Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans DISASTER LOSS to Jaguars, Brian Callahan Concerns and Deep Roster Issues Show

Episode Date: December 8, 2024

The Tennessee Titans took a disastrous loss 10-6 to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the coaching, namely Brian Callahan, has to take the majority of the blame in this one for gameplans that were simply not good enough. The deep issues with the roster showed up in an obvious way with the blocking, pass rush and receiving threats not doing enough in this one. Finally, the nature of all of these elements show how awful this loss truly was.Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitansTicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop/tictactitans-gear/C3AAPNWXSXA6SBYG3USV2I7R?page=1&limit=30&sort_by=category_order&sort_order=ascFollow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitansFollow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPodSubscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnTitans/videosSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Omaha SteaksFrom legendary steaks to mouthwatering desserts and more, save 50% off site-wide for a limited time at OmahaSteaks.com. Plus, our listeners get an extra $30 off with Promo Code NFL.IceShakerCreated by and used by the Gronkowski brothers, IceShakers has sold over 1 million bottles. They have changed the game with workout bottles, and this is the gift you’ve been looking for… go to IceShaker.com and use the code LOCKEDONNFL at checkout to save 25% on your order.Hillsdale CollegeAll of Hillsdale’s courses are self-paced so that you can start whenever, and tune in wherever. Plus, you can go deeper with readings, quizzes, discussions - or just enjoy the lectures. Go right now to hillsdale.edu/lockedon to enroll. There’s no cost, and it’s easy to get started.PrizePicksDownload the app and use code lockedonnfl to win $50 instantly when you play $5. You don't even need to win to receive your $50 bonus, it's guaranteed! Prizepicks. Run Your Game.Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFLGametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms Apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime.FanDuelYou can start the season with a big return on FanDuel. New customers can place a FIVE DOLLAR bet and you’ll get started with ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.Bilt RewardsStart earning points on rent you’re already paying by going to joinbilt.com/LOCKEDONNFL.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

an absolute disaster of a loss for the Tennessee Titans against the Jacksonville Jaguars that highlighted everything that this team has wrong with it. That and more on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked On Titans podcast.

I am your host, Tyler Rowland, Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked On Titans podcast is brought to you by PrizePix. Go to prizepix.com slash locked on NFL. Use the code locked on NFL, all lowercase, to win $50 instantly when you play $5. An absolute disaster of a loss for the Tennessee Titans, and namely Brian Callahan, a game that shows everything wrong for the Tennessee Titans right now, roster-wise also.

And, I mean, at the end of the day, I called this a must-win for Brian Callahan, and I mean, at the end of the day, I called this a must win for Brian Callahan and I feel some very high levels of negativity coming out of this loss. It's kind of the exact opposite of the win against the Houston Texans. So we'll talk about all of that and the disappointment that I'm sure everyone's feeling.

Before we do, thank you for making the Locked on Titans podcast short first. Listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day.

But an outright disaster of a loss for the Tennessee Titans. And I called this, like I said, a must win for Brian Callahan. And to me now, this is the exact opposite of the win that the Tennessee Titans got against the Houston Texans. You come out of that win on the road, divisional game. You're an underdog. You find a way to win. The offense scores over 30 points.

And then this is the exact opposite. You're at home. You're favored to win. The offense does absolutely nothing and looks inept the entire time. The defense breaks down in the most critical moments of the game. Like, all of the confidence that the win against the Houston Texans would give you about what the Titans are doing going forward, and especially the coaching staff, feels completely erased by this loss.

Like those two cancel each other out entirely. Like all the confidence that I look back to that Texans game and say, okay, that's what it can look like. That's what it can be. This loss makes you feel like, oh, that's actually just a mirage. Like it can't be that. There's this in there too. You just simply can't do this.

