Titans Blame game: Who’s to blame for the Titans 1-4 start?
The Tennessee Titans dropped to 1-4 after an embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Though the season is still incredibly young, it's hard to envision Tennessee coming back from this deep hole, as the future schedule consists of multiple playoff-caliber teams.
Multiple people are to blame for the Titans' underwhelming and depressing start, so let's play the blame game.
1. Quarterback Will Levis
Outside of the interception, Levis wasn't awful on Sunday, but the former Wildcat hasn't played a complete game this season and is clearly not the answer at the quarterback position. The 25-year-old posted 27 attempts versus the Colts but threw for just 95 passing yards and one touchdown. And per usual, he had a foolish turnover at an untimely moment.
The hard truth is that the Titans would be 3-2 if their quarterback played clean and mistake-free football, but Levis has done the exact opposite. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward will be in a ton of fan mock drafts moving forward.
2. Head Coach Brian Callahan
Callahan coached a conservative game versus the Colts, as the first-year head coach was terrified to put the ball in Levis' hands and coached "play not to lose" football on Sunday. The former Bengals' offensive coordinator also opted to punt on a critical fourth down late in the fourth quarter when Tennessee needed to construct a competent offensive drive.
It's not abnormal for rookie head coaches to struggle early, but Callahan deserves some accountability for the Titans' abysmal season thus far. His lack of faith in his quarterback and frightened coaching cost Tennessee a chance to improve their record to 2-3.
3. Right Tackle Play
Leroy Watson got the nod at right tackle on Sunday and committed a few drive-killing penalties. Nicholas Petit-Frere started the first three games and was one of the worst offensive linemen in the entire NFL. The Titans' gamble to instill faith in their in-house options at the position hasn't worked out, and tackle will be a position of need in Nashville once again.
Expensive Offseason Additions
The Titans' prominent splash acquisitions this offseason, Calvin Ridley and L'Jarius Sneed, didn't show up on Sunday versus the Colts. Sneed has been solid this season but has yet to live up to the best corner in football hype.
Though it's not entirely his fault, Ridley has been extremely disappointing. The former Alabama standout has just nine catches on the campaign and one in the last two games. General manager Ran Carthon's $92 million investment in Ridley hasn't panned out thus far.
