Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Will Levis NOT PERFECT v Falcons, Struggles in Pittsburgh & Trade Deadline Silence

Episode Date: October 31, 2023

The Tennessee Titans got a tremendous performance from Will Levis against the Atlanta Falcons, but it was far from perfect. Tyler goes over what he saw on tape in Levis' debut that is encouraging and needs work. Next, the Titans have historically struggled against the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially on the Steel City. If Levis can play well and bring the Titans to 4-4 with a primetime win on Thursday night, he will have the fanbase in a chokehold. Finally, the trade deadline passed and the Titans made no moves. This was the right thing to do.Follow 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!DoorDashGet 50% off up to $10 value when you spend $15 or more on your FIRST order, when you download the DoorDash app and enter code LOCKED23. Subject to change. Terms apply.Jase MedicalGet $20 off these lifesaving antibiotics with Jase Medical by using code LOCKEDON at checkout on jasemedical.com.PrizePicksGo to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnfl and use code lockedonnfl for a first deposit match up to $100!GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets. Lowest Price. Guaranteed.eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit at eBayMotos.com. Let’s ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.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.FanDuelScore early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON 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) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will Levis was fantastic in his debut for the Tennessee Titans, but there is a lot that the rookie quarterback needs to clean up on tape. We're going to dive into his performance on today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. Let's get it. 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 GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Last minute tickets, lowest price guaranteed. A lot to talk about on today's show. We're going to dive into the stuff that Will Levis needs to clean up that I saw on tape. Also, we're going to talk about the crazy circumstances with the Pittsburgh Steelers and how monumentous it would be if Will Levis could get a victory there. Also, the trade deadline was on Tuesday. The Titans did nothing, and that was the right thing to do. Before I get into all of that, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked

on Titans podcast your 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 here on the Locked on Titans podcast. Tomorrow's going to be crossover Thursday. We're going to be

previewing the game with Chris Carter from Locked on Steelers. Can't wait for that. Make sure that you tune back in, and I'm going to be going live immediately after the game against the Steelers on Thursday night here on the Locked On Titans YouTube channel to break down everything that happened. You don't want to miss any of that. Again, make sure you get subscribed, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Shout out to my everydayers out there. And if you aren't an everydayer, you need to be one. Let's dive into Will Levis and what I saw from him on tape, because again, I'm going

to start with the positives. I'm going to start with what we all could see. Incredible arm talent, incredible velocity, incredible confidence. He was moving well in the pocket, and it wasn't just that stuff either. It wasn't just the physical attributes. Hearing from Tim Kelly, Titans offensive coordinator on Wednesday was great, or Tuesday I should say, was great because he said that they had the whole playbook open for Will Levis. They didn't hold anything back. He had

full command of the whole playbook and shout out to my guy Pretty Boy Kelly on Twitter who pointed out Will Levis wasn't even wearing a quarterback wristband to help him with the play calls. The rookie had full command of the offense, and Tim Kelly said that allowed him to be confident. And Will Levis has earned it by working in the film room, working in the meetings, working with the coaching staff to get ready and to know everything in and out. He had incredible command.

He was calling audibles. He was changing plays. We heard devil, devil. We heard Vegas, Vegas. He was doing a lot of things that professional veteran quarterbacks are doing. And it's not normal to see a rookie have that sort of handle on an offensive playbook in his first game ever. All right?

So the elite skills and the study ability, the intelligence of Will Levis was one of the smartest student athletes in the entire country his last year at Kentucky. So this is, the guy is like brilliant scholastically. And there is a big part of football that is scholastic, studying, learning tendencies, understanding your assignments, memorizing and understanding the why and critically thinking about your playbook, all of that different stuff that kind of translates to a lot of our own daily lives and our daily jobs and the things we have to do. It's just he has a physical component to it that he has to go out and execute as well.

But those sort of things can allow Will Levis to be elite because he's got elite mindset. He's got elite physical traits. But, but, he's got elite physical traits. But, but, his arm arrogance and his overconfidence bordering cockiness in his arm leads to poor decision making.

That's what I would tell you. On one of the first plays of the game, when Will Levis goes down the right sideline to Traylon Burks, and maybe Burks should have caught it, maybe Burks should have made a play. It was a good play by the defense. Either way, it was incomplete. But it was an absolute dime by Will Levis.

