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This weekend has been quite sad and boring for me. The Texas Longhorns and Tennessee Titans are both on their bye weeks, so I’ve got the bye week blues. The Horns have been on a roll this year, sitting at 5-0 and currently holding the top spot in the nation. My Titans, however, are the opposite with a 1-3 record. Their last game was the only bright spot so far, as the Titans looked dominant last week against the Dolphins, crushing them 31-12. Here is what has stuck out to me so far during Brian Callahan’s first season as a head coach in the NFL.
Titans owner, Amy Adams Strunk gives head coach Brian Callahan the game ball after his first career win.
Photo: Donald Page / Tennessee Titans
Positives to Build on Moving Forward:
The most positive aspect of the season so far is how elite the defense is. The additions of DC Dennard Wilson and CB L’Jarius Sneed have been amazing, as Wilson has led the defense to be the best in the league. The Boys in Blue have let up just 243.8 yards a game with a total of just 9 touchdowns. The passing game has been completely shut down with opponents averaging just 124 yards/game through the air and only 3 total TD’s. Both yardage statistics rank first in the league. Sneed has also been great, allowing just 135 total yards on 9/16 passes and no touchdowns. The numbers don’t look amazing, but he has taken the burden off of others and is finally the lockdown corner that Tennessee has desperately needed for years.
Another huge positive has been rookie T’Vondre Sweat. The former Longhorn has meshed perfectly with Jeffery Simmons to form one of the league's best run-stopping duos. On Monday Night Football vs. Miami, Big Jeff was out and T-Sweat balled out, posting his best game yet. The monster DT posted 6 tackles, including 2 TFL’s. He has posted an excellent 80.1 PFF grade so far. The defense has been amazing so far, and they’ve got to keep the intensity up if the Titans are going to turn their season around.
I also can’t forget to include K Nick Folk! The guy has been automatic (knock on wood), going 7-7 on field goals and 8-8 on PAT’s this year. Against Miami, he was the team MVP as he drilled 5 total field goals, including 3 from 50 yards and out.
Another positive is that star receiver DeAndre Hopkins has looked 100% the last two weeks. It is a must that he feels like himself the rest of the season.
Things That Have to be Improved:
The offense as a whole has to get better, and made great strides against the Fins. The line only gave up 1 sack, and rookie LT JC Latham and second year LG Peter Skoronski looked a lot more comfortable. The biggest issue in the 3 losses has been the lack of consistency up front, so it was a great sign to see the two youngsters get better. Offensive line coach Brian Callahan is one of the best to ever do it, so the line is bound to get better as they gain more experience and build chemistry together. Once the line figures it out, get used to seeing both dynamic RB’s Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears in the end zone the way they were last week.
Will Levis has to get better. I'm not saying that he’s been amazing. However, there’s no way that Mason Rudolph should start barring an injury. Levis will return from his sprained AC joint next week and will be the starter. Rudolph is a great backup, and I don’t want to diminish what he did against the Dolphins, but putting up 85 passing yards in 3 and a half quarters is flat out pathetic. That will not win Tennessee any games against a competent quarterback. Yes, Will has lost us a game or two, but he also brings tremendous upside to the table, and is working with a guy who developed Joe Burrow, a young Derek Carr, and who helped Peyton Manning at the end of his career. An elite prospect with a coach that has produced talent in the past is a great matchup.
You are a fool if you want to abandon Levis right now. If he does suck this whole year and shows no signs of improvement, then I can be talked out of him being the franchise guy. But for right now, Will Levis is the guy at the QB position. He brings athleticism, a strong arm, confidence, and personality that a signal caller needs to be successful. His most important trait I believe is his heart and the dawg that resides in him. You cannot teach the grit and love of football that he has. I firmly believe that if Trevor Lawrence had a quarter of the dawg that Levis has, then he is a top-5 quarterback.
Yes, Will the Thrill needs to learn from his mistakes. He does have to be a lot sharper and learn to stop taking hits. But he also has the talent, skill, and upside that Mason Rudolph simply doesn’t have. If Levis learns and turns it around, the Titans have a legitimate shot to contend for the division. Let’s not forget, last year he threw for 4 TD’s in his debut and led one of the greatest comebacks in recent memory. The dude can ball, now it’s time for him to tap that untapped potential. Just watch the video below. You'll see the traits I talked about.
The special teams also does have to get better. More specifically, the punt unit. Ryan Stonehouse has had 3 punts blocked in 4 games. That is absolutely atrocious. He has the best leg in the NFL and we cannot block to save our lives. I honestly don’t even know what to say anymore about this. At this point, I just have to pray he doesn’t die back there, because it seems like nothing else is going to work.
Final Thoughts:
Yeah, the record is 1-3. But the Titans are a handful of plays away from being 3-1. The growing pains for a team with a rookie head coach are real, but the talent and upside is also there as well. If Cally can tap into Levis and get the offense in tune with the best defense in the league, Tennessee could take off and have a monster second half of their season. The Boys in Two-Tone are back in Nashville next weekend to take on the hated Indianapolis Colts, which should be a fun matchup to watch. After that game, here's the rest of the Titans' season:
Week 7: at Buffalo
Week 8: at Detroit
Week 9: vs New England
Week 10: at Los Angeles Chargers
Week 11: vs Minnesota
Week 12: at Houston
Week 13: at Washington
Week 14: vs Jacksonville
Week 15: vs Cincinnati
Week 16: at Indianapolis
Week 17: at Jacksonville
Week 18: vs Houston
The ceiling for the rest of the year, if the Titans play up to their talent level and the offense plays up to standard, is an 11-6 (10-3 after the bye) finish. Call me crazy but if the offense gets going, the amount of playmakers along with an offensive-minded coach is a dangerous combination for the rest of the league. The worst I think it could get is a 5-12 (4-9 after the bye). With that finish, we’d get a top pick, and revamp a team that has a lot of potential to be good.
I’m hoping for the best, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the bye week special of the Tales of the Titans! Until next time, #TitanUp!
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