Tag: Will Levis

Titans’ Will Levis was underwater guiding the sinking offense

The Tennessee Titans suffered a dissapointing 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday and pressure was one of the main causes.

In the aftermath of the Tennessee Titans’ disappointing 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, head coach Brian Callahan has a lot to clean up heading into Week 2.

Not only does he have to figure out a way to keep quarterback Will Levis from trying to make every play and force the ball, he needs to do something with the offensive line. 

https://twitter.com/will_boling/status/1833169383427829849

As Will Boling pointed out, Levis faced the second-most pressure in the NFL this past weekend, under siege on 48.7 percent of his throws. The offensive line allowing that level of pressure is not sustainable for the health of Levis or offensive production.

Heading into the game, the Titans believed the offensive line was starting to gel, but also knew there were some questions due to inexperience. The inexperience came out and the unit was overwhelmed by the Bears front. Especially in the second half, where the Titans could get nothing going on offense.

Things will not get any easier in Week 2, when the Titans make their home opener against the New York Jets, who are coming off a 32-19 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. The Jets boast a physical defense, who will be out to prove that the 49ers game was a fluke.

The Titans will open their home schedule on Sunday, Sept. 15, at Nissan Stadium.

What Titans must fix ahead of Week 2 matchup vs. Jets

No doubt that Levis must take care of the ball this week.

We knew that heading into this season, the Tennessee Titans would only go as far as Will Levis would take them. In Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, the Titans saw a 17-0 lead evaporate, with the Bears scoring the go-ahead play on a horrible Levis interception.

The former No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft completed 19-of-32 passes for 127 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Levis made some decent plays, but not enough, and then was sloppy in the second half in what was a complete meltdown.

As such, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay identified the need to avoid costly turnovers in his recent “1 Change Each NFL Week 1 Losing Team Must Make to Avoid 0-2 Start” article.

Here is his analysis:

The Tennessee Titans looked like they were going to handily spoil the professional debut of No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams after building a 17-0 first-half lead, but the Bears took advantage of several late Tennessee mistakes to steal a “W” in Week 1.

While the Titans defense clamped down and allowed just 147 yards to Chicago’s offense, Tennessee made a slew of critical errors in the back half on both offense and special teams. The most notable of which were a blocked punt that was returned for a score and both a fumble and pick-six from second-year QB Will Levis.

Chicago notably only committed one turnover while Tennessee’s three ended up being the difference in this contest. The eight penalties and converting only 3-of-14 third downs surely didn’t help, but turnovers were the main reason the Titans wound up losing by a touchdown instead of potentially blanking this foe.

Tennessee is a young team and mistakes are bound to happen, but this level of ineptitude is inexcusable and must be fixed for the team to have any chance to win.

No doubt that Levis was under tremendous pressure all game, as the Titans offensive line struggled to slow the Bears defense.

Tennessee will go up against a Jets defense that sacked San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy three times but generated just four quarterback pressures. On paper, this should be a more favorable matchup, but New York also has to be thinking the blueprint to success is applying more pressure on Levis.

We will see if the young quarterback can make the necessary adjustments to either just take the sack or safely throw the ball away.

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis struggles in his season opener

Former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis had a rough day in a season opening loss.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis went 19-for-32 for 127 yards, one touchdown, sacked three times and two interceptions in a 24-17 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Levis also rushed nine times for 36 yards and lost a fumble.

It was a forgettable start to year two for the quarterback, who was constantly under pressure and indecisive with the football. He also surrendered a late game turnover, throwing the game-clinching pick-six in the fourth quarter to seal the deal for the visiting Bears.

Related: Interview with former Kentucky receiver Keenan Burton

This performance by Levis was so underwhelming that it would have arguably been the worst game of his rookie season, maybe aside from the Week 16 loss to the Texans.

Levis is set to face the Jets in week two, who ended last year as the league’s number two overall pass defense and should be even better this season. It’s not going to get easier. Can Levis pull it together?

Titans coach Brian Callahan brutally threw Will Levis under the bus for his erratic implosion vs. the Bears

Brian Callahan wasted no time blasting Will Levis in the worst way possible.

All the Tennessee Titans had to do was control the ball and not make any mistakes. If that had happened, they probably would’ve left Chicago with a Week 1 win, officially starting the Brian Callahan era off on the right foot.

Instead, with the Titans on the verge of blowing a three-score lead, second-year quarterback Will Levis imploded. That might be an understatement.

In the fourth quarter, the signal-caller threw a careless game-losing pick-six to the Chicago Bears’ Tyrique Stevenson, where his mid-play surrender cobra was very fitting.

On Monday, in his recap press conference, Callahan did not mince words about what went wrong for Tennessee. While he was still mostly supportive of Levis’ growth and maintained that he’d continue coaching and developing him, Callahan also said that he specifically told Levis to protect the ball in the fourth quarter — a basic task he failed at.

Callahan’s summary of the conversation was even more brutal because of how he thought the rest of the Titans played:

https://twitter.com/AtoZSports/status/1833187509146099926

Oh. Oh, my goodness.

