The Tennessee Titans are struggling to start off the season, losing their first two games to the Chicago Bears and New York Jets. The hope and optimism that once surrounded the team have fallen by the wayside as fans watch Will Levis make critical mistakes in crucial points of the game.
There has been improvement, however, and this season we are seeing Brian Callahan rebuild this Titans team in the way he deems appropriate. There are going to be growing pains, but as long as there is continued improvement, Titans fans can expect more of the same.
As we enter Week 3, here’s a look at where the Titans place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 29 (NC)
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Rookie HC Brian Callahan didn’t get into this business to entertain us, but his unsparing criticism of, well, football-irresponsible QB Will Levis has at least been refreshing.
Barry Werner, List Wire: 29 (30)
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Will Levis is good for some highlights and some awful mistakes. That is what happened in the loss to the Jets, who aren’t exactly a powerhouse that should win on the road.
NFL Nation, ESPN: (27)
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The Titans rely on McCreary to help in both pass and run defense. Tennessee uses a lot of sub packages with McCreary on the field as the nickel corner. He’s asked to match up with slot receivers and at times used on blitzes to pressure quarterbacks. Despite being only 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, McCreary is also a key part of the Titans’ run defense, forcing runs back inside from the edge. The third-year veteran is a sure tackler who makes plays behind the line of scrimmage as shown by his four tackles for loss in two games.
Anthony DiBona, Pro Football Network: 28 (NC)
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Anthony DiBona, Pro Football Network:
This season is going to be all about progress and evaluation for the Tennessee Titans.
Their offense has been among the worst in the league through two weeks, and that is the baseline with which we will evaluate them for the rest of the season. The numbers across the board are not pretty, and they will want to see Will Levis improve and develop as the season goes on.
The defense has been fine, and it will need to be if the Titans are to win many games this year.
Winning is not the ultimate goal of the season for Tennessee, but the Titans would like to get a win on the board to take that 0-17 pressure off sooner rather than later.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 29 (27)
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Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Titans are still learning how to win as a rather young team with a lot of change, scheme- and personnel-wise under Brian Callahan. Will Levis and Calvin Ridley are trying to warm things up, but there’s more flash than consistency there and on the defense.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 29 (28)
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Usually when coaches criticize a quarterback, they do so with a gentle touch. It was surprising to hear Brian Callahan not hold back on Will Levis after Sunday’s loss. Callahan called a bad first-half fumble in the red zone “dumb” and said Levis was “a grownup and he knows better.” Wow. Maybe that says something about the coach’s style. Maybe it says the quarterback is already in trouble. It was stunning either way.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 30 (28)
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Diante Lee, The Ringer: 28 (26)
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Just like Brian Callahan, I wanted to know exactly what the fuck Levis was doing in Sunday’s loss to the Jets. For the second consecutive week, Levis has shown dangerous negligence in critical situations, and twice, his mistakes have cost his team opportunities to win. This team isn’t bad, but it has little margin for error – and it can’t sustain Levis’s reckless style.
