Titans Coach Brian Callahan held a press conference on Monday at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, one day after his team’s 24-17 loss to the New York Jets.
Next up is another home game, against the Green Bay Packers.
Here’s a look at the hot topics from today’s presser:
-Running back Tyjae Spears is day-to-day with an ankle injury, Callahan said.
-No other Titan is dealing with anything other than normal bumps and bruises after a game, per Callahan.
-Callahan said the decision made by quarterback Will Levis to pitch the ball back, resulting in a fumble, inside the 10-yard line surprised him because he’d been coached about it. Callahan admitted he’s still upset about it, but he doesn’t regret getting on Levis, which television cameras caught. “I coach Will hard,” Callahan said, “but I do love him hard, too.” Callahan, in fact, said he told Levis he loved him not long after the turnover. “I told him before the next series, “Hey man, I love you. I’m not mad at you. We’ll just keep moving.”
-Other than the fumble, Callahan said Levis had a better game compared to Week 1 vs the Bears. Callahan said Levis was more accurate, and on time, and his footwork was better. “He looked more settled in,” Callahan said of Levis, “and he managed it better this week.” Callahan said he still has a lot of confidence and trust in Levis, and he thinks he’ll respond and improve.
-Callahan said left tackle JC Latham and left guard Peter Skoronski showed improvement from Week 1 to Week 2. But the team needs to be better protecting the quarterback on the right side, Callahan said. “We have to do a better job on the right side,” Callahan said, “because that’s where a lot of pressure came in the game.”
-Callahan said the team has to do a better job on special teams, calling blocked punts in back-to-back games “inexcusable and unacceptable and that falls on me at the end of the day.” Callahan said the team could change personnel on special teams. When asked specifically about running back Julius Chestnut, who after the game took the blame for the blocked punt, Callahan said his release timing was early because he was trying to cover the punt, and that ultimately allowed a wide rush lane for the Jets rusher who blocked the punt. “We have to worry about blocking for the punter first,” Callahan said, “before we worry about covering and that’s ultimately what happened in that spot.”
-Linebacker Ernest Jones played all 57 snaps on defense on Sunday, and he tallied a team-high nine tackles, including two tackles for a loss. Callahan said “it’s why we traded for him” when praising Jones, formerly with the Rams. “You are starting to see his play speed and his ability to read, diagnose and react,” Callahan said. “I’m really happy that we have him.”
-The Titans could potentially face quarterback Malik Willis on Sunday when the Packers visit Nissan Stadium. Willis, a third-round draft pick of the Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft who was traded to Green Bay before the season, threw his first touchdown pass in the NFL on Sunday as the Packers beat the Colts. Starting quarterback Jordan Love is still recovering from a knee injury he suffered in Week 1. Callahan said Willis will have a small advantage in him knowing Tennessee’s personnel and defense. “I am proud of Malik, and I am happy for him,” Callahan said of Willis. “He did a nice job (for the Packers) and we’re going to have our work cut out for us. They ran the ball like crazy. They did a great job, and Malik did a really nice job of taking care of the football and giving them a chance to win the football game. Excited for Malik, and hopefully we play better than they do on Sunday.”
-Callahan called the long pass to receiver Treylon Burks that was intercepted by the Jets was a “fluky play.” Callahan said he would have loved to see Burks make the play, “but ultimately it didn’t work that way.” Callahan said he thought it was a good aggressive throw by Levis, and it gave Burks a chance to go get it. “Kind of disappointing,” Callahan said. “I wouldn’t say it was really a fault of anybody, it was just how the ball landed on the body.”
-Callahan said he’d like to get receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who caught just one pass for nine yards on Sunday, more involved. Hopkins was targeted just twice vs the Jets. “I have to do a better job of getting him involved,” Callahan said of Hopkins. “I have to do a better job of getting him targets. … That’s ultimately on me.”
-Callahan said he loves the team’s locker room, and believes the team has what it takes to rebound from their 0-2 start. “I believe in everything that we have here,” Callahan said, “and I believe in the players that we have. I don’t panic, we just keep pushing. And we keep our blinders on, and we just keep worrying about getting better every day and when you get to the end of the season you see where the chips fall. … I think the result will come.”