First & Tenn

The Tennessee Titans finished the 2024 season with a 3-14 record and the opportunity to pick first in the 2025 NFL Draft. Ran Carthon, the general manager who built the roster that won just those three games, will not get to make that selection to start this year's draft. Two days after a season-ending loss to the Houston Texans, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk fired Carthon, announced that coach Brian Callahan will get a second season in charge and director of football operations Chad Brinker will be the man in charge of the roster and the search for Carthon's replacement. This is the third straight season that Strunk has made a major move within the team's leadership, and the inconsistency in who she trusts and promotes is cause for concern.

A rainy day in Jacksonville stirred memories of when the Tennessee Titans played there early in the 1999 season, but the comparisons began and ended with the weather. Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Jaguars was a far cry from 25 years ago when a Titans' victory got the ball rolling on what turned out to be a Super Bowl run. Now, these Titans have lost five in a row, have clinched last place in the AFC South and -- with one game remaining -- are in position to land the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. ... For that final game, coach Brian Callahan has given up on trying to decide who should be his quarterback, so he will play Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, although he has no immediate plan on how to divide snaps and -- based on his comments -- no real expectation that either of them will perform at a meaningful level. ... If there has been a bright spot of late, it has been tight end Chig Okonkwo, who now has back-to-back seasons with 50 or more receptions, a stat that puts him in good company among the line of notable Titans tight ends. ... The final game will be at home against the Houston Texans, a team with nothing at stake but, nonetheless, plans to play its starters in preparation for the playoffs.

Will Levis set a franchise record when he threw his fourth pick-6 of the season during Sunday's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. It was the last thing he did in that game. Mason Rudolph replaced him for the final four possessions of the 37-27 defeat, and afterward coach Brian Callahan did not offer the assurances that Levis is -- and will be -- the Titans' starter going forward. The decision raises new questions about Levis' long-term future with the Titans creates the impression that Callahan believes his days might be numbered as well.

Following a 10-6 loss at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a game in which they failed to score a touchdown against the NFL's worst defense, it's impossible to feel good about the current state of the Tennessee Titans and increasingly difficult to feel good about the future. ... Coach Brian Callahan has not had the job for a full season but already he is on the hot seat. Does the fact that this franchise is building a new stadium and trying to sell pricey tickets for that venue help or hurt Callahan's chances to keep the job beyond this season? If he does survive, it is easy to think that Callahan should give up some of the responsibilities he took on in his first opportunity to lead an organization. ... Quarterback Will Levis continues to show improvement in some areas -- if you look for them. Overall, though, he is not doing nearly enough to make the offense consistently productive or to inspire confidence in that unit, let alone throughout the entire roster. ... The defense continues to look good statistically but -- surprisingly -- fails to deliver in key moments, as was the case Sunday against Jacksonville. ... This week, the Titans will face Callahan's former organization, the Cincinnati Bengals, which boasts exactly the kind of offense Tennessee thought it would get. Going head-to-head, however, it will be difficult for the Titans to keep pace.

After an encouraging victory at Houston, the Tennessee Titans were whipped 42-19 by the Washington Commanders on Sunday. It has now been more than two years since Tennessee won consecutive contests. ... The loss to the Commanders was a game that featured many familiar problems such as penalties and special teams gaffes but also showcased something we haven't seen -- the inability to stop the run. ... At 3-9, the Titans have not been officially eliminated from playoff contention, but they sure are close. And having been outscored by 111 points overall thus far, they are on their way to a dubious bit of history. ... Rookie return man Jha'Quan Jackson is likely to be benched after his fifth fumble in six games, but the NFL world at large sees him as a Pro Bowl-caliber player. ... Even with all of their issues, the Titans will be favored in their next contest, against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.

In a game that featured plenty of dramatic momentum swings, the Titans knocked off the AFC South-leading Houston Texans 32-27.

It was a game that featured the best and worst of quarterback Will Levis. On the positive side, he had his third straight productive outing, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns. But we can’t gloss over the pick-six Levis threw, nor can we ignore the fact he was sacked eight times – which makes 20 sacks over the last three games. How should we evaluate Levis’ game overall, and what do we think his future looks like now?

The Titans put together a pretty impressive defensive performance against CJ Stroud and company, especially considering Tennessee’s starting secondary consisted of Jarvis Brownlee, Darrell Baker, Roger McCreary, Mike Brown and Daryl Worley. Who stepped up for the Titans on that side of the ball?