But he could have taken the check down to Chica Conquo on first down on the first play of the drive. Get your first first down. Dump it off to your guy. Let him get 10 to 15 yards in wide open spaces. I mean, he had an incredible arm talent that allowed him to put the ball perfectly where he did throw it, but it wasn't the right decision for the moment. And really, what I think is these aren't terrible decisions overall, just situationally

the decisions could be better. And he's a rookie quarterback, so hopefully being faced with these situations more often will allow him to be better here and make better decisions. Another situation, there is a third and three. Will Levis takes a shot down the left sideline to Traylon Burks, the one that was just barely out of bounds that Burks couldn't get to. That was third and three, and Kyle Phillips was on the other side where the route concept was supposed to go,

and he sat down perfectly to get the first down, and Levis decided to take the deep shot on third and long. You know, I like the aggressiveness. He has the arm talent, but in certain situations, you have to know when to just take what the defense gives you, live to see another down, have another opportunity to make a big play. You don't have to make the big play all the time, and that's something you heard about Levis coming out of college, is that he just didn't want to take what the defense gave him. He was always trying to make a bigger, better play. That led to inaccuracy.

It led to turnovers. It led to injuries. All right? So he's just got to take what the defense gives him. Another play where I want to point out decision-making as an issue. Late in the first half, he throws the deep ball on third and seven to Nick Westbrook-Akene down the field as he's trying to split the safeties. On that play, he had Chigakonkwo open on an out route.

He had Kyle Phillips open over the middle on a crossing route. It's third and seven with 45 seconds left. You're on like the 45-yard line. You need one more first down and you're in field goal range. Where you're at right now is a 58-yard field goal. You're not doing that with Nick Folk before the half with 40 seconds left and allowing the Falcons to get the ball, go down, and get their own three points.

All right? So you need to, rather than throwing a deep pass to Nick Westbrook-Akene and expecting him to split the safety and the cornerback with speed, which know your personnel, throw the easy out route to Chick. Throw the wide open cross over the middle to Kyle Phillips. Get your first down, continue your personnel, throw the easy out route to Chick. Throw the wide open crossover over the middle to Kyle Phillips. Get your first down, continue your drive, and ensure yourself that you get three points before halftime. That's a rookie mistake in the two-minute drill to take that shot.

But again, the confidence in his arm strength, in his arm ability, makes him make these cocky decisions with the ball. And it's an old coaching adage. I would rather have to back a guy down than try to get a guy to give me more. You know what I mean? So I would rather have to back down the aggressiveness of Will Levis than, for example, a guy like Marcus Mariota or Malik Willis

who literally doesn't want to drive the ball down the field at all and is worried about it. You know what I mean? So for me, again, Will Levis played very well, and I'm very, very excited. But, I want to be fair, it was not perfect. It was far from perfect, and Levis will have to be better with his decision making. Again, another caveat, though, before we go here, he's a rookie.

It was his first game ever. So I expected to get better. But we want to be fair. We want to be fair. And that's what I saw on tape. But with that being said, we are going to continue talking about Will Levis because I'm going to go through some of the numbers here

with the Titans record against the Pittsburgh Steelers over the last 20 years. And Will Levis has an opportunity to really grab this fan base by the throat. By God, I hope he does. Let's talk about how we can do it here in just a moment. Before we do, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you

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Exclusions apply. Titans fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about what Will Levis did on tape and where he needs to improve. Now I want to talk about the reality with going to play the Steelers in Pittsburgh and why it is an incredible opportunity for Will Levis to really take a hold of this fan base and any doubters that remain. Before we get into it, I do want to thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day.

Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. I also want to let you guys know about the Locked on NFL live kickoff show. It's great stuff from Locked on. Great coverage. They're getting you ready for fantasy, for your betting slate, for all the different matchups.

You get insight from the local host of Locked On NFL, like me, for the Titans. So you're getting the best coverage possible on each team. Great host, Tanitra Batiste, Jarvis Davis, Kyle Krabs, breaking down every single game. It goes live at 2 p.m. Eastern every single Friday on all of the Locked On NFL YouTube channels. So you don't even have to subscribe to anywhere. It'll be here live on the Locked On NFL YouTube channels. So you don't even have to subscribe to anywhere.

