Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans QB Rotation is KEY TO DEFEAT, Jeffery Simmons Game Wrecker & Secure a Top Pick

Episode Date: January 2, 2025

The Tennessee Titans take on the Houston Texans in their finals game of the 2024 season and there are major stakes at play that lead the Titans to only one logical option: LOSE. The Titans will need to focus on their quarterback rotation to ensure that they do not come out victorious. Mason Rudolph and Will Levis will have to keep up their level of play from most of the season, but the offensive tackle will need to do the same as the last time they faced the Texans, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson had their way. Finally, the focus has to be securing a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and based on what we heard from Brian Callahan this week, that seems to be the main priority.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!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 TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS - if you win your first FIVE DOLLAR BET ! 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 take on the Houston Texans in their final game of the year, and their keys to victory are also their keys to defeat. We'll discuss 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. It is our last game plan episode of the season. Hard to believe it, but we have finally arrived to week 18. And we're going to talk about what the Tennessee Titans need to do to either win the game or preferably lose the game against the Houston Texans. From a big picture standpoint, look at the keys for the Titans as a team.

Then we're going to zoom in and look at the individual players to watch in this game. Again, that will swing it to a victory or swing it to a defeat. Finally, we will talk about my predictions for this game, the gambling, the fantasy, and my score prediction as well. Before we get into all of it, though, do want to thank you 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.

Make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Speaking of every day, shout out to my everydayers out there tuning in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. And remember, I am every day, shout out to my everydayers out there. Tune in Monday through Friday. Couldn't do it without you guys. And remember, I am every day all year round. So it's going to be a crazy offseason for the Titans.

You're never going to want to miss any of the news, any of the opinion I'm bringing you. Do an analysis of free agents, the draft, all that. So make sure that you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. Again, it's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast. But with that being said, as we always do in these game plan episodes, we are going to start with our keys to victory.

But quite honestly, I look at it as the keys to defeat for the Titans because the reality is we need the Tennessee Titans to lose this game so that they can get either the number two pick in the draft or potentially secure the number one pick in the draft with the New England Patriots loss. But that's, you know, big picture stuff that we're going to talk about down the road for this game. The key to victory or defeat, as it has been all year long,

is turnovers. Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. I talked about it on yesterday's episode with Big Sarge from Locked on Texans on the crossover Thursday, but the Titans have 31 turnovers this season, the most in the NFL. It is impossible to win games when you are turning over the ball that often. It's

impossible. All right. So if the Titans want to beat the Houston Texans, they need to avoid turnovers. But for the Titans to lose to the Houston Texans, they just got to do what they do best. And that's turn over the ball. And when we talk about turnovers, we can talk about fumbles and the running backs and the kick returners, but really the interceptions. The interceptions and then the fumbles in the pocket from the quarterbacks is really where the Titans have done the bulk of their turnover damage, which I guess is logically always going to be the case for a football team.

But nonetheless, it's the quarterback position that has really doomed the Titans when it comes to the turnovers. And we're going to see both quarterbacks on Sunday. So to me, if a quarterback has a turnover, whether it be an interception, whether it's a strip sack fumble in the pocket, keep that quarterback out there. That's what we need to see. The Titans must turn

over the ball because the reality is here, while D'Amico Ryan's Houston Texans head coach said earlier this week that he expects all of his guys to be out there, how long are they going to be out there? Because my guy Big Sarge from Locked on Texans, who I just said we talked to yesterday on Crossover Thursday, he made it seem like the Texans starters aren't going to be out there for a long time. It's not going to be a situation where C.J. Stroud plays the entire game or, you know, Nico Collins plays the entire game or Daniil Hunter

and Will Anderson and Derek Stingley Jr. Like, these guys are not going to be out there the entire game. So not only do the Titans need to turn over the ball to help the Texans' JV team get a win, but the Titans need to turn it over early so that the Texans' starters can take advantage of some of those turnovers. So if you want the Titans to win,

they have to avoid the turnovers. If you want the Titans to lose, they need to find a way to continue to do what they do best, and that's turn over the football. And one of the great ways that they can create those turnovers is with sacks. Again, Daniil Hunter, Will Anderson,

you got Danico Autry in there as well. The Titans are going to be playing a terrible offensive tackle in John Ajuku. They're going to have backups on the interior in Daniel Brunskill and Corey Levin at right garden center, respectively. If the Houston Texans are able to pressure the Titans quarterback,

