The Tennessee Titans kicked off their 2024 NFL season as Charles Dickens on ‘A tale of Two Cities‘ did. ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. The Titans made key additions on both sides of the ball this offseason. In Chicago the defense played great, but the offense did not. And ultimately it cost them. Brian Callahan did not put it lightly when addressing his team’s shortcomings, and Will Levis was not spared no criticism.
The Titans jumped into a 17-0 lead in the first half. Newest NFL sensation Caleb Williams and the brand new Bears attack were shutout. The Bears were able to put points in the board thanks to their special teams with a field-goal in the dying seconds of the second quarter. It seemed there was no way the Bears could dig themselves out of the hole with the way the Titans defense was playing.
Tennessee’s offense had to take care of the football and the defense would do the rest. And that is exactly what Levis and the offense did not do. The Bears did not score a single offensive TD, yet walked away victorious. Thanks to a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and a pick-six on an unnecessary effort from Levis.
“If we’d just punted on 1st and 10 every time, we might’ve won the game,” Callahan said post game, via AtoZ Sports Nashville.
Will Levis #8 of the Tennessee Titans looks to pass during a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 08, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Titans 24-17.
Callahan went on to compare Levis learning process in the NFL with parenting. “Sometimes they do exactly how you want them to, and sometimes you told them a hundred times and they still do it that way. We gotta keep hammering the same point. To me that is a lot of what coaching is.”
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Callahan compares Levis to Joe Burrow’s first years in Cincinnati
Callahan was hired as the Bengals offensive coordinator in 2019 and has stayed there up until this past offseason. The Titans head coach was the offensive mastermind through Joe Burrow’s career and his evolution has granted him the status to become an NFL head coach in Tennessee. So when he addressed Levis’ play, Callahan had his recent experience with Burrow’s entrance to the league fresh off the top of his head.
“It was very similar,” Callahan admitted. “He’d hold the ball, take unnecessary risks, took a lot of hits early in his career in his first two years. He learned very quickly that that’s not a sustainable way to play football and if you wanna be available to our team on gamedays you gotta start making better decisions.“
Of course Callahan, as well as the Titans organization are well aware that Burrow and Levis are not cut from the same cloth. However, the Titans head coach insisted on the fact this was Levis’ tenth start on his NFL career so there is still room for improvement.
Nevertheless, arguing that punting on 1st and 10 on every possession gives a team a better chance to win than their starting quarterback is not exactly what any player ever wants to hear from their head coach.
New star WR backed Levis
Calvin Ridley is one of the top acquisitions in the Titans roster. After an irregular season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ridley arrived at a new AFC South team and is set to be the team’s WR1. His week 1 performance was not close to what is expected from the Alabama prospect. Although he led the team in receiving putting up 50yds in the loss to the Bears.
“I thought he was doing a great job,” Ridley said of Levis. “We lost as a team today and we all weren’t good enough. Period. He’s a tough a player. He’s a very good player. I love how he played the game today. We lost as a whole today. We should have won the game. That’s all I can tell you. We should have won the game.”