You can't play at home coming off the loss that you had last week and how embarrassed you got to come home and play this way. And my big problem is at the root of the issue that the Tennessee Titan had today, there's a lot of parts to it. We're going to get to the roster parts for sure. But look at the plans that the coaches brought to the game. Look at the plans. When was someone open against Jacksonville? It felt like the entire game Will Levis was waiting in the pocket. Got some decent time part of the time, but he's just waiting in the pocket and there's no one there and you got to check it down and get nothing or the run game would be good

and be inconsistent as well. But for me, it's really the passing game. This Jacksonville Jaguars defense has not been good all year. They've given up huge plays, 20-yard plays all year long. And it felt like the Titans just absolutely could not get anybody open. And you'll have to watch the tape to know if Jacksonville's taking everything away. But then you've got to adjust to that. You've got to start finding people underneath and calling plays for people

to get open underneath. It felt like the Titans didn't hit on what their plan was with the play. All day long, Will Levis waiting in the pocket, looking around. You know, like, it's just crazy that Will Levis finally has time and we can't get anybody open. Nobody is schemed open. Nobody is wide open. And all you can do is wait, not get sacked,

and then just take a quick check down that doesn't get yards. To me, Brian Callahan got outcoached today by Jacksonville's defense. He was not able to successfully scheme open players all day long. And I'll tell you, when teams run man coverage against the Titans, it's just the end of all things. The Titans aren't doing a good enough job of getting people open against man coverage on third and shorts. So whether it's downfield shots, the Titans were looking at again, zone on early downs that never came open, or whether it be third down in short plays where the Jags are playing man defense, Brian Callahan did not have a good enough plan against one of the worst defenses in the NFL to muster more than six points.

That is unacceptable. So all of the confidence, again, that the Texans win gives you when you look at proof of concept and what it can be, this erases all of that in my mind because this was so devastatingly bad. And then you look at the defensive side of the ball. They let, okay, look, the Titans gave up 10 points. It's hard to like be angry with the defense. But at the end of the day, they just let Jacksonville take over and over these little dinks and

dunks, five yards, six yards, seven yards. It was like watching last year's Titans defense or the defense the year before that, where the Titans are 10, 12 yards off the ball on third and four, third and five, and they're just giving Jacksonville easy catches. Now, Jacksonville's plan, I'm certain, was to attack over the middle and zone because they have Luke Gifford and Otis Reese out there at linebacker, which even if they had Kenneth Murray and Jerome Baker out there at linebacker, you could target over the middle with those quick passes because you know that your guys are going to sit down in zone and the linebackers aren't going to be good enough to challenge it.

But I'm sorry it's not a good enough game plan when you're just allowing them to take five or six yards at will every play. Like it was all game long that Jacksonville was just able to hit these little dink and dunkers. And that's what Mac Jones wants to do. Mac Jones doesn't have the arm to consistently drive the ball down the field. Mac Jones doesn't have the mobility to run around and extend plays constantly. He wants to get the ball out of his hands quick with quick timing throws.

And you just let him have it all game long. So again, this is an issue with Brian Callahan and only being able to have six points against this Jaguars defense at home with that game plan, it's just unacceptable from the coaching staff. This is another game where I would say that the loss is primarily on the coaching staff. And we're like three, four of those. I'm sure some of you would argue even more.

But we're at three or four games where I'm like, the coach either had a terrible plan coming in. The coach didn't have the guys prepared and ready to play. The coach made a terrible decision with the lineup where he cost the team points because he played a hurt player. Like the, the team was completely out coached the entire game, like the green Bay game. Like there's at least four of these for me right now, where the coaching is the primary issue with the team and even though Brian Callahan is his first year as a play caller first year head coach Denard Wilson first year defensive coordinator like they are going to take their lumps and they're going to have to get better like we should have all of expected that Brian Callahan would be better in

year two and Denard Wilson could be better in year two than they would be immediately as a rookie. Like that's just any job when you start. But at the end of the day, it's not just rookie mistakes. It's not just, oh, they'll grow from that. It's unacceptable situations. And then having a plan that doesn't even make sense, which is what we saw on offense and defense today. Neither of the game plans that the Titans coaching staffs

had on either side of the ball, the plan that they had to win this game was a good plan. It literally fed into what the other team wanted. And that's the most disappointing thing about all of this. But again, it's more than just coaching. It goes to the roster as well. And the Titans' obvious roster issues showed up in a major way in this game.