no matter who it is, the turnovers will flow. So if the Titans want to win, well, there you go. You have to prevent the sacks. And that will come with Mason Rudolph and Will Levis. You know, Mason Rudolph all year long has had way less sacks to his name than Will Levis. So to me, I want to see what's happening. If the Texans are getting a ton of pressure,

then I'm fine with playing Mason Rudolph as much as they want because Mason Rudolph under pressure is going to crack and freak out too. But if they're not getting pressure on the quarterback as much as you thought they would early in the game, then you got to play Will Levis because then Will Levis is more turnover prone with time. If both quarterbacks have ample amount of time in the pocket, Will Levis is going to cause more turnovers than Mason Rudolph. So the sacks, the offensive line, the ability to protect is going to be a key to victory

or defeat for the Tennessee Titans. It is truly something that can go both ways. And then finally, Big Sarge talked about it, run the football. The reality is that C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, probably won't play the majority of this game. They may play early,

they probably won't play the whole game. When they come out of the game, the Texans passing offense is not going to have the juice and the pop that we hoped that it would have to send the Titans to defeat. Okay. So what the Texans will have to do then is run the ball. All right. The problem is the Texans offensive line was not able to do anything against the Titans defensive line in their last matchup in the run game. The Titans held Joe Mixon to 14 carries for 22 yards. If that happens again, the Tennessee Titans are winning this game. Period.

Period. Now, will the Titans run defense against the Texans show up? Or will their run defense from against Indianapolis show up? That's the question. And the answer is probably about who plays at linebacker. So we're going to look at my players to watch in this game right now. Before we do, do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by PrizePix. It's pretty much play all time. And if you're like me, you want to make the most of these final weeks of football action. That's where PrizePix comes in. If you love football and you want a chance to win real

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to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Again, it's PrizePix. Run your game. Today's episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. What do you want your 2025 story to be? Every January brings a new chapter, 365 blank pages waiting for you to fill. If there's a part of your life you want to rewrite or a plot twist that you've been craving, why wait? Life isn't about fleeting resolutions. It's about taking control and becoming the author of your own story. Think of therapy as your personal editor, helping you craft the life you deserve. It's not just for crisis situations. Therapy can help you develop healthier coping strategies, improve your relationships,

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And that is the quarterback position. Before I dive in, do want to thank you again for making Locked on Titans 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. But looking at the players to watch, and once again I come back to the quarterback position, we're going to see both Mason Rudolph and Will Levis. And Brian Callahan talked about, you know, continuing to get an evaluation for the future going forward. And, you know, we want to get as many answers as we possibly can. And I continue to say that is an absolute front for the tank.

We've seen seven years of Mason Rudolph. We've seen a full season of Will Levis. He knows what they are. He knows what they can do. There is no further evaluation that we're going to get from one week against the Houston Texans. One week against the Texans isn't going to override or change the year of Will Levis that we've seen or the seven years of Mason Rudolph that we've seen. So to me, from the start, when I heard that comment that they were going to play both quarterbacks, it was blatantly obvious that this is a plan to tank. And that what Brian Callahan wants to do is, is he wants to rotate the quarterbacks in

and out to make sure that they lose the game so that they don't ever catch a rhythm and they don't ever get confidence and all that. You could just yank them in and out and say it's for evaluation. But the reality is the Titans need the quarterbacks to suck in this game. And it's funny because having crappy quarterbacks has led the Titans to this situation and they need the quarterbacks to be crappy one more time for them to have a chance to fix it.

One more time. Just play bad. Play like you've played all year long. One more time. Whether it be Mason Rudolph. Whether it be Will Levis. It doesn't even matter as long as they play poorly and send the Titans to a loss.

But make no mistake about it. That the quarterbacks will be the biggest domino in that line of progression for the Titans to lose this game. If Will Levis plays good, if Mason Rudolph plays well, the Titans probably win the game. Because again, like I mentioned before, it's not like we're going to see the Texans starters the entire game. It felt like that, but that's obviously not going to be the case. We're only going to get a limited amount of starters from the Houston Texans.

