The Tennessee Titans grabbed their second win of 2024 in an overtime thriller over the New England Patriots on Sunday. It shouldn’t have been as exciting as it was, the Titans had the game won and let the Patriots tie it up at the last second to send it to overtime.
In overtime, the Titans managed to get the ball first but only kicked a field goal. Which meant the Patriots would have a shot at keeping the game alive. But Drake Maye came under pressure on the next drive and threw a bad pass that was intercepted by Amani Hooker. The turnover ended the game and the Titans’ defense put its name on the map.
This Sunday, the Titans face a much different team in the Los Angeles Chargers. And, as long as he’s healthy, Will Levis will be back on the field. Which probably isn’t going to have the effect Brian Callahan desires, but that’s where we are.
As we enter Week 10, here’s a look at where the Titans place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 30 (32)
Looks like second-year QB Will Levis might return just in time … to face the Chargers’ unforgiving defense on the road.
Barry Werner, List Wire: 29 (30)
Rushing three gave Drake Maye so much time at the end of regulation that he could have signed a second contract before throwing the touchdown pass that forced overtime. The Titans won despite botching a snap on third down on their game-winning drive. This game was fit to be a tie.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 28 (31)
The Titans have faced an AFC South division opponent only once this season, resulting in a 20-17 loss to the Colts. Week 12 kicks off a stretch of five divisional matchups in their final seven games. Starting off with a win over the Texans, who probably will still be on top of the AFC South, would give Tennessee a tremendous boost and help the Titans finish strong.
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network: 26 (NC)
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:
The Tennessee Titans won in Week 9, but a win against the Patriots in overtime doesn’t count for much in the grand scheme of things.
Tennessee’s offense has been a problem regardless of who’s playing quarterback, and the defense is roughly a league-average unit that can do well against bad offenses but struggles against better ones.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 31 (29)
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Titans are still fighting hard for rookie coach Brian Callahan, as they’ve gotten an injury-related spark from Mason Rudolph. Their defense has been surprisingly ahead of the offense in their rebuild.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 29 (31)
You haven’t exactly turned a corner when you need overtime to beat the Patriots at home, but head coach Brian Callahan couldn’t afford a loss. Not that there’s any sign he could be one-and-done, but if he fell to 1-7 on a loss at home to New England, maybe the seat would have started to get warm.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 29 (31)
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:
Titans, don’t blow your chance to draft a franchise quarterback.
Diante Lee, The Ringer: 28 (31)
After a spectacularly bad showing on the road against Detroit, I was ready to say this team had packed it up for the remainder of 2024. I came away from Sunday impressed with this offense’s ability to get back to what it was built to do: run the damn ball. Tony Pollard’s 28 carries resulted in 128 yards on the ground, and it helped Tennessee stay in a rhythm it hadn’t been able to maintain all year. The defense controlled the line of scrimmage as well, and for at least this week, the Titans aren’t the most embarrassing outfit in the league.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 29 (31)
Want to win a bar bet this week? Ask your drinking buddies which team currently allows the fewest yards per game in the NFL. Yep, it’s the Titans, who allow a stingy 269.1 yards per game, which is on pace to be the lowest average allowed since the 2014 Seahawks. On Sunday, the Titans allowed the Patriots only 284 yards in four quarters, plus one overtime series, and turned over rookie QB Drake Maye three times, including the game-sealing pick in OT, and sacked him four times. Tony Pollard and Calvin Ridley made some big plays on offense, but it was the defense that has set the tone — as it has for most of the season. It’s to the point that I think defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson could even earn some head-coaching interviews this offseason. That — and the fact the Titans simultaneously allow 26.6 points per game, which is bottom five in the NFL — speaks volumes about how inefficient their offense and special teams have been. But earning their first win since September lifted a big load off the back of head coach Brian Callahan in a tricky first season.
