Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - The Tennessee Titans ARE NOT GOOD, Baltimore Ravens Outclass & Malik Willis Enters the Spotlight

Episode Date: October 15, 2023

The Tennessee Titans were outclassed by a better team 24-16. The loss to the Baltimore Ravens makes it obvious this team is simply not good. We saw Malik Willis enter the game as well and it didn't look much better. Finally, Mike Vrabel set his team up to fail.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.BetterHelpThis episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDON today to get 10% off your first month. birddogsGo to birddogs.com/LOCKEDONNFL or enter promo code LOCKEDONNFL for a water bottle with any order. You won’t want to take your birddogs off we promise you. 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.FanDuelMake Every Moment More. Right now, NEW customers can bet FIVE DOLLARS and get TWO HUNDRED in BONUS BETS – GUARANTEED. 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

the Tennessee Titans are not a good football team. 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, Titans fans, to a week six postcast. I am your host, Tyler Rowland. The Tennessee Titans lose 24-16. They simply get outclassed by a better football team in the Baltimore Ravens. We're going to dive into my instant reaction

here. We saw Malik Willis. We got to talk about that. Mike Vrabel made a huge mistake that put his team in a terrible position. But again, overall, my instant reaction and my emotional reaction to this game just simply is the Tennessee Titans are not a good team. They are not a good team. They are not good on the offensive line. The wide receivers don't separate. The quarterback play can't elevate anybody around them. I mean, the defense is good. around them. I mean, the defense is good. This is a good defense, but it's not a great defense and a top five defense. Like there were hopes that it could be, that could maybe carry this team to some better situations. They got a turnover and tried to give the Titans a chance

in this one, but it still wasn't good enough. This team is just not good. Now the Titans may not be terrible. The Titans may not be bad. They could be still. We'll figure it out, I guess, as we go. But this team is not good. And it's obvious right now because they played a good football team in the Ravens. The Ravens didn't even play very well themselves. And they still handled the Titans and the game never really felt... I mean, it got closer and the Titans were within one score in the second half and there was And the game never really felt, I mean, it got closer, and the Titans were within one score in the second half,

and there was opportunities there, but did it ever really feel like the Titans were the better team in the game and were going to pull it out? Did it ever really feel like it? No. And the one time that it might have, Ryan Tannehill throws an interception. You know, it just, the Titans are not a good team, and it's just something that needs to be accepted. Mike Vrabel was able to drag along pretty decent rosters before, but this is the worst one.

And it just, I don't know, maybe compared to last year, they're pretty apt. But the Titans are not good enough on the offensive line. They're not good enough at wide receiver. They're not good enough at quarterback. The defense is good, but it's not great. And that's the makings of a team that is not good. So I do want to take a moment.

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 free. You're not going to find that anywhere else. I do bonus episodes here after the games as well. Tons of shorts throughout the week. I'm going to break down the film, talk about the data,

all of that different stuff. Make sure you get subscribed. Stay subscribed. It's your team every day. But, I mean, it took the Ravens kicking a bunch of field goals, not scoring touchdowns in the red zone, which shout out to the Titans red zone defense, of course. It took the Titans getting a turnover. The Ravens kind of falling asleep

in the third quarter. I mean, just for the Titans to be close, they got a ton of help from penalties as well. Like a ton of penalties helped the Titans in this game. And they were still barely even close enough to make a run at it throughout the game. I mean, what? 18-3 at halftime? This game would this is one of those games that's fake close. Just because the Titans got a little close with that third quarter when Baltimore was making mistakes they broke up a couple of big plays. Let's

not fall asleep that this team is not good. It's not a good team. All right? And it's not necessarily Ryan Tannehill's fault that the team isn't good, but at 35 years old and the type of player Tannehill is, he isn't good enough to make it better than what it is. Did you see Lamar Jackson juking and dodging and making plays? Even, did you see Malik Willis' mobility at the end of the game?

Like, if you're going to have a bad offensive line, you need a quarterback with some mobility. And while Lamar Jackson is incredibly athletic, and it's hard to match that, there are a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL each Sunday that could maybe make a play in the pocket, scramble around, and get upfield. I mean, I saw Joe Burrow do something like,

not exactly like Lamar, obviously, but I saw Joe Burrow do something like that last week against the Cardinals, and he's on a bad calf. So, like, Joe Burrow on a bad calf has the mobility of Ryan Tannehill. You see what I'm saying? And it's just hard to win in the NFL, especially when you have a bad offensive line and wide receivers that don't create a lot of separation.

Like, the team isn't good. Ryan Tannehill isn't good either. Both of those things can all be true at the same time. And when the Titans play good teams, the Ravens are a good team that played poorly and they still handled the Titans pretty well throughout most of the game. So this team is just not good and they need to start looking towards the future

but unfortunately, based on what Mike Vrabel was saying after the game, I don't think that that's the Titans' plan. I don't think that's the Titans' plan but let's talk about the quarterback situation. Let's talk about Malik Willis and then talk more about Mike Vrabel, who I think has made a decision to hurt his team before this game and then also is going to make a decision to hurt his team going forward. But before we get into all of that, I do want to let you guys know that today's episode is brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs.

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have to do is download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off your first purchase. Once again, make sure that you create an account, redeem code LOCKEDONNFL for $20 off, terms apply, download GameTime today. Last minute tickets, lowest fans, let's dive back into my week six postcast. My instant raw reaction, raw emotions to the Titans loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Again, it was 24-16 in London. The score, in my opinion, is closer than the Baltimore Ravens. Again, it was 24-16 in London. The score, in my opinion,

is closer than the game actually was. Kind of talked about how this team is just not very good, in my opinion. You go down the roster, you look at it, just not a good team. And that's a problem that isn't going to be solved overnight. And one of the big issues is, what are the Titans doing at quarterback? Because Ryan Tannehill, in my opinion, right now is the best quarterback on the team. But being 35, where he's at, where the offensive line is, where the wide receivers are on this team, he is maybe not the best quarterback for this team because he can't move around. He can't escape the pressure that's constantly on him.