That’s not necessarily just a shot at Levis, as the rest of the Tennessee offense struggled in the second half. The Bears blanked the Titans to close the game. Even still, Levis is the person most in control of the offense and, effectively, the outcome when his team has a huge lead.

I don’t know how correct Callahan’s assessment is. The Titans had Caleb Williams hemmed in so well that they really might have won with extremely harmless punts for an entire half. But that’s not the point. If this is tough-love coaching, no one’s going to remember any of the positives of Levis’s game.

Instead, they’ll note that Callahan didn’t wear his kid gloves while essentially blaming his quarterback for the game’s outcome. Not a great start in Nashville, to say the least.

Will Levis delivered a brutal surrender cobra after throwing a pick-6 to Bears’ Tyrique Stevenson

Will Levis knew this pick-6 was so bad that he fell to his knees.

For a while on Sunday afternoon, it looked like the Tennessee Titans had the Chicago Bears’ number. A struggling Caleb Williams couldn’t get much going in his debut, and the Tennessee offense was having its way with Matt Eberflus’ highly-touted defense.

Much to the chagrin of Tennessee’s second-year quarterback Will Levis, the elite Chicago defense eventually decided to flex its muscles.

Late in the fourth quarter, after Jonathan Owens sparked a comeback with a blocked punt return, the Titans faced a key third and long. When the Bears brought a well-timed cornerback blitz, Levis probably should’ve just eaten the sack. You live to fight another day and don’t kill your team with the worst possible mistake at that moment.

Instead, Levis threw up a duck while falling to his knees, which Chicago cornerback Tyrique Stevenson gladly returned for one of the easiest pick-sixes you’ll ever see.

https://twitter.com/NFLonFOX/status/1832866702180089971

While Stevenson’s play in itself was incredible, helping give the Bears their first win of 2024, I want you to note Levis’ reaction.

Check the replay, and you can see the Titans quarterback falling to his knees in a full-on surrender cobra, knowing he just made an unforgivable, backbreaking mistake. I’m … not sure I’ve ever seen that from a quarterback before, and it’s pretty amusing:

https://twitter.com/ThisActuallyLex/status/1832872404235772146

Ah, the joy and agony of a tight fourth quarter embodied in one sequence between a quarterback and cornerback. Thank you, Will Levis, for capturing the essence of NFL Week 1 to a tee.

NFL analyst has Will Levis near bottom of QB rankings

Where does Levis rank in the Week 1 QB power rankings?

2024 is an incredibly important season for Will Levis.

After showing promising signs in 2023, the Titans went all out this offseason to upgrade his supporting cast. Running back Tony Pollard, Wide receivers Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley, and a revamped offensive line should all help Levis flourish in 2024.

However, for now, at least one NFL analyst has Levis near the bottom of his QB rankings for 2024.

Dan Pizzuta of 33rd Team recently published a power ranking of all the expected starting QBs in the NFL. Pizzuta had Levis at No. 21. Regarding Levis, the analyst offered the following:

Will Levis is a mystery box quarterback. His best throws can be compared to quarterbacks much higher in these rankings, but his down-to-down consistency puts him down here.

His pocket presence might be his fatal flaw. Last season, Levis took a hit on over a quarter of his dropbacks, which was easily the highest rate in the league. Sometimes, that ends up as a cool throw with a defender in his face, but it’s often just the result of not feeling the pressure in the first place.

If an improved offensive line and receivers can help Levis get the ball out, the Titans could be onto something, but that could be a high bar to clear.

Pizzuta has a point about the pocket presence, but that should only get better as Levis gets more comfortable in the NFL.

For reference, Colts QB Anthony Richardson is ranked three spots ahead of Levis, even with fewer NFL starts.

This is the type of article that won’t matter if Levis performs like we expect him to in 2024. The ball is in Levis’ corner.

Titans QB Will Levis named as a player most likely to break out in 2024

Could Will Levis be one of the NFL’s top breakout stars in 2024?

The stage is set for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis to take the next step in his young career in 2024. Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon put his stamp on Levis this offseason, firing longtime head coach Mike Vrabel and replacing him with former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan.

Carthon drafted Levis and believed he needed more around him to succeed in 2024. In addition to landing one of the NFL’s brightest young minds as head coach, Carthon used a top-10 pick on left tackle JC Latham, signed center Lloyd Cushenberry, wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, and running back Tony Pollard in free agency.

You could argue that no AFC underwent more change on the offensive side of the ball than Tennessee.

Levis made nine starts as a rookie but is poised for a big jump in 2024. NFL draft expert Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports recently named 10 young players “most likely to break out in 2024,” and Levis came in at No. 4.

Levis is yet another intimidating athlete playing the quarterback position. As a rookie, he was essentially the Temu version of Josh Allen at times, going airborne as a scramble in hopes of moving the chains, and throwing repeatedly into tight windows with mixed results — there was exactly zero fear in his eyes every game he played a rookie, and I loved that.