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on offense, Brian Callahan's inability to scheme anybody open all day long. Those two things together, this was not a capable game plan from either side of the ball. That is 100% on coaching. And that may be the most discouraging thing, but trust me, there are other discouraging things from this loss, but they're just more obvious ones,

and it's the problems with the roster. Number one, number one, the pass rush. I mean, we could talk about the offensive side of the ball, and we will, but the pass rush is not good enough. I am looking at everyone who thinks the edge rusher is a crazy idea in the first round. Right now with where the Titans are set to pick and what the draft class is looking at, edge is going to be one of the best positions the Titans can take because there's actual first round talent at that position where the Titans are probably going to be at within this draft, which is high, obviously, as we can see, like Harold Landry has

regressed and a lot of Harold Landry sacks at the beginning of the year, which is something I mentioned in my film room review of Harold Landry like a month and a half ago was that a lot of Harold Landry sacks early in the year were cleanup sacks. They weren't where he was winning with a move, whether it be that speed bend rush that he usually wins with, or whether it be an inside counter, whether it be a spin, which Harold Landry doesn't really do, um, you know, rip club, whatever move Harold Landry doesn't really win with pass rush moves. That's never been his game. He's always been a guy who wins with effort and wins with speed. Well, lately, Harold Landry's bend and his speed have just not been there. And you wonder if it's age compared with the ACL.

Is he going to get back? You know, that's a question. But you add that to Arden Key, who did get there once. The Titans got one sack on Mac Jones, and a lot of it is, like I mentioned earlier, just letting him dink and dunk and hit these short yardage passes with with no contest whatsoever which was a silly plan all long I don't know understand how that could be the plan but again the pass rush was just not getting it done I don't think Tavondre Sweat had a very good game he has been an inconsistent pass rusher

at best Sebastian Joseph Day has been a solid role player, but is he going to be one of your NASCAR package players where you literally have four rushers on there? Like Jeffrey Simmons is getting double teamed. He's not doing quite enough either, but the problem is the talent there. The Titans just simply do not have enough pass rush talent. Okay? It's just a point blank period problem for him.

And we've known that since coming into the season, that the pass rush needed more, and there needed to be more juice there, and the Titans didn't adequately do enough on the roster to address it. So, again, edge rusher, first round, makes absolute 100% sense for the Tennessee Titans. The value is going to be there. We'll have those discussions as we go along as to who those players are, but just the way it looks right now, I mean, the Titans' pass rush has been a problem all year long. It's been a problem all year long.

I honestly think that Denard Wilson does a good job of getting the secondary ready to play. We've seen that with the players that he's had to use. He's going to get the secondary ready to play. If the Titans could just have some pass rush success, it would totally change what the defense is capable of. And they've already done a pretty decent job for most of the year. I mean, they broke down in critical moments, but they gave up 10 points. You give up 10 points in an NFL game, you should win the game. You should win the game. But again, only getting one sack on Mac Jones, not getting a ton of pressure. It's a problem with the game. You should win the game. But again, only getting one sack on Mac Jones, not getting a ton of pressure. It's a problem with the game plan, but the Titans desperately, desperately need

pass rush help. And it's just so obvious out there on the field. And then you move to the offensive side of the ball. And look, we know the obvious problem with the offensive line and the blocking, but looking at the receivers, I continue to say, I like NWI. He should be a role player on this offense. But to be the Titans' number two wide receiver, he is their number two wide receiver. Again, another year where through some way or the other, bad planning, injury, whatever, NWI is your second wide receiver.

And while he has made plays when open, a lot of his touchdown catches, he is open. He catches the ball. He gets open again. People are just going to freak out because they're so in love with what he's done this year. But there's a reason he's only had, you know, 20 some catches and he's got all the touchdowns. Like he's just not a consistent player down to down, and you see it when the Titans play against teams who play man coverage. He has a hard time getting open against man coverage. He can run fast in a straight line and get a good miles per hour on a long run, but the agility, the route running, he's just not a guy who should be your number two wide receiver.

