Biggest Overreactions from the first two weeks of the Titans’ 2024 Season!
The Tennessee Titans have had an underwhelming start to the 2024 season, as the team sits at 0-2 and has mostly beaten themselves through two weeks. Though the season is still incredibly young, there are a few overreactions we can make about the two-tone blue through two contests. Let's go over these statements and label them as either an overreaction or not an overreaction.
Harold Landry is the Titans' best player
Landry has been stellar to start the season for Tennessee, posting three sacks and six quarterback pressures on 50 pass-rushing snaps through two games. The former Boston College standout has been one of the best edge rushers in the NFL since Week 6 of 2023, posting 12.5 sacks in his last 14 games, which ties him for third in the NFL.
Ruling: OVERREACTION
Though Landry is an exceptional player and is one of the best players on the Titans, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and cornerback L'Jarius Sneed are two of the most dominant players at their respective positions, and every offensive coordinator designs gameplans centered around containing both.
Additionally, arguments can be made that wide receiver Calvin Ridley and center Lloyd Cushenberry are more impactful players than Landry. The former second-round pick is currently the most productive player on the team, but dubbing Landry as the best player on the Titans is a bit of a stretch.
Will Levis has NO CHANCE to be the Titans' franchise quarterback
It's been a rocky start for Levis in 2024, as the second-year signal-caller has struggled with turnovers, boneheaded plays, and sustaining drives. The former Kentucky standout has consistently missed open receivers and reads through two games, and some in the fanbase have already started scouting quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Ruling: OVERREACTION... For now
Levis hasn't been good to begin his sophomore campaign, but it is still too early to give up on the 25-year-old. Like last year, the offensive line is still a work in progress, and Tennessee has faced two formidable defenses to begin the year.
We'll discover the truth about Will Levis sometime this season, but throwing the young signal caller in the trash during September is foolish.
The Titans boast a Top-5 Defense
Tennessee's defense, led by first-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson, is off to a flying start. The unit ranks No.1 in total yards and passing yards allowed and is No.8 in rushing yards allowed. The additions to the secondary and front seven, notably L'Jarius Sneed, Chidobe Awuzie, Ernest Jones, Kenneth Murray, and T'Vondre Sweat, have paid off through two weeks.
Ruling: NOT AN OVERREACTION
If the defense can start forcing some turnovers and continue to defend the pass and run at an elite level, the ceiling is unlimited for Dennard Wilson and his tenacious crew.
The Titans will post their third consecutive losing season
The Titans' last winning season came in 2021 when the team tallied a 12-5 record and the No.1 seed in the AFC. We don't need to talk about what happened in the playoffs that year, but it was the best regular season of the Mike Vrabel era. Since then, Tennessee has posted two straight losing campaigns, going 7-10 in 2022 and 6-11 in 2023, which led to the firing of Vrabel and the hiring of Brian Callahan in January 2024.
Ruling: NOT AN OVERREACTION
Tennessee's upcoming schedule shouldn't be difficult considering the quarterback injuries Green Bay and Miami possess, but after those two, it gets rough for two weeks, as the Titans travel to Detroit and Buffalo back to back weeks. There is a fairly easy patch in November, excluding games against the Chargers and Texans, but the end of the season is brutal with four division games and a contest against the Bengals.
With the schedule and a 0-2 hole in mind, I don't think the Titans will reach the nine-win mark in 2024. Tennessee isn't capable of competing with the upper echelon of teams in the NFL just yet and will likely finish with six to eight wins this season.