Week 1 of the NFL regular season officially ended after Monday night's game between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears. Now, teams are preparing for Week 2 to change early-season narratives. In the case of the Tennessee Titans, their head coach has been getting the most smoke from the fanbase.
ESPN reported last month that Brian Callahan was nearly fired following last season's 3-14 campaign, but the Titans ultimately retained him. However, the team's fiasco to end the first half that saw them relinquish a 6-3 lead to a 10-9 deficit had fans already calling for his job. Based on the fanbases' week 1 overreactions from the last couple of seasons, the Titans are hoping for a different outcome this time around.
Brian Callahan has to break the week 1 overreaction cycle
The Titans have had three consecutive losing seasons, where their record has gotten worse each season. They won seven games in 2022, six games in 2023, and three games in 2024. Each season's biggest week 1 overreaction remained true throughout the duration of their respective seasons. Let's review:
2022: Offensive Coordinator Todd Downing was an inadequate play caller
Following the Titans' deflating playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in January 2022, many in the fanbase were calling for Todd Downing's job. However, he was retained and began the next season with questionable calls in their season-opening home loss to the New York Giants. Their offense was pedestrian for the rest of the season as they finished 30th in the NFL in total yards, and Downing was fired after the season.
2023: Ryan Tannehill was washed
The Titans' former starting quarterback entered the final season of his contract looking over his shoulder at recently drafted quarterbacks Will Levis and Malik Willis. Coming off ankle surgery that ended his 2022 season, Tannehill was looking to prove he still belonged as the starting quarterback. However, a three-interception performance in week 1 against the New Orleans Saints had fans calling for Levis or Willis to start.
Tannehill followed with a couple of decent performances, but was inconsistent from game to game before a high ankle sprain ended his tenure as the Titans' starting quarterback. Due to injuries to Will Levis, Tannehill garnered two additional starts but finished the season with more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (4) and hasn't played in the NFL since.
2024: Will Levis wasn't a franchise quarterback
The Will Levis era started and ended quickly in Tennessee. After showing flashes during his nine starts in his rookie season, Levis was given the keys to the franchise in Callahan's first season as head coach.
Titans fans quickly turned on him when he threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter of their week 1 game against the Bears that gave them the lead for good. He followed it up with meme-worthy plays throughout the rest of his 12 starts before officially being benched after a three-interception performance against the Bengals in week 14.
Final Verdict
Recent history suggests that Callahan won't last as the Titans' head coach past this season. However, he currently remains as the head coach, so he has the opportunity to rewrite the team's recent history of week 1 overreactions, remaining true throughout the season.