The Tennessee Titans are running out of time on the season to figure things out, offensively. The defense can only carry this team so far, and against the Joe Flacco-led Indianapolis Colts, it would have been a fantastic day for both sides of the ball to do their part.
Unfortunately, the offense fell flat ... again.
Quarterback Will Levis had another tough outing, and wide receiver Calvin Ridley did as well.
The latter, though, went public with his frustrations and seemingly called out the team after the loss.
"I need some in the beginning of the f***ing game, too, then. Sh*t is getting f***ing crazy for me," Ridley said, visibly frustrated.
“I need some in the beginning of the f***ing game too. S**t is getting crazy for me.”#Titans WR Calvin Ridley frustrated that he didn’t get involved in the game plan early enough. pic.twitter.com/n47lXKgVKy
— AtoZ Sports Nashville (@AtoZSports) October 13, 2024
Ridley has a right to be frustrated, but there is blame to be pointed all over, here.
In the first three quarters, Ridley had three targets in total. Come the fourth quarter, he saw a few more. Altogether, Ridley did have eight targets in this one. However, there was one problem. He ended with zero receptions.
Calvin Ridley and Will Levis clearly aren't on the same page
Say what you will about Levis' poor performance. And, trust me, there is plenty to say. It might be only a matter of time before Mason Rudolph is under center on a semi-permanent basis in place of the second-year pro.
Levis was not good, plain and simple. Going 16-of-27 for 95 yards with one touchdown, one pick and averaging only 3.5 yards per attempt is not going to get it done.
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However, could there be a more obvious issue at hand, here? If you were to take away Ridley's eight targets (including a bad drop) then Levis' final line would have been 16-of-19, not 16-of-27.
Now, 16 completions for 95 yards still isn't great. But, not completing a single target to Ridley on eight attempts? That screams a larger issue, and that's the simple fact that these two are not on the same page.
"I sucked today and I need to be better," Ridley also admitted.
And then he turned back around and put the blame elsewhere:
"But I got to get the ball a little earlier in the game," Ridley explained.
Levis has a lot to work on to have any chance at success in the NFL, but one thing is crystal clear based on today's tape. Ridley led the Titans in targets. You cannot argue that fact. Ridley also failed to come up with a single catch. These are simply the facts.
Ridley's performance on Sunday was so statistically bad that he ended up making Titans history, becoming the first player ever with eight or more targets and zero receptions. He also became just the 13th player in NFL history to accomplish such a feat.
The Titans have a Will Levis problem. They also have a Calvin Ridley problem. Both are true, and it's plain to see.