He could be your three or four different situations. That is exactly where he needs to be. Calvin Ridley did not do a good enough job in this game of getting open against man coverage. And then Tyler Boyd is 30 years old. He's never been, you know, a guy who's an elite separator. He gets physical catches. He gets the little slivers you need.

But again, the lack of explosiveness at wide receiver in this game was a major issue, which, again, Traylon Burks out for the season now. He's been a ghost since last offseason anyway. I wasn't worried about what Traylon Burks could contribute here. I tried to say, you know, I don't trust him, can't believe in him, and he probably won't play another game for the Tennessee Titans. The wide receiver lack of talent is glaring. It is a huge issue.

They need a young, explosive wide receiver in the draft somewhere. They have to get it. They have to get it. Major needs, I know, you're like, well, with pass rusher and then with wide receiver, yeah, how can you get both? You know what I mean? It's a tough situation. And then, of course, we go to the offensive line.

And I think we all know at this point that Nicholas Petit-Ferrer is not a good enough player, okay? I think we all know that. But J.C. Latham getting beat with speed to the edge by Josh Hines-Allen, devastated. And when Will Levis gets slammed at the end of the first half there and driven into his shoulder, and I'm thinking, collarbone, is he done for the season? This is going to be a lifeless end of the year, which it may already. Will Levis played and

they scored six points against the Jags at home, so you could call it a lifeless season already, but with Nicholas Petit-Ferrer getting beat by a defensive back with speed, and then J.C. Latham getting beat multiple times by Josh Hines-Allen, man, they need, like, I have said all season when people have said, what if you draft a left tackle and move, you know, J.C. Latham back to right tackle? And I've said, no, Latham's playing well, let him stay there.

The problems with speed rushes off the edge, you know, I'm just, let's keep an open mind. That's all I have to say. They definitely need another tackle, and they need to take the best possible tackle that they can get in free agency or the draft. If that's what they choose, I don't think that the tackles in this draft are really up the Titans' alley, quite honestly.

So I expect free agency, but I'm just saying whatever you have, if that includes moving JC Latham back to right tackle, whatever you think makes this offensive line as best as it can possibly be, they got to do that next year. So glaring, glaring issues with the pass rush, with the wide receiver talent and with the offensive line and that along with the coaching issues in this game make it not only depressing but again a disaster loss for the Tennessee Titans. Today's episode is brought to you by Fandle. Get ready to tackle the final third of the NFL season with FanDuel, America's number one sportsbook. Because right now, new customers can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets if you win.

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Titans fans, let's cap off this disaster loss recap edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about the coaching and how big of an issue it was in this game with the game plan coming in and the execution throughout. We talked about the clear roster issues that had everything to do with this loss. Like this loss fundamentally comes down to the four things that we've talked about so far. The coaching being a problem, pass rush, offensive line, wide receiver talent. Boom. The Titans, four biggest issues. And I would say that out of everything, honestly, Will Levis was kind of the least of the problems again. He wasn't good in this game.

I'd say good. He wasn't great in this game. He was good. Missing Chigga Conquo on that fourth down, though. Whew. Hurts my soul. It hurts my soul. But, you know, let's just be honest about the issues here and why this is such a disaster loss. Because I think the truth of the matter is while the Titans have this coaching problem, this lack of pass rush,

the lack of explosive talent at wide receiver, and the offensive line issues, while you have those four problems, there is no quarterback that can come in here and save this. So was Will Levis good? Eh, you could say that. It was okay. That's what I'll say.

But with those four problems, coaching, pass rush, offensive line, wide receiver, with those four issues, is this roster good enough to win with anything? Because I look around

and I look at the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow is playing literally MVP level football and the Bengals are four and eight out of the playoffs. And the Bengals are 4-8. Out of the playoffs. And I just... You know, whether Levis played well, good, bad,

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, everyone will fight over that. You guys fight over that. But what I see is a disaster on our hands. Because these four things are terrible. The coaching right now, the pass rush, the wide receivers, the offensive line.

