Takeaways from the first four games of the Titans season!
The Tennessee Titans picked up their first victory of the 2024 season on Monday Night, defeating the depleted Miami Dolphins 31-12 on the road. Though the Titans earned a win on Monday, the team is off to an underwhelming start to the season, posting a 1-3 record heading into the Week 5 bye week.
With four games in the books, let's go over the biggest takeaways from the first quarter of the season for the Titans.
2024 Draft Class is off to good start
Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan's first collaborative draft class is looking great through four weeks. First-round pick JC Latham looks to be the franchise left tackle, surrendering just one sack and nine quarterback pressures in 248 snaps. Defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat was the most polarizing draft selection, as many believed the team reached on Sweat with the No.38 pick. Despite concerns over weight and ability to play all three downs, Sweat is off to a flying start and looks like a Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate.
Fifth-round pick Jarvis Brownlee Jr. made his first career start on Monday in place of the injured Chidobe Awuzie, showcasing his tenacious playstyle and relentless pursuit. Brownlee posted a 79.2 coverage grade against the Dolphins and is allowing a 76.2 passer rating when targeted so far this season.
Jha'Quan Jackson and Jaylen Harrell haven't been earth-shattering to start their rookie campaigns but are earning snaps as late-round draft picks. Fourth-round rookie Cedric Gray could come off Injured Reserve after the bye week.
The Will Levis Experience
Levis has shown flashes this season, but the former Kentucky Wildcats’ reckless playstyle and inability to take care of the ball has been evident through four contests. Levis leads the league in turnovers with nine and has been the main culprit for the disappointing start to the season in Nashville.
The 25-year-old went down with a shoulder injury in the first half of the Titans' win over the Dolphins on Monday. Mason Rudolph came in and managed the game well but did nothing to steal the job from Levis. Head coach Brian Callahan confirmed after the game that Levis is 100% the starting quarterback if healthy. Though his struggles have been extremely frustrating, Tennessee has to ride the season out with Levis if he's healthy to see if he can be the franchise quarterback. In four games thus far, he's shown why the Titans should start scouting quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Harold Landry is quietly one of the best pass rushers in the NFL
Landry has been dominant for the Titans to start the campaign, totaling four sacks and ten quarterback pressures in the first four games. The 2018 second-round pick looks like his former self and is on his way to a second Pro Bowl selection.
Landry has been excellent, but the Titans' depth at edge rusher is poor. Arden Key has been nonexistent, while Jaylen Harrell will take some time to develop. Landry will have to carry a majority of the pass-rushing load for Tennessee this season, and he is more than capable of doing so.
The Rushing Attack should be the team's offensive identity
The hiring of Brian Callahan, the additions of Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd, and the expected breakout of Will Levis made many believe that the passing game would be Tennessee's identity this season. These assumptions have been completely wrong, as Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears seem to be the engines of the offense.
Pollard has been solid, rushing for 246 yards with four yards per carry. When given running lanes, the former Cowboy looks like his old self and should continue gaining steam as the season progresses. Tyjae Spears hasn't had the most exhilarating start to his sophomore campaign, but the 23-year-old scored his first touchdown of the season on Monday Night and is electric with the ball in his hands.
With the aerial attack and pass protection still a work in progress for Tennessee, leaning on Pollard and Spears should be the offensive game plan moving forward.
Other takeaways: Nick Folk is awesome, Dillon Radunz is playing well, Peter Skoronski has been up and down, Ernest Jones Trade was phenomenal, DHop and Ridley off to slow start but should get it going.