Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Must MAKE MALIK WILLIS THROW, Will Levis Limit Mistakes & Titans Will Get First Win

Episode Date: September 19, 2024

The Tennessee Titans face a must-win game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday and will be seeing a familiar face in Malik Willis at quarterback. The Titans gameplan on defense must make Malik Willis into a thrower, but that starts with stopping the run. On offense, the Titans must utilize motion often get desired matchups and limit mistakes. The Packers will challenge the edge for the Titans and Harold Landry must be ready to meet the challenge. Finally, Tyler gives his prediction for the game, calling for the Titans first win while also talking fantasy and betting aspects of the matchup.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!Arena ClubRight now, you can get 10% off your first Slab Pack or card purchase by going to Arenaclub.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl.RobinhoodThe new gold standard is here with Robinhood Gold. Sign up at robinhood.com/gold Terms apply, for product specific disclosures visit robinhood.com/gold. Investing involves risk. Rate may change. Gold membership is offered by Robinhood Gold, LLC. DoorDashUse promo code LOCKEDFALL24 for 50% off up to $10 value, when you spend $15+ on your first order. Limited time offer. Terms apply. Promo is not valid for orders containing alcohol.PrizePicksGo to https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code lockedonmlb 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.LinkedInLinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNFL. Terms and conditions apply.GametimeDownload 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.FanDuelNow through September 22nd, ALL FanDuel customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get a THREE WEEK free trial of NFL Sunday Ticket from YouTube and YouTube TV. Visit FANDUEL.COM to get started.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)

The Tennessee Titans must win against the Green Bay Packers in week three, and it starts with making Malik Willis throw the football. 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. We are back again for another game plan preview edition of the LockedOnTitans podcast. I'm going to give you my keys to victory, my players to watch, and make my predictions for this game. Before we get into it,

I do want to thank you for making the LockedOnTitans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day here

on the Locked on Titans podcast. Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. If you aren't an everydayer, you need to be one because on Sunday after the game, I am going to be going live to break down all the action. Now I will tell you guys, I am going to the game in Nashville, taking my father who's been a Packers fan since the sixties. And I'm going to be a little delayed after the game. The live will probably come out around 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time rather than immediately after the game.

Got to get back to the hotel, get set up, all that stuff. So just wanted to give everybody that programming note right there. But with that being said, throw a thumbs up on the video, throw a tighten up down in the chat. Let's dive in to my game plan against the Green Bay Packers. Number one on my keys to victory is make Malik Willis throw the football. All right? Malik Willis cannot operate a regular quarterback drop back passing game.

He's never been able to do that at the NFL level. He still cannot do that at the NFL level. So how do you make Malik Willis throw the football 20, 25 times in a game? Well, number one, you have to stop the Packers run game. And here's a stat for you. The Green Bay Packers ran the football 53, excuse me, 53 times last week against the Indianapolis Colts. Now, the Indianapolis Colts have a historically bad run defense

through the first two weeks of the season. The Tennessee Titans do not. So in theory, the Titans should be able to do a better job against the run against Green Bay. But 53 rushing attempts for the Green Bay Packers, that is the most in an NFL game that didn't go to overtime since 2013 when the Buffalo Bills ran the ball, I believe it was 54 times. Okay, so we're talking about a Green Bay game plan that they used to beat the Colts last

week that has not been seen in over a decade in the NFL. So keep that in mind how peculiar and unique and awkward this game plan was from the Packers having Malik Willis at quarterback. If you stop the Green Bay Packers gap scheme run game, which is what they went to a lot last week, and think, we talked last week about outside zone and about gap and how they're different here. All right, the Titans are going to have to stay disciplined.