And to me, the five most important positions in the NFL are quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, pass rusher, and cornerback. Those are the five most important. And where are the Titans good enough at any of those positions? One, cornerback. Right? So it's just like, I'm looking around at the game,

and yeah, you can dissect and debate Will Levis' play. I thought he had one bad play on the day when he missed Chigaconqua, but sadly, that's the biggest miss of the day. You know what I mean? It's like Will Levis had his worst play of the day on the biggest play of the day. I mean, what can you do about that? What can you do about that?

But outside of quarterback play, again, the reason that this loss hurts so bad is not only just the reality of it, losing at home to Jacksonville, it's only scoring six points, Will Levis almost getting killed. Like, this was as deflating and depressing of a loss as possible, just on its nose. But when you get deeper into it and you realize what a message it shows and what a light it shines on how many problems there are with this team, it just makes you feel like, man, they're so far away.

They're so, so far away. Coaching, offensive line, pass rush, explosive options at wide receiver. They're so far away. They need so much. And you know what's crazy about it is, the misses in the first round. When you miss that many

picks in the first round, when John Robinson went 0-4, 0-4, 0-4, 0-4, when you miss that many picks in the first round, this is what happens. You do not have high-level talent at premium positions. You don't have it. And this

is why, this is why people say you don't draft running backs. If your team's not built, you don't draft tight ends. If your team's not built because what tight end or running back could have helped the Tennessee Titans today. I thought the tight ends had a pretty decent day. Tony Pollard looked great, but it didn't matter because the important positions lack talent. Man, again, this loss, other than being a disaster in itself, is a disaster for the direction of this franchise. That is why this is a disaster loss, not just because of what it is today, but what this means going forward.

Because my confidence, and we haven't even got to talk about when Cole Anderson said early in the season, I just assumed guys would know what they were doing. Like, because the game came and everything, we don't even have time to get into that. That's what the special teams coach said. I assumed guys would know what to do. Then what are you here for? That's like a teacher saying,

I assumed you would know the answers to this test, but we didn't cover it. What are we doing? So hearing Cole Anderson talk, every time I hear Cole Anderson talk, a little bit of faith in Brian Callahan leaves my body. Because how can you employ a person who not only is so terrible at his job, but also is so stupid that he says the dumbest thing to the media every single week and embarrasses himself and you and the franchise

with what he says at the podium every week. So you have that happen on Thursday. And then these game plans, again, Brian Callahan couldn't scheme somebody open to save his life, Will Levis actually had time, a lot of the time, early in the game, he had a ton of time,

it was kind of weird, he had so much time, and nobody was open, they couldn't scheme anybody open, which means that the Jaguars' plan for the Titans was excellent. Excellent. Everything the Titans wanted to do, the Jags were ready for it. So,

with the plan on offense being so bad, the plan on defense, the dink and dunk, allowing Mac Jones to do the only thing that he can do well, to dink and dunk and get the ball out of his hands quick and just saying we're okay with that. For that to be the plan on defense and then the Titans plan on offense and then losing this game the way that it went and then to see that on the field, the biggest issues the Titans have and how big of issues they are and knowing that there's no way to solve those problems quickly. Titans have and how big of issues they are and knowing that there's no way to solve those

problems quickly. You need to draft a higher level talented player as a pass rusher, as a wide receiver, as an offensive tackle, and the odds of doing that quick enough for this team to be good anytime soon are just so low. It's a disaster. The direction the franchise is heading right now, I am very on the fence with the amount of confidence that I have in it. Again, this loss is the inverse of the Texans' win. Everything that the Texans' win accomplished, this loss took away. Oh, man.

I had so much faith that the Titans could put up a good effort against the Bengals because of the emotional ties and what it, but I do not have that faith now. Do not have that faith now. This is a disaster, man. But anyways, gotta dive into the tape of the most exciting football game of the year. Excited to do that, and I'll be back with you guys tomorrow to break it all down.

If you're watching on YouTube, thumbs up on the chat. Tighten up in the chat. Thumbs up on the video. If you watch on YouTube, remember you can always check out the podcast version of the show. If you listen to a podcast, remember you can always check out the YouTube version of the show. Wherever you need me, I'm there. But as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.