It'll be here live on the Locked On Titans YouTube channel. Titans maybe get a win on Thursday night, and then you can check out the NFL preview show on Friday. Sounds like a good plan to me. But with that being said, I want to throw some numbers at you guys to kind of set the stage here. Allow me to paint a picture, if you will,

for a moment. Close your eyes. If anybody gets the movie here. Allow me to paint a picture, if you will, for a moment. Close your eyes. If anybody gets the movie reference, let me know down below. But anyways, the Titans have lost four straight games to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Four straight. They haven't beaten Pittsburgh since 2014. Or 2013, to be correct.

They haven't beaten Pittsburgh since 2013. Since 2013, 0-4. Not only that, but since 2003, the Titans are 3-8 against the Steelers and 1-5 in Pittsburgh. Yikes. So, I say all that to say this. The Titans historically struggle in Pittsburgh, especially primetime.

They struggle with Pittsburgh, period. But in Pittsburgh, it's been a disaster. If Will Levis, when this team was 2-4, we were talking about tanking. We were talking about drafting QBs. We were talking about trading Derrick Henry, DeAndre Haas, everybody. If we

wake up on Friday morning, if we wake up on Friday morning and Will Levis has led the 3-4 Tennessee Titans back to.500 after going on the road on a short week in primetime in Pittsburgh

and knocking off the Steelers, we are going to party. Okay? Look, I put it on Twitter. I put a picture of Levis. I said, there's a chance. There's a chance. This wasn't a prediction. It was just saying there's a chance that we look up 20 years from now and we look at that moment. This was before the game happened. I said there's a chance

20 years from now we look back at that moment. Levis' first game in the Oiler uniforms at home. And we look back that was a special moment. That was a moment things changed for the franchise. That was a moment something special really started. Like a real special thing. The conversation around Steve McNair, in my opinion, has lost reality with time.

McNair was treated like Ryan Tannehill is now. McNair was treated like Dak Prescott is now. McNair was treated like a Lamar Jackson, maybe, is now, at best. At best. When people were highest on Steve McNair, they treated him like Lamar Jackson maybe is now at best, at best. When people were highest on Steve McNair, they treated him like Lamar Jackson. And Lamar Jackson has some staunch defenders who, you know, say he's absolutely incredible. And I think Lamar is a very good top 10 quarterback.

But you have other people who say, well, he's not elite. He's kind of at the top of the second tier. He's not Mahomes. He's not Josh Allen. He's not Joe Burrow. There are people who say, and that's what people were saying about Steve McNair, even in the year that he won his MVP, co-MVP with Peyton Manning. I mean, he won MVP and he had to share it with Peyton Manning. That

just tells you what it is. You know what I mean? So people kind of misremember how people, how the national media and even local people viewed Steve McNair. They viewed him as a tier two mid-game manager quarterback. That's how people viewed him. So, in my opinion, the Titans have never had a truly elite quarterback, ever. So all I was saying was, we could look back at the game against the Falcons as a true one of the greatest moments in Tennessee Titans history that changed the franchise for the better.

The game was better than I ever could even imagine. For Levis to come out and play the way that he played and lead the Titans to a win at 2-4 against a top-10 Falcons defense, that maybe is a little overrated, but they're still not bad. With this offensive line, this group of receivers, for the defense to wake back up in all the videos that we've seen now, the sideline and all that. It felt like a moment.

It sure felt like a moment. But if he, on a short week, goes into Pittsburgh in primetime and beats the Steelers, when the Titans are, again, 3-8 against the Steelers since 2003. 1-5 on the road. 0-4 since 2013. If Will Levis goes in there and does that

on the biggest stage in front of the whole world when everyone's watching the Titans and gives them legitimacy and respect and we wake up on Friday morning and everybody's talking about how great Will Levis is and how he's the future of the team. Guys, that's everything that we've ever could have dreamed of. And of course, like I said, there are issues with Levis.

I just talked about it. Maybe those are things that end up ruining all of this long term. But if he goes in and takes down the Steelers in Steel City with the terrible Towers flying and Renegade playing, we're going to party on Thursday night after the game live here on the show. So I hope you guys show up. But with that being said, the trade deadline was Tuesday. Happy Halloween to everybody out there. We're going to talk about the moves that happened.

And I'm going to tell you why the Titans shouldn't have made any of those moves and they did the right thing by not making any other trades. Before we get into that, though, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by GameTime. I love GameTime. I purchase tickets all the time on GameTime. It's the only place that I do purchase tickets. I buy baseball tickets, basketball tickets, plan to buy some football tickets here soon. I mean, but it's more than just sports on GameTime. They have comedy, music, theater,

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Last minute tickets. Lowest price. Guaranteed. Titans fans, let's cap off today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about Will Levis, what I saw on tape, what needs to improve. We also talked about Will Levis' opportunity to absolutely grab the fan base by the throat here, turn everyone into Will Levis believers by knocking off the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now it's time to talk traits.