So, to me, that means that we're going to get Davis Mills. And if we get Davis Mills, if we get Davis Mills, well, then Davis Mills has to be the best quarterback out on the field. If Will Levis plays a good game, if Mason Rudolph plays a good game,

the Titans are in trouble. And that is why I believe that whoever is playing well needs to be pulled. They need to be benched. You cannot allow Mason Rudolph or Will Levis to go out there and play awesome. You can't do it. You can't. You simply can't. And again, that's why I think Brian Callahan set

this up so early in the week. He said, hey, we're going to rotate them so that when Will Levis throws a touchdown pass and Mason Rudolph goes out there on the next drive or vice versa, nobody's going to be like, what the heck are they doing? Well, Brian Callahan told us they are going to rotate the quarterback.

So we have our answer there. Moving forward, I go back again to the offensive tackles. The Titans are going to play John Ajuku at right tackle. And I think that is a great decision because despite John Ajuku's performance last week, Nicholas Petit-Ferrer is a better football player than John Ajuku. That's the truth. So I don't want to see NPF out there.

I want to see Ajuku. I want to see Levin. I want to see Brunskill. Hey, if they got to sit Brunskill down, if there's even the slightest bit of an injury, go ahead. But we know that in this game last time, J.C. Latham got cooked. He got a sack to Will Anderson. He got a sack to Daniil Hunter. He got cooked. And if they're cooking J.C. Latham like that, what are they

about to do to John Ajuku? Now, if John Ajuku comes out there and he has a fantastic performance or something like that, then the Titans are in trouble and they're probably going to win the game. But here's my thing. John Ajuku is not an answer for the Titans at right tackle going forward. He should not be a starter for the Titans at any moment in time. Could he be a decent swing tackle for the Titans?

Their third tackle plays that heavy tight end spot like he's been playing? Yes. I think John Ajuku could do that very successfully. I would like him in that role. But John Ajuku is never going to be good enough to be a starter, a good starter in the NFL. So I would be so angry if he had a fantastic game against the Houston Texans here and prevented the Titans from getting the number one pick or the number two pick. Like, I would just be furious because it means nothing to the future. So look, if you want the Titans to win, you need the offensive tackles to play great. If you want the Titans to lose, then you're going to need the offensive tackles

to do about as good as they did against the Texans last time. Because although the Titans won, the Texans' defensive ends had their way. It's the best edge rush group in the entire NFL. So we have to hope that they ratchet it up and they dominate and they destroy the Titans' offensive tackles, and that'll set up the Titans' quarterbacks to have their turnovers, and that'll set up the Titans to lose the game. The final players to watch for me, we go to the defensive side of the ball.

It's Jeffrey Simmons and Tavondre Sweat. Because on crossover Thursday, Big Sarge mentioned Kenyon Green, the much maligned interior offensive lineman for the Houston Texans. Mentioned Drew Scruggs as well, another guy who had not had a great season. The Titans can wreck this game

with Jeffrey Simmons and Tavondre Sweat on the interior against the Houston Texans interior offensive line. They can wreck the game, absolutely. So if I'm the Titans, I am rotating in my backup defensive line a ton. The Titans already do a rotation. I would rotate every single series, no doubt. Jeffrey Simmons, you're out. James Lynch, you're in.

Keiondre Coburn, you're in. Sebastian Joseph Day, you're in. Tavondre Sweat, Jeffrey Simmons, you're out. James Lynch, you're in. Keiondre Coburn, you're in. Sebastian Joseph Day, you're in. Tavondre Sweat, Jeffrey Simmons, you're out. Because the reality is, again, that with the interior offensive line play of the Houston Texans and the defensive line, interior defensive line talent of the Titans with Sweat

and Simmons, they can destroy this game entirely. And when you don't have C.J. Stroud and you don't have Nico Collins and you don't have whoever the Texans end up sitting at some point during the game, it makes it even more likely that Jeffrey Simmons could wreck this whole entire game. Don't let him do it. Sub him out for James Lynch. That's all I got to say. But those are my players to watch in this game. Now it's time for my predictions and a final plea. Please do not win this game, Tennessee Titans. Do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by Fandle. The NFL playoffs are

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Hopefully next year they're better. That's all I have to say about that. But getting into some of my predictions for this game before I do, thanks 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. Make sure that you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day here on the Locked on Titans podcast.

