Brian Callahan’s team was back on the field after its off week. They hosted the 2-3 Indianapolis Colts in what was the Titans’ first divisional game of 2024. A victory would be their second straight after a 0-3 start. A year ago, Tennessee was 1-5 vs. their AFC South rivals, and was swept by the Colts for the first time since 2018.
When quarterback Will Levis was last seen, he got off to a rocky start on a Monday night at Miami, and then left the game with a shoulder injury. He was back at the helm for this key game vs. their longtime AFC South rivals.
A fourth loss in five games for the Titans
What went wrong: Off to a bad start
Dennard Wilson’s defensive unit came into Sunday’s clash having allowed the fewest total yards per game and fewest passing yards per contest in the league. In their first four games this season, Tennessee had allowed only one first-quarter offensive touchdown. In the Week 3 home loss to the Packers, former Titans quarterback Malik Willis scored on a five-yard run. On Sunday, the visiting Colts struck very early.
Joe Flacco made his second start for Indianapolis. The veteran quarterback orchestrated a 10-play, 70-yard march that ended with two big pass plays. On 3rd-and-10 from the Titans’ 44, he hit tight end Mo Allie-Cox for 22 yards. On his next snap, he connected with wideout Josh Downs for a 22-yard TD. Tennessee was down 7-0 just 3:43 into the game.
What went right: Turnabout is fair play
Since returning to the NFL late last season and guiding the Browns to the 2023 playoffs, Flacco has thrown his share of touchdown passes. He’s also served up plenty of interceptions. On the Titans’ first possession of the game, the team went three-and-out, and wound up punting the ball away.
Indianapolis would get a short return and begin their next drive at their own 36-yard-line. A Trey Sermon run on first down gained nothing, and on second down he looked for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. downfield. The throw was snared by Titans’ safety Amani Hooker, and a 30-yard return set up Callahan’s team at the Colts’ 27. Three plays later, Levis found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a nine-yard score, and the PAT tied the game at 7-all.
What went wrong: Will Levis under control, but...
The good news regarding the Titans’ second-year quarterback was the fact that he and the team bounced back quickly after Indianapolis’ first touchdown march. However, Callahan and offensive coordinator Nick Holz did play it safe when it came to Levis. When it was all said and done, a 23-yard reception by veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins in the second quarter was Tennessee’s longest passing play of the game. Levis finished with just 95 yards through the air (16-of-27), and the aforementioned TD pass.
A key sequence came late midway through the fourth quarter with the Titans down 20-17, which proved to be the final score. Three straight incompletions led to a punt. When Tennessee got the ball back again, a one-yard run by Tony Pollard was followed by Levis’s seventh interception of the season. In the fourth quarter, he was 3-of-10 for 23 yards and a pick.
What went right: Tony Pollard is the ground game
The Titans’ offense has totaled only 10 touchdowns in five games, and Tony Pollard leads the pack with three of those scores. Pollard joined the club this offseason in free agency, and after five weeks also leads the club in rushing yards (339) and receptions (16). In terms of the latter number, he’s only picked up 82 yards on those catches and has yet to reach the end zone via the air.
On the other hand, Pollard has accounted for 57.3 percent of 591 Tennessee’s rushing yards. He’s totaled at least 16 carries in four of his five outings, and 80-plus yards in three of those games. He has rushed for a combined 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns (one in each game) the last two outings in the split with the Dolphins and Colts. No doubt Callahan and Holz would like to see more in regards to the passing game.
What went wrong: Couldn’t close the deal
It has become somewhat of a familiar theme. For the fourth time in five games, the Titans owned a second-quarter lead. In three of those contests, Callahan’s club wound up on the short end of the scoreboard. On Sunday at Nissan Stadium, it was even more disappointing since the Titans took a 17-10 advantage into the final 15 minutes vs. the Colts, and failed to score another point the rest of the game.
In that quarter, Tennessee gained only 41 total yards, were just 1-of-4 on third-down conversions, and owned the ball for just 4:56. Meanwhile, the Colts owned the ball for 10:04 and were 3-of-6 on third down. The Titans failed to get any heat on Flacco, which was an issue all day as he was not sacked in the game. All told, Callahan’s club has been outscored by a combined 40-12 in the fourth quarter this season.