They're going to have to set a firm edge. The problem is the Titans are an aggressive defense. They want to penetrate. They want to get downhill as quickly as possible. The linebackers want to shoot through gaps, all that. Well, if you do that against a gap scheme, you have a great chance of being caught out of position on pools, on track plays. So the Titans really have to play disciplined run defense this week and dial back the aggressiveness that they typically want to have as a defense

because they're going to get themselves out of position. So stop the Green Bay Packers run game to a point and if you make Malik Willis throw the football 20 to 25 times, you are 100% going to win this football game because Malik Willis cannot operate a regular NFL offense. So it's that simple. Make Malik Willis cannot operate a regular NFL offense. So it's that simple. Make Malik

Willis throw the football and do it by stopping the Green Bay Packers run game that they leaned on historically last week against the Colts. Also, from an offensive standpoint, motion, motion, motion, motion, motion, motion, motion, and motion some more. All right? So, the Green Bay Packers, and I got to give credit to at ColtsFilmRoom on Twitter. So, what I like to do is, when the Titans play an opponent,

I like to watch the film, but I like to see what other people like me who break down the film thought of the previous opponent. And I give the ColtsFilmRoom guy credit, I think his name's Ben, for pointing out that the Packers have a tell in their defense. So, Keyshawn Nixon is the slot cornerback for the Green Bay Packers.

And what the Packers will do is, the Packers will have him to the field side every single time that there's a three-wide receiver look. Keyshawn Nixon, the slot, will be to the wide side, every single time that there's a three wide receiver look, because Sean Nixon, the slot, will be to the wide part of the field. Okay? Well, what happens is, if you motion from that side, say you put three wide receivers over there,

and you motion to the boundary side, to the smaller side of the field, Nixon doesn't go with. Okay? What happens is, is a linebacker or a drop-down safety will then have that matchup. Or sometimes it pushes the cornerback out. You know, either way, Green Bay is susceptible to motion because the motion is going to help

the Titans create matchups against a safety or a linebacker. So think, if you have Calvin Ridley on one side of the field to trips, and then you motion Calvin Ridley across to the other side of the field, he's no longer going to be covered by a cornerback. He's going to be covered by a linebacker or a safety. And you can hit quick passes to Calvin Ridley or to Tyler Boyd. Either way, the Titans need to motion a ton on offense. Do not let Green Bay see what you're doing.

And if you look at what the Colts did last week, 74% of the Indianapolis passing plays did not include motion. So Indianapolis' coaches did not notice the tell that their film room fan guy noticed. It's good news for the Titans when it comes to the Colts coaching staff, but also if the Titans don't notice that, that would be pretty bad news for the Titans when it comes to the Colts coaching staff, but also, if the Titans don't notice that, that would be pretty bad news for the Titans coaching staff. I have full faith that Brian Callahan is seeing the way that the Packers operate on defense

and that they're going to use motion to attack those matchups. So that's the number one thing I'm looking for on offense. And then finally, I didn't even change my third key to victory from last week. Didn't change it at all. Don't make any stupid mistakes. The Tennessee Titans are going to win this football game if they don't repeat the mistakes that they had in week one and week two. Punt block.

Will Levis being a moron. You know, like, if the Titans don't do those two things and they don't make any massive blunders, give it up, a special team's return for a touchdown. Things like that. The Titans don't make any massive mistakes to hurt themselves. They're going to win this game. I believe that whoever wins this football game

is going to be the team that doesn't kill themselves at the end. Whether it be a Will Levis turnover, whether it be a Malik Willis turnover, whether it be a big blunder on special teams, whoever makes, I think this is going to be an ugly football game. It's going to be low scoring. And whoever is the team that makes more mistakes,

not the team that plays the best, it's the team that makes the least mistakes that I think win this football game because it's going to be so low scoring. And one really stupid play can absolutely change the game for better or for worse for the Titans. So again,

make Malik Willis throw the football by stopping the run. Motion, motion, motion on offense to take advantage of matchups against Green Bay's defensive backs. And please, please God, no boneheaded massive mistakes for the Titans. I'm begging you, begging you to not do something stupid. It's all we got.

It's all we got to do. And the Titans are going to win this football game. So now I want to zoom in a little bit, talk about some individual players that I'm looking for in this game, guys who need to step up. And a lot of it has to do with setting the edge on defense. We'll discuss that, and I'm going to do some predictions at the end of the show. Score prediction, talk fantasy, talk gambling.