And at some point, if this team is not good, then we need to talk about the future. Who is going to play quarterback next year? And then Malik Willis comes in. Alright, Tannehill goes down with the ankle injury. Can barely throw. Throws the interception. Doesn't have any juice on the throw. Tannehill got carted off. Tannehill again, 35. Ankle injury last year. Like, these are the type of things that we expected to happen on this team. And Malik Willis goes in. Now what I will say about Malik Willis, and you want to look at the stats because I know a lot of you guys like doing that. Tannehill

8 for 16, 76 yards, interception, sack twice. Malik Willis 4 for 5, 74 yards, 4 sacks, 118.8 quarterback rating compared to Tannehill's 37. But let's be honest here. Malik Willis had one good completion to Tajay Spears for 46, 48 yards. And the rest of the time, Malik Willis held the ball, didn't let go of the ball a couple of times when he should have thrown it.

Now, he escaped and used his mobility and made the best of certain situations. But at the end of the day, Malik Willis didn't play awesome. And Malik Willis didn't look like a guy who's like, oh yeah, this guy's way better than Ryan Tannehill. The offense didn't operate that well either. They had one big play like Henry had with the 64-yard one, and it put him in position. Malik Willis didn't play great by any stretch of the imagination.

But, again, at this point, even though, like I said, I don't think that Malik Willis is better than Ryan Tannehill right now, but this team is not good. The offensive line is not good, the mobility for Malik Willis, and the opportunity to maybe get some answers on the future. Let Malik play. You and the opportunity to maybe get some answers on the future. Let Malik play. You got the bye week now. Put Malik in.

Design the offense around him. If it doesn't work with Malik and he doesn't look good in a couple of games, put in Will Levis. See what you have from him. If they're both terrible, you're going to be terrible. You're going to get a chance to draft Drake May or Caleb Williams or Michael Penix and try to find the quarterback again. I've been a fan of this team for nearly 25 years now. I'm tired

of having the game manager quarterback. Steve McNair was as close as the Titans got to having a real superstar quarterback. And McNair was still not considered an elite, elite quarterback during those times. He was right on the fringe of that, which is the best the Titans have gotten. Tannehill and the best of Ryan Tannehill was on the fringe of elite, but still more of a second-tier game manager. The Titans have never had the true superstar quarterback.

Look at the Bengals, guys. Look at the Cincinnati Bengals. They were a joke for decades and decades and decades. They get Joe Burrow, totally changes their franchise, the way people look at the franchise. And yeah, their season right now isn't absolutely perfect, but they're going to turn it on and be a good team. Burrow changed the entire team. The Titans need

to find their Joe Burrow. And I don't care. I've been bad. I have seen bad seasons from the Titans where the team doesn't win many games. I've been bad. I have seen bad seasons from the Titans where the team doesn't win many games. I've seen a ton of them. I will take a few more if it means getting more swings at the quarterback apple. All right?

The Titans need more bites at the quarterback apple and go through quarterbacks and go through quarterbacks until they find a true elite quarterback. So, play Malik. Play Levis. If they're both bad, draft another guy. Until they get the quarterback,

nothing changes. It reminds me of this sign they used to hang up in my high school football locker room. It said, until morale changes, the beatings will continue. And like, until the Titans get a true elite quarterback,

we are always going to be this middling team. I said this on Twitter, but it's something that's really been sticking in my crawl lately. The Titans are a lily pad team. The Titans are a team, a stepping stone team, that great teams and great players have great moments against. a stepping stone team that great teams and great players have great moments against. The Ravens are a, are a good team that just had a tough physical game on the road and use the

Titans as a stepping stone to go four and two and lead the division and be on their way to being one of the better teams in the AFC this year. The Titans throughout my entire life, 25 years of being a fan of this team for most of that time, the Titans are a stepping stone for elite quarterbacks stepping stones for teams led by elite quarterbacks they're the patsy

I'm tired of it so Mike Vrabel was in his press conference after the game I don't think we need to talk about Will Levis and Malik yet we need to talk about how's Ryan feeling no, no, play Malik play Levis We need to talk about how's Ryan feeling. No. No.

Play Malik. Play Levis. Figure it out the rest of the year. This team is not good. Figure out if you need the quarterback in the draft because you're probably going to have a good chance at it. Now, the thing is, the Titans probably aren't going to be 2-15, 3-14, 4-13

to have the first pick or the second pick in the draft and have a chance at one of those quarterbacks. If you keep Tannehill in and they scratch out a couple of crazy games like they almost did today. So, and let's be honest here. I don't want this to go too long. Last thing I'm saying is I wrote about Mike Vrabel making the decision to go over to England late in the week I mean just think you

practice football NFL football practice on Thursday get on a plane try to sleep on a plane sleep on transportation device good luck with that get off the plane, go straight to another NFL football practice, and then play a football game 48 hours later. No wonder the Titans were so terrible in the first half. Good job, Mike

Vrabel. Sean McDermott said he wished he would have done it different. John Harbaugh is literally doing it different from what he did in 2017. This team isn't good. Mike Vrabel put them in a bad spot. Play the young quarterbacks. Look for the future.

The Titans aren't going to do it, but they need to. And if they don't, it's a big mistake. But either way, that is going to do it for my postcast. I'm going to have a full 30-minute breakdown with Titan Up, Titan Down later on tonight. Make sure you guys tune into that. But for this moment, that is going to do it for me. Again, my overreaching emotion after this game is Titans are not good.

That's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I'm your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.