And the Titans didn't make any traits, but I think that was a great idea. Before we get into that, thank you guys for making the Locked on Titans podcast your first listen each and every day. Remember Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round. I'm going to be having crossover Thursday tomorrow

with Chris Carter from Locked on Steelers. I'm going to be live after the game, breaking down everything that happened, whether it's good or bad. So make sure that you stay with me here on the Locked on Titans podcast. But as for the trades, we saw trades early on, trades throughout the day, but Leonard Williams traded from the Giants to the Seahawks for a second and a fifth. We have Jeffrey Simmons, ladies and gentlemen. There is no need to trade

for Leonard Williams. Funny story about Leonard Williams, though. I wanted him over Marcus Mariota. I wanted the Titans to roll with Zach Mettenberger. That was before I had a podcast, and thank God. The Eagles traded Contavious Street to the Atlanta Falcons because Grady Jarrett got hurt in the game. Titans don't need to trade for a defensive tackle when they have Jeffrey Simmons, T.R. Tartt. Some big trades, though. Washington sent Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick.

I'm not giving up a second-round pick for a guy that I could have signed in free agency and that I wasn't that interested in in the first place. Montez Sweat is a good player, but I'm not giving up a second- pick for a guy that I could have signed in free agency and that I wasn't that interested in in the first place. Montez Sweat is a good player, but I'm not giving up a second round pick for him. Josh Dobbs got traded to the Minnesota Vikings. So good for the Vikings trying to deal with Kirk Cousins. Obviously, it means Tannehill is not going anywhere. Jacksonville acquired guard Ezra Cleveland from Minnesota.

I don't think Ezra Cleveland's all that good, so I wouldn't have given up a sixth round pick for that. Donovan Peoples-Jones, wide receiver from the Browns that has been incredibly disappointing and is going to get replaced by Cedric Tillman, the Tennessee wide receiver who's just drafted. The Lions traded a sixth round pick for Donovan Peoples-Jones. I mean, is he really going to be better than NWI? No, I don't want to give up a six-round pick for that. The Packers traded cornerback Razul Douglas to the Bills for a third-round pick. Not a chance. Not a chance for Razul Douglas. No way. I'm not trading a third-round pick. Get out of here with that. And then Chase Young.

This is the good one. This is the one. Chase Young was traded to the 49ers for a third round pick. It's a compensatory pick. The Titans don't have a third round pick. And I wouldn't want them to give up a second round pick for Chase Young, who is coming back from injury, hasn't really lived up to all the hype. I would just rather keep the picks.

I've said all along, I've been steadfast. I've been consistent. I want the Titans to be sellers. There's no reason to buy. Even though the Will Levis stuff is exciting, it shouldn't change the Titans' direction in terms of selling all pieces, not buying pieces. I didn't want to make any of these trades that I saw.

I don't think they're good moves for the Titans. The Titans are going to have $100 million in cap space this offseason. They don't need to trade draft picks to get the reason that you trade draft picks to get guys on an expiring contract like a Jalen Johnson or something or a Chase Young. The reason you do that is because now they're in your building and you get a chance to re-sign them before they hit free agency. The Titans are going to be able to outbid anybody in free agency. So whatever. Whatever. Go to the open market. I'm still going to outbid anybody else there if I really want the player.

So the Titans didn't need to do any of that preemptive free agency moving trades. They didn't need to do any of that. The Titans were smart to hold firm. If they could have traded Autry or Tart, I think that would have been the move. I've been talking about Autry for a few weeks now. But keep Henry, keep Hopkins around Will Levis. See if they can help the young quarterback continue to grow.

I think the Titans were smart to sit off the trade deadline. I didn't want them to be buyers anyway. So just wanted to throw that down here for you guys because I know a lot of you guys are starting to send me trade for this guy. No, that's not where this team is. Don't fool yourself into thinking that. The Titans have a ton of cap room. They're stacking draft picks for this offseason.

Build for the future. Don't make hasty, impatient moves right now. But with that being said, that's going to do it for today's show. Again, back for tomorrow's crossover Thursday. Going to be live after the game. As always, I am your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.