Make sure that you don't miss that. Before I do, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. So, you've heard me talk about FanDuel quite a bit. It is America's number one sportsbook, after all. But I got something a little bit different for you. Now through September 22nd, which is this weekend, so better get on it. All FanDuel customers, all FanDuel customers,

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while we're talking about FanDuel. Right now on FanDuel, Tennessee Titans, plus minus two and a half, two and a half point favorites at home. Kind of a dangerous line to me. I think I would take the money line for the Titans, but what I really like is the over-under

in that game. So, I would visit Fandle.com right now and download America's number one sportsbook. Titans fans, let's continue today's game plan preview edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We just did my keys to victory for the Titans.

Now I want to zoom in and talk about the players to watch in this game. Before I get into it, I do want to thank you again for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday. Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. You're not going to beat that anywhere else. Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed.

It's your team every day. All right. Zooming in here. Looking at the players to watch. Number one, and I'm going to continue to put this guy number one until he proves that he is not somebody that will hurt the team, and that is obviously William Donovan Levis. Two weeks back to back, he's made a stupid mistake that really, really

hurt the team. Now, did Will Levis play better in week two than week one? Sure. Was it good? Not in my opinion. If you watch my Will Levis film breakdown, there was more bad than there was good, despite everybody trying to class it up and be like, well, he played better. Well, this is like what I talk about with Malik Willis. Malik Willis improved this year, but it's not that hard to improve when you were as terrible as Malik Willis was his first two seasons. And it's not that hard to improve when you were as terrible as Malik Willis was his first two seasons. And it's not that hard to improve, quote unquote, improve when you played as bad as Will Levis played in week one. So to me, Will Levis was improved in week two,

but it still wasn't good enough. And it certainly wasn't good, generally speaking. So Will Levis needs to not hold this team down. He needs to hit open guys. He needs to not make a critical, stupid mistake in this game that costs his team points. Like, he simply cannot hurt the team. I think that the Titans can win this game

without Will Levis being extraordinary. I think the Titans can win this game without Will Levis being good. But he can't be awful. He can't be bad. He can't make critical errors and create turnovers. If he does that, that's how the Colts lost last week to the high school Green Bay Packers. That's how the Colts lost. Because Anthony Richardson made a bunch of boneheaded turnovers.

So, if you're going to hand the game away and make it easy on the Packers and give them short fields and not convert in the red zone, things like, if you're going to hand the game away and make it easy on the Packers and give them short fields and not convert in the red zone, things like, if you're going to do those stupid things, then it doesn't matter who plays quarterback for Green Bay. They're going to be able to win the game. It's that simple. So, Will Levis, number one on the list for a third week in a row, a player to watch.

He can't kill this team. He can't. All right. Number two. Tyler Boyd. And some of you may be thinking, Tyler Boyd? Why would Tyler Boyd be a player to watch?

Well, it goes back to what I just talked about in my keys to victory. Motion, motion, motion, motion. So what I want to see from the Titans is I want to see Calvin Ridley and I want to see Tyler Boyd in motion from the passing strength to the passing weakness. So think trips to one side motion back to the side, just like we were talking about in the last segment. I want to see the Tennessee Titans use motion to create matchups. And here's another reality. The weakness for the Green Bay Packers pass defense

is Keyshawn Nixon in the slot. Nixon started his NFL career as a kick returner, and I think he is a better returner than he is a cornerback. I think that's one area of weakness for the Packers. If I'm the Titans,

I'm going to motion, motion, motion, and I am going to use Tyler Boyd and Calvin Ridley on quick, out-breaking routes. Getting the matchups that I want, whether it be Nixon or whether you motion away from Nixon like we talked about, and then you get him on a linebacker or you get him on a safety.

Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd should be able to eat on quick, short routes this week because the Titans can motion into matchups that benefit them. Tyler Boyd has been relatively non-existent for the first two weeks. That's a reality. Other than that fourth down against Chicago where they threw the quick bubble screen with the unbalanced line with JC Latham out on the perimeter.

Other than that play, Tyler Boyd really hasn't done anything. And the Titans need Tyler Boyd to be that quick five-yard pop. Third and four, quick gain to Tyler Boyd. Tyler Boyd was expected to help the Titans be a chain mover. That's what he's supposed to do. And Green Bay has an excellent pass rush. Green Bay's defense is good overall, but their pass rush, their defensive line is phenomenal.