Can the Titans make it two in a row on the road next week against the Washington Commanders and Jayden Daniels? The Commanders have lost three straight games, to Dallas, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

We preview and make our predictions. That and more in this week’s episode.

In a game that left Titans players, coaches, and fans angry and frustrated, the team fell 23-13 to Minnesota on Sunday. The Titans, as they have during most of the season, continued to pile up penalties – flagged 13 times for 91 yards. But some of the most crucial calls were also the most debatable — the unnecessary roughness call on Mike Brown, the two penalties against Jarvis Brownlee, and the three illegal formation calls against Isaiah Prince. We offer our evaluations of the zebra performance in Nissan Stadium.

Quarterback Will Levis continued to show some encouraging signs, throwing for 295 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 51-yard TD pass called back for a penalty. Are we sold on Levis for next season or are there still issues — such as pocket management and consistency — that he must overcome?

Why are the sack percentage numbers so different for Levis and Mason Rudolph this season? We discuss.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, a pending free agent, is setting himself up for a pay raise. How impressive is that he has five TD catches after not getting a single target for the first four weeks?

What challenges will the Titans face in Houston, dealing with C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins and Joe Mixon? The Houston defense had five sacks on Monday, which could mean trouble for the Titans on Sunday.

Predictions and more.

The Titans fell 27-17 to the Los Angeles Chargers, but welcomed quarterback Will Levis back to the lineup after he’d missed the previous three games. Levis did some good things, throwing a couple of touchdown passes to Calvin Ridley and keeping the ball out of the Chargers’ hands. But he was also sacked seven times and threw for 175 yards. What were our evaluations of his game overall? … Would it kill NFL Officiating to give the Titans (2-7) a break every now and then? They appeared to have created a momentum-turning play near the end of the first half, but what looked like a Jeffery Simmons strip sack – and Roger McCreary fumble return for a touchdown – was overruled. Fair or not? … What do we make of the Titans’ defense, which is No 1 in total yards allowed and No. 1 in passing yards allowed, but is giving up almost 27 points per contest? … Coming up this Sunday, the Titans face a Vikings team with plenty of offensive playmakers – Justin Jefferson, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson – as well as a defense that’s totaled 30 sacks and allowed about 17 points per game. Can the Titans pull the upset? … We answer your questions, and we make our predictions for the Titans-Vikings contest.

The Titans finally got back in the win column by beating the Patriots 20-17 in OT, and showed some resiliency in the process. Tennessee could easily have fallen apart after Drake Maye’s last-second TD pass tied it up on the last play of regulation. But both the Titans’ offense and defense made big plays in overtime.

Brian Callahan was emotional after the win. What made it so special?

The victory came at a cost, as the Titans lost center Lloyd Cushenberry and safety Quandre Diggs, likely for the season. Who needs to step up?

Tony Pollard, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Amani Hooker all had big games against the Patriots. What led to each?

One lowlight from the game: As has been the case too often, the Titans’ special teams performance was abysmal

The Titans hit the road this Sunday, trying to win a road game against the Chargers for the first time since 1992. Tennessee has lost nine straight in San Diego/LA since then.

What should the Titans expect from Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers, who have received big defensive contributions from several former Titans like Elijah Molden and Kristian Fulton?

We answer your questions, and we make our predictions for the Titans-Chargers contest.

We look back at Sunday's 52-14 loss to the Detroit Lions and wonder how much of a future special teams coach Colt Anderson has with this franchise after another disastrous performance by his units. Sub-par special teams play has been all too common this season. ... The performance came days after the Titans became part of the past for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and linebacker Ernest Jones IV, both of whom were traded away. ... For the second straight week, quarterback Mason Rudolph played in place of the injured Will Levis. In some ways, he delivered the best game by a Tennessee quarterback this season, but there were some downsides as well. ... Also for the second week in a row, coach Brian Callahan is being second-guessed for his play-calling, this time a sequence that started with first-and-goal from the 1 in the final minute of the first half. ... If anyone was happy about the Hopkins trade, it might have been Calvin Ridley, who looked like a changed man and put up some big numbers against the Lions. ... Even at 1-6 and after two straight blowout losses, the Titans are favored at home against the New England Patriots on Sunday. Between them, they have three wins and some truly pedestrian offensive stats, which means this has the potential to be one of the least interesting games in the NFL this season. Even so, for the Titans, it is probably a must-win.