnover battle

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When it comes to turning the ball over in 2024, the Bills and the Titans are at opposite ends of the spectrum. The Bills are ranked second in the NFL with a turnover differential of +8, while the Titans are ranked second-to-last with a turnover differential of -7. Will Levis leads the NFL in interceptions with seven. On the flip side, Buffalo’s Josh Allen has not thrown one.

The Bills need to do what they have been for much of the season, and that is win the turnover battle. The Bills are favored by nearly double digits in this one, but a couple of turnovers could shift the momentum quickly.

Get the receivers involved

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It’s not just newcomer Amari Cooper that has to get going in the Bills offense, it’s many of the other wide receivers who are still new to Allen. Among the WRs, only Khalil Shakir had played a game with Allen before the year. And it has shown through six weeks. Shakir has been the only consistent receiver (when healthy). He leads the Bills in receiving while ranking just 55th in the NFL in receiving yards.

The Titans have a stingy defense, but they haven’t seen an offense like the Bills’ this year, especially on the road. If the Bills can get Cooper going, it should open up opportunities for others. Perhaps Cooper is the missing ingredient that will have everybody eating again.

Limit the run

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It’s no secret that the Titans’ passing game has struggled this year, but one constant for them has been the play of running back Tony Pollard. He’s coming off games of 88 and 93 rushing yards, respectively. He’s averaging over four yards per carry and is 18th in the NFL in rushing yards despite already having a bye week. The team will be without RB Tyjae Spears due to injury, so it should be the Pollard show.

If the Bills can limit the Titans’ ground game, it should force Levis into uncomfortable third-and-longs. The idea of playing against a young QB who is turnover prone should have Bobby Babich’s defense foaming at the mouth.

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Titans injury report: DT T’Vondre Sweat sits out

The Tennessee Titans released their second Week 7 injury report and see a prized rookie on the sideline with an injury.

After making news early Thursday with the release of S Jamal Adams, the Tennessee Titans returned to the field for a padded practice. 

After watching multiple starters miss practice on Wednesday, the team did see many return to action in at least a limited fashion. The big news of the day was watching rookie DT T’Vondre Sweat miss practice due to a knee injury after being a full participant on Wednesday. 

Wide receiver Treylon Burks was also held out after being limited early in the week with a knee injury. Sweat and Burks were joined by CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), DT Keondre Coburn (knee), and RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring) as non-participants. 

LB Ernest Jones (illness) returned to practice but was limited. DeAndre Hopkins (NIR/rest), LB Kenneth WalkeMurray (NIR/rest), QB Will Levis (shoulder), Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest), and Cedric Gray (shoulder) were full participants. 

The Titans’ Thursday injury report can be found below:

Did not participate: RB Tyjae Spears (hamstring), Keondre Coburn (knee), CB L’Jarius Sneed (quad), WR Treylon Burks (knee) , DT T’Vondre Sweat (knee) 

Limited participant: LB Ernest Jones (illness)

Full  participant: QB Will Levis (shoulder), LB Kenneth Murray (NIR/rest), DT Jeffery Simmons (NIR/rest),  LB Cedric Gray (shoulder), WR DeAndre Hopkins (NIR/rest)

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Titans vs. Bills: 3 causes for concern in Week 7

The Tennessee Titans head to upstate New York to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday and here are three causes for concern heading into Week 7.

The Tennessee Titans head north on Sunday to face the Buffalo Bills. The Bills have a solid hold on the AFC East and have consistently made the playoffs since Josh Allen was drafted in 2018, winning the AFC East the last four seasons. They have yet to win a Super Bowl, though, and desperately want to get that ring.

The Titans are struggling mightily this season. Offensively anyway. Defensively, the Titans have a solid unit and rank in the top 10 in both the pass and run game. Still, their depth on defense is thin, and they haven’t faced the likes of the Bills yet.

All of that said, there are several causes for concern in Tennessee right now, but for this week, we’ve narrowed it down to three.

Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Secondary woes rearing up

Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans allowed Joe Flacco to throw for 189 yards, but it was more the two touchdowns that hurt. The one pictured above happened the play after Quandre Diggs went to the blue tent and Flacco saw the mismatch with linebacker Harold Landry III on the outside. It wasn’t hard to exploit, Landry isn’t used to being out there. Even with Diggs’ return to the field, the Titans never recovered after that.

Against the Bills, the Titans cannot let mismatches like this happen. Even if a player goes down with an injury, whoever steps into their position has to be ready to do the job. When you’re facing a quarterback like Josh Allen, even with the number one pass defense in the league, you can’t afford mistakes.

Teams should be forced to run against the Titans, and so far, the Titans have held opposing quarterbacks to under 200 yards per game. That will likely change on Sunday when they face Allen.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Will Levis is still the quarterback

There’s not much more to say that hasn’t already been said. Levis isn’t hacking it in the NFL, and Brian Callahan is too stubborn to bench him. The Bills pass defense ranks in the middle of the pack, but the run defense is ranked fourth. This will force Callahan to call more pass plays, which provides more opportunity for interceptions to be thrown.

As long as Levis remains under center and the Titans continue to lose, having him as quarterback is always a cause for concern.

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The Bills’ run defense

The Titans want to run their offense through Tony Pollard. It’s safe, it ensures the ball stays with the offense, and he moves the ball down the field better than anyone else. It would be helpful if Tyjae Spears could suit up, but we likely won’t know his status until Sunday. In his absence, Pollard will have Julius Chestnut to help with the ground game.

However, as mentioned above, the Bills have the fourth-ranked run defense in the NFL this year. The offensive line has to be up to the task for Pollard on Sunday, he needs room to run, and bouncing to the edge isn’t always an option. The Titans’ offensive line has allowed 16 sacks in six games. They have to do better on Sunday if the Titans want any shot at putting points on the board.

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