Rashawn Gary, Preston Smith. They also have Lucas Van Ness still on the interior. Kenny Clark, Devontae Wyatt. Like they have an excellent pass rush group. The only way that the Titans are going to be able to have success in the passing game is if they throw quick. And the only way that they're going to be able to throw quick is to attack the middle of the field defenders for the Packers, not the out. Jair Alexander's one of the best corners in the entire NFL. He's probably going to go on Hopkins.

So Tyler Boyd over the middle of the field against Green Bay's middle of the field defenders Keyshawn Nixon Quay Walker that is how the Titans have to attack so Tyler Boyd needs to be a big part of this game plan on the short little quick routes that he was expected to help on from the moment he was signed need more from Tyler Boyd here

Calvin Ridley's going to make his plays. DeAndre Hopkins, is he still healthy? I don't know. But I expect Tyler Boyd to make an impact in this game. Now, the final player that I am watching for is on the defensive side of the ball. And I talked about it just a little bit ago. The Titans have to defend the edge.

So if you look at most of the productive runs that have been on the Titans through two weeks, they're primarily to the outside. Teams are attacking the perimeter against the Tennessee Titans. And duh, why would you run at Jeffrey Simmons and Tavondre Sweat? Why would you run down the middle? Why would you do that? You're not going to attack the A gaps. You're going to attack Bs. You're going to attack Cs. You're going to go to the perimeter. That's what you're going to do. And I go back to a Mike Vrabel quote about run defense. Mike Vrabel had a three-step plan to run defense. That plan was edge, wall, swarm. That's the plan. Edge, wall, swarm. And look, as I continued to say from last year,

Mike Vrabel, good football coach, not the right coach for the Titans. That doesn't mean that you can't learn anything from Mike Vrabel. Obviously, he's a good football coach, and he'll get a job next year, okay? The run defense has not been good enough on the edge. And I point out Harold Landry, and you may be thinking, why would you point out Harold Landry when Arden Key is the worst player?

Well, because I don't expect Arden Key to hold the edge. Arden Key's not a good enough player. Arden Key's not a starting level edge in the NFL. So why would I expect Arden Key to do something he's incapable of? They're going to run to Arden Key's side, and they're going to have big runs over there. But Harold Landry, who is a player making $25 million against the salary cap, Harold Landry cannot be the guy that they'd run at.

Harold Landry cannot be the guy that gives up the edge. He gets paid too much. They rely on him too much. Edge, wall, swarm. And Harold Landry has to be a guy who isn't a detriment to the Titans defense. Now I'm not saying that he has been. I'm just saying his importance is highlighted in this matchup because the Titans, or the Packers, are going to run those gap scheme runs. They're going to have pullers. And he's going to have to be disciplined and set a firm edge. And when they go to the perimeter

with Jaden Reed and Christian Watson and Malik Willis, when they go to the perimeter, Harold Landry has to be able to set that firm edge. Now, I think the Tennessee Titans do accomplish some of these things, and I think the Tennessee Titans win this game for their first victory of the year. But I got some other predictions for fantasy, for gambling.

We're going to talk about all that stuff right now. for fantasy, for gambling. We're going to talk about all that stuff right now. Before we do, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by PrizePix. Look, PrizePix is America's number one daily fantasy sports app with over 5 million active members. PrizePix is the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports.

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Prize picks run your game. Titans fans, let's cap off today's Game Plan Preview Edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. It's week three, Tennessee Titans against the Green Bay Packers. We talked about my keys to victory in this game. We talked about my players to watch in this game. Now I want to get into some of my predictions, some of the things that I am, quote unquote, betting on to happen this

weekend. Again, I'm going to be at this game and the Titans better not let me down because if I have to listen to my Green Bay Packer dad talk crap all the way home from Nashville to Ohio, I'm going to be very, very frustrated. Anyways, moving right along. Looking at my score prediction for this game. So again, I think the Tennessee Titans do win this game. I think the Titans get their first win in the season.