But my prediction for this game is Houston Texans 23, Tennessee Titans 17. Now, I hope that it's not that close. I hope that we don't go into the fourth quarter with the opportunity for the Tennessee Titans to win the game. I hope it's like 23 to 13 so that we don't have to worry about it. We don't have to freak out, but I just have a feeling the Titans are going to make this one close. Although I think the Texans do find a way to win and yes, I am projecting hope. I am hoping that the Houston Texans win this game, but I think they do find a way to do so. yes, I am projecting hope. I am hoping that the Houston Texans win this game, but I think they do find a way to do so. There's revenge on the line. The Titans are going to be

wearing the Houston Oilers uniforms, which is going to piss off the Texans even more. I'm sure even people who aren't from the city who don't care about that. Look, when you play for a franchise like the Texans, you buy in. That's what it's all about. You are part of that franchise now, which means you care about the history. You care about the rivalries, all that stuff. So I think the Texans are going to be extra motivated. Even if the Oilers uniforms don't motivate them, the Titans beating them last time and getting their revenge on the road, that's going to be something that the Houston Texans are fighting for. So for me, I think Houston does find a way to pull this one out and the Tennessee Titans set themselves up in a good place draft-wise,

but I see it as 23-17, a little bit close, a one-score game, hoping that that's not the case. Moving to keeping it plus 100 for some of my gambling advice here. The Titans are one-and-a-half-point favorites at home. I don't know how I feel about that. I know that I think the Texans win the game, but it could just go either way, and we don't know how long the starters are going to play for the Texans

or if that's just a lie outright. So with so much uncertainty into who's going to play, who's not going to play, all of that, I just simply can't put my money on a point spread by any means. The over-under for FanDuel in this game is 38 and a half. I don't think I would touch that. Again, the uncertainty with who will play in this game really messes with you there.

I don't really like any of that. Now, what I would tell you is the Houston Texans plus seven and a half as part of a teaser. If you get a little six-point teaser with the Houston Texans, I really like that. That would be a good option in my opinion. But otherwise, I'm staying away from this game. six-point teaser with the Houston Texans. I really like that. That would be a good option in my opinion, but otherwise, I'm staying away from this game.

And my beautiful, dark, twisted fantasy player of the game is going to be Calvin Ridley. Calvin Ridley is about 80-some yards away from 1,000. I think the Titans are going to do everything they possibly can to get Calvin Ridley his 1,000-yard season. I think that's an absolute lock right there. So I think Calvin Ridley has a very good game. I will say this, just finally. Please don't win this game, Titans.

Please, please, please, I'm begging you. Do not win this game. The impact that winning this game would have on the Titans is massive. If the Titans were to win a fourth game, let's assume everybody else loses.

If the Titans were to win a fourth game, they would drop all the way back to the eighth pick. So from two to eight, you cannot afford that. You cannot afford that. Not only for the quarterback's sake, but for the other options. If you want an edge rusher, say goodbye to Abdul Carter.

If you want a pass rusher, or if you want an offensive tackle, say goodbye to Kelvin Banks. If you want Travis Hunter, say goodbye to Travis Hunter. You ain't getting any of those players at number eight. And the Titans have a better strength of schedule than Jags, the Panthers, the Jets. So it would be a terrible, terrible, terrible outcome

for the Tennessee Titans to win this game. It wouldn't just drop them out of quarterback range. It would drop them out of elite prospect range. And they simply cannot afford for that to happen. Period. There's no way around it. So I know that for some of you, it is tough to stomach wanting to lose. I know that there are a lot of you that say,

as a fan of a team, you should never want your team to lose. All right, fine. If that's how you feel, that's how you feel. Sure. But I don't care about any of that. I care about the Titans winning next year. I will sacrifice another loss in this lost season. Why would you want another win in this season? What's that going to do for you? Give you short-term happiness? You know, for me, it's like the conversation of eating healthy or eating junk food. You, you know, eat junk food,

it's going to make you happy in the short term, but you're going to feel like crap afterwards. It's unhealthy. The Titans need to eat a salad this weekend and not eat the burger and fries and the milkshake. All right, the burger and the fries and the milkshake taste better. It's more fun. Get your endorphins going.

But what's best for the Titans long term is to take a salad, and this salad has L dressing on it. That's all that it comes down to. So you could say that you're a bad fan if you want the team to lose, but I'm sorry. I would rather get wins next year, hopefully, than get one more win this year in a lost season. And it's that simple for me.

But with that being said, that's going to do it for me today, folks. I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.