And the Titans did ev-er-y-thing to build an environment around Levis conducive to his growth. Drafted a left tackle early in the first round. Signed divisional rival Calvin Ridley at receiver. Added Gabe Davis from the Bills. Spent major dollars on the defense that finished 28th in EPA per play in 2023 in an attempt to keep Levis out of major holes in which he feels he needs to get the Titans out of with one throw.

Levis didn’t fully work out before the draft, yet did post a 34-inch vertical and and a broad jump in the 95th percentile at the quarterback position. He has a sculpted nearly 6-4, 230-pound physique with a live arm capable of making just about every throw on the field from any platform.

The good news for Levis is he looks to have his full complement of weapons for Week 1. Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is trending toward playing in Week 1 after suffering an injury in training camp. That would give Levis a talented veteran receiver trio of Hopkins, Ridley and Boyd.

Several NFL analysts predict misery for the Titans in 2024

Several NFL news outlets and analysts are predicting another ugly season for the Tennessee Titans, despite their offseason adjustments.

The Tennessee Titans’ 2023 season was painful. It wasn’t just the 6-11 record, it was the horrible offensive line that, somehow, Will Levis managed to make plays behind.

Then there were the play-calling and coaching decisions that led to the firing of Mike Vrabel and the inability of the Titans to function as a unit.

But during the offseason, the Titans made changes. They made adjustments. They brought in new players, they got rid of some players, they replaced Vrabel with Brian Callahan, and they won all three of their preseason games.

Still, that’s not enough for some NFL analysts and sports media outlets, most of which have the Titans winning just six games again this season.

ESPN’s Football Power Index predicts the Titans will go 6-11 and rank 27th in the NFL this season. CBS Sports places the Titans at the bottom of the AFC South, also with a 6-11 record.

Neither of these outlets felt commentary on the Titans was necessary, either, meaning that most analysts around the league are brushing the Titans off as a team that isn’t worth considering.

It’s somewhat understandable. Levis is an unproven quarterback entering his second season. The offensive line was overhauled, but hasn’t been tested in a game yet, the defense saw many adjustments as well but also hasn’t been tested. The Titans have a new head coach, which means a new gameplan and scheme for the players to learn.

There are a lot of questions surrounding the Titans, but we have also seen glimpses of what the changes they’ve made will look like on the field. It’s hard to predict what the season will look like, but predicting zero improvement feels wrong.

Look for the Titans to surprise everyone in 2024.

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On paper, Titans’ offseason ‘spending spree’ pays off

The Tennessee Titans made a rash of moves during the offseason. Now it is time to see how this $228.2 Million spending spree pays off.

After the Tennessee Titans’ 2024 offseason began, general manager Ran Carthon set out with a vision to improve the team after a dismal 6-11 performance in 2023. Now, after a complete overhaul of the coaching staff and spending a reported $228.2 million to retool the roster, it’s time to see the results. 

https://twitter.com/tdavenport_nfl/status/1830586600247722071?s=46&t=SeOZebZdMRZIJ99t7aMgTQ

On paper, the Titans appear to be in a good place. Offensively, they built around second-year quarterback Will Levis, using both free agency and the draft to bolster the unit. 

After signing center Lloyd Cushenberry III to a four-year, $50 million contract, the team selected offensive tackle JC Latham with the No. 7 selection in the NFL draft. Infusing talent into a unit that struggled mightily in 2023. 

With Levis being the key to the offense, the Titans added to their skill positions with moves that added talented playmakers to the roster. Running back Tony Pollard, wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd came aboard to assist Levis, hold-overs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and running back Tyjae Spears to potentially create one of the most dynamic Titans’ offenses in recent memory.  

Carthon didn’t stop there. Turning to the defensive side of the ball, they added an array of veterans to bolster the aggressive style that the Titans want to employ.  Free agent cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, safeties Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, and inside linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. were brought in. He also hit the trade market, securing cornerback L’Jarius Sneed and, most recently, linebacker Ernest Jones IV in different transactions. 

With pre-season in the books, there is good reason to be optimistic about the Titans’ potential. In less than a week, fans will see how well this spending spree translates into the regular season when the Titans open up against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Sept. 7. 

How to buy Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears NFL Week 1 tickets

Tickets are now available for the #Bears home opener against the #Titans. Get yours before they’re gone:

The start of the Tennessee Titans’ regular season is just a few days away.

The Titans and Chicago Bears will kickoff their respective regular seasons with a Week 1 matchup on Sept. 8, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. at Soldier Field.

This opener features two teams doing battle that will be getting their first look at all the changes that have come this offseason.

Limited tickets remain for this first game in Chicago.

SHOP: Tennessee Titans vs. Chicago Bears tickets

With all these huge changes, it’s important for both of these teams to get off on the right foot.

In terms of the Titans, quarterback Will Levis has a whole new roster around him plus the addition of head coach Brian Callahan.

On the flip side, the Bears are entering the Caleb Williams era. The QB was the No. 1 overall pick at the 2024 NFL draft. .

Will the Titans or Bears take this cross-conference battle? Tickets for this contest start as low as $193.

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