And why? Well, because I refuse to acknowledge the opposite. If Malik Willis goes into Tennessee and wins in Nashville to drop the Titans to 0-3, the season is over. If you're somebody who wanted the Titans to make the playoffs, it's over. All right? It's over. Okay? So the Titans must win this game. This is a must-win game. Period. If the Titans, now, I didn't have the Titans making the playoffs, but I'm sure a lot of people in the building, including the players, think that they should be shooting for the playoffs.

in the building, including the players, think that they should be shooting for the playoffs. If you drop to 0-3, you're done. Now, I'm not saying that every 0-3 team of all time didn't make the playoffs. I'm saying this Tennessee Titans team, because what would be required to lose this game is to be pathetic in run defense and to make those same boneheaded mistakes

they've made in the first two weeks again. It would take a pump block. It would take a kickoff return, a pump return. It would take a massive special teams blunder. It would take multiple Will Levis blunders. So if the Titans lose this game, the way that they would have to play to lose it would cement to me this team's done.

It's over. So they must win this game. All right? And I think they do, but I think it's closer than Titans fans want. I have the Tennessee Titans winning this game 17-16. I think it's going to be tight all the way. I think the Titans will be leading at the end,

and the Packers will have the ball. Malik Willis will have the opportunity to win this game and the Titans ultimately get a turnover and stop him from doing it. That's what I think happens, but this is going to be close. This is going to be tight. All right, because Green Bay is a better coach team than the Titans are. Green Bay has a way better offensive line. Green Bay has a better pass rush. The only advantages that the Tennessee Titans truly have in this game is the quarterback. And if Will Levis isn't an advantage because he's making stupid mistakes, then they're not going to win. But I do have the Titans winning

the game 17-16. That is what I have. Now, from a gambling perspective here, what I'm looking at, I'm not taking the Titans minus two and a half. That's insanity. No way. There is no way that the Titans are winning this game by three points. No way. Not a chance. So if I'm not taking the Titans spread, I don't typically like to take money lines very often, if I'm honest with you. But for me, the bet that I'm looking at for keeping it plus 100, I'm looking at the under. This game is going under.

37 and a half, that means, think about it. This game is going under. 37 and a half. That means, think about it. What? 20 to 18? 21 to 17? 21 to 17 is probably the most logical score that would overdo that.

There is just no way that the Titans are scoring 21 points on the Green Bay Packers defense. There's no way. There is no way. And there's no way that the Green Bay Packers are scoring 20 points on the Titans. They're not going to be able to run the ball like they ran against the Colts. Again, for them to do that, it would take massive mind-melting errors that I just can't, I just can't expect.

Again, they have to clean it up at some point. This can't continue. So, I don't really want to touch the game. If I had to touch the game, I would go Titans money line. I don't feel want to touch the game. If I had to touch the game, I would go Titans money line. I don't feel comfortable giving up the points. But under 37 and a half, I love that. I absolutely love that. No matter what happens in the game, I think it goes under.

Now, for my beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy player to watch of the game, I am going with, Tyler Boyd. I already told you why. I think the Titans can scheme up good matchups against the middle-of-the-field defenders. I think the Titans know that the Green Bay Packers' pass rush is excellent, and they're not going to be able to hold the ball very long, so it's going to have to be quick game all day,

and I think Tyler Boyd finally shows up and has a big game. I'm thinking five catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. I think that Tyler Boyd has a fantastic game. I think he's a fantasy player that, look, if you're in your season-long fantasy leagues, you may not even have Tyler Boyd picked up. He may be in waivers. I'm not telling you to go out and play Tyler Boyd over some of your starters in season long. But if you're somebody who plays daily fantasy

or you're in a really bad spot in a really deep season long fantasy league, I think Tyler Boyd is the play this week. But with that being said, that is going to do it for this week three game plan preview. I am going to Tennessee this weekend, as I've said multiple times, so I'm not going to have a game plan video up

on the Tic Tac Titans YouTube channel on Friday. I'm going to be taking my butt to Tennessee, and then I will be there at the game on Sunday. I'll be out on the town on Saturday night. If you want to meet up, let me know. Holler at me. I'd love to meet any of you guys. I appreciate you all so much.

So with that being said, that is going to do it for me today. Folks, as always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans. Am I going to play the outro video? Bang!