The Tennessee Titans season wasn’t one to remember, from being 12-5 and being the first seed back in 2021 to now being 3-14 and holding the first overall pick in the draft as the 2024 season ends. A fall from grace indeed. But with all the talent they let loose in the NFL, the Titans may have fueled up more teams with playmakers than we realize. Buckle up, Flameheads. It’s time for your season review!
2024 Offseason:
The Titans kicked off their campaign in a ballsy move, firing head coach Mike Vrabel after six seasons. A career record of 56-48, and a 6-11 record from 2023. Despite his playoff success in 2019, the Titans haven’t won a playoff game, even with two appearances since then. But two losing seasons in a row was the last straw for the former Oilers. The Titans would hire former Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan. Free agency-wise, the Titans would select a few playmakers, such as WR Calvin Ridley, RB Tony Pollard, CB Chidobe Awuzie, WR Tyler Boyd, and more. Also, the Titans would undergo a significant roster change, not re-signing Derrick Henry, who would then sign with the Baltimore Ravens. The only trade they would undergo is picking up cornerback L’Jarius Sneed from Kansas City for a 2024 seventh-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.
The Draft:
The Titans held the 7th overall pick in the draft and selected JC Latham, an offensive tackle from Alabama. They would also choose six other players from the draft and 16 undrafted free agents. Out of these 23 players, only four would get much playing time. Including JC Latham, names like defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat (2nd round, Texas), cornerback Jarvis Brownlee (5th round, Louisville), and defensive end Jaylen Harrell (7th round, Michigan) would get 200+ snaps this season.
2024 Rookie Stats:
JC Latham – 1095 snaps, 7 sacks, 11 QB Hits, 29 hurries, and 47 pressures allowed
T’Vondre Sweat – 699 snaps, 51 total tackles, 1 sack, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 pass defense
Jarvis Brownlee – 911 snaps, 75 total tackles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 int, 9 pass defenses
Jaylen Harrell – 286 snaps, 13 total tackles
Expectations:
The odds for Tennessee to win the Super Bowl were the fifth-lowest in the league, at +15000, and the over-under win total was 6.5, the sixth-lowest. Overall, expectations weren’t too high. A rebuilding season was kicking off as Tennessee would ride at quarterback with Will Levis in his sophomore year. However, considering the franchise spent over $238 million in free agency (third highest in the league) and their highest signing being Calvin Ridley for $92 million, there were still SOME expectations. Not to go all the way, but put up some fights here and there.
2024 Season:
The Titans would hold, based on projected win totals, the fifth most challenging schedule in the league. With a roster mostly built on free agency signings, a new head coach, and little to no expectations, what would the Titans accomplish for the 2024 campaign? Answer—not much. Not only did they let Derrick Henry walk and he’s having a career resurgence in Baltimore but in October, they traded away DeAndre Hopkins to an already elite offense in Kansas City. But was their record better? In a word, two actually, absolutely not. The Titans would have their worst season record-wise since 2015 and go 3-14.
Offense-
In terms of offense, the Titans would record 5172 total yards with a 304.2 average and 3317 total passing yards with an average of 195.1 (26th overall). Rushing-wise, they scored 1855 total rushing yards with a 109.1 average (18th overall). And when it comes to scoring, the Titans scored 311 total points and an 18.3 average (26th overall).
Offensive leaders stats-
QB Will Levis – 190/301, 2091 passing yards, 13 passing TDs, 12 int
RB Tony Pollard – 260 carries, 1079 rushing yards, 5 rushing TDs, 2 fumbles
WR Calvin Ridley – 64 rec, 1017 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs
The offense struggled with turnovers, with 34 total (tied for 1st overall)—21 interceptions and 13 lost fumbles. Their turnover differential was -16 (tied for 2nd overall). The offense didn’t record much through the air, and it didn’t help much when Mason Rudolph took snaps at quarterback, as he threw nine picks. However, the rushing game was better when the rock was handed to Pollard as his rushing yards total was tied for 12th overall in the league, but still lackluster as it’s in the middle of the league. It also doesn’t help that the Titans were tied for sixth in the league for dropped passes at 28. The offensive line also struggled, as Will Levis and Mason Rudolph had an average of 2.74 seconds in the pocket and were sacked 52 times.
Defense-
In terms of defense, the Titans would allow 5291 total offensive yards with an average of 311.2 and 3014 total passing yards with an average of 177.3 (2nd overall). Rushing-wise, the Titans allowed 2277 total rushing yards with an average of 133.9 yards (25th overall). Regarding scoring, the Titans’ defense allowed 460 total points with a 27.1 average (30th overall).
Defensive leaders stats-
LB Kenneth Murray Jr. – 95 total tackles
LB Harold Landry III – 9 sacks
S Amani Hooker – 5 int
The defense struggled against the run but did well defending through the air. This stat is strange because the defensive line has more playmakers like Jeffery Simmons, T’Vondre Simmons, Sebastian Joseph-Day, and Harold Landry on the defensive line. But still, a solid safety core with Quandre Diggs and Amani Hooker and corners consisting of Darrell Baker Jr. and Chidobe Awuzie. If the Titans can find a way to lockdown the run better, their defense could be a premiere core.
Final Grade: D
Positives-
The Titans weren’t expected to do terribly but weren’t expected to be good, either. Regarding talent, the Titans are not the worst team in the league. The talents of Tony Pollard, Calvin Ridley, and some of the defenders keep them away from being a team to underestimate. And their search for a quarterback may be heeded in the draft with Cam Ward as their first overall pick, and with six additional draft picks, they have room for more young talent. And with a successful offseason with their $15M in cap space, they can return to being something to look out for in 2025.
Negatives-
The Titans’ spending this offseason with little success will come back to haunt them. They have over $67M in dead cap space and fired their GM after only two years. It’s a power struggle as the Titans front office wants results quickly from a young team led by an inexperienced quarterback. But it’s interesting to see their situation with the first overall pick. Do you draft a quarterback when you still have a young guy under center, select more talent to make him better, or trade the pick away possibly? The Titans have over 100 days to decide this difficult choice.
