The Tennessee Titans took down the San Francisco 49ers, 17-13, at Nissan Stadium in Week 1 of the preseason on Saturday night.
Although it was just an exhibition game, the feeling of victory was a welcomed presence in the locker room. It was made even sweeter by the low expectations surrounding the Titans as they near the regular season.
Second-year quarterback Will Levis, who went 18-8 at Kentucky, knows that winning changes a culture — and these young Titans will have to get used to it.
“We have to get used to winning,” Levis said after the game, via TennesseeTitans.com. “Winning is fun, and there’s a certain responsibility that comes with it. So, hopefully we can do our best in all these games and get a feel for that winning atmosphere, and keep rolling.”
Yes, much of the Titans’ success came when their starters were lined up across from the 49ers’ second team, but you can only play who’s in front of you.
When taking into account that San Francisco is a potential Super Bowl favorite and have one of the deepest rosters in the NFL, there’s still room for warranted optimism.
“I thought we did a nice job of putting guys in the position to have success and have a chance to go execute,” head coach Brian Callahan said, via The Tennessean. “That part was good. It was just a combination of guys playing well and doing things right and a little bit of scheme to go along with it.”
There are plenty of things the Titans have to clean up over the next two preseason games, but they’re off to a good start.
Now, as Levis says, they have to continue winning and get used to the feeling.