The bye week could not have come at a better time for the Tennessee Titans (1-3), who have stumbled through the first four weeks of the 2024 NFL season and are now dealing with some injuries to key players.
Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons did not play on Monday Night Football in Week 4 due to an elbow injury. Quarterback Will Levis is dealing with an injured throwing shoulder from that MNF game in Miami.
The early bye week not only gives the Titans an opporuntity to get healthy. It also provides Tennessee the chance to regroup and figure out how they can turn this season around.
Here are three questions I think Brian Callahan, Ran Carthon, and the Titans need to find an answer for during the bye week...And no, it has nothing to do with the starting quarterback. That one has already been answered.
1. Does a change need to be made at right tackle?
The Titans offensive line play has been a real disaster up this point. The coaching staff has given credit to rookie left tackle JC Latham, left guard Peter Skoronski, and center Lloyd Cushenberry for their play. But the right side of the line is a serious problem.
Nicholas Petit-Frere has allowed a sack in every game. He is tied for the second-most sacks allowed and third-most pressures allowed (15) by any NFL offensive tackle this season.
NPF has struggled. He has even been benched temporarily at one point. But the Titans need to figure out if they need to make a permanent change, or if they can trust in offensive line coach Bill Callahan to be a catalyst for development. Part of that equation is the other options that are on the roster, none of which have been particularly inspiring.
If Tennessee has any chance of turning the season around, they need to be better at protecting the quarterback and staying on schedule on offense. That all starts with the offensive line and right now, right tackle is a big weakness.
2. What does Treylon Burks bring to the offense?
We have been told time and time again this season that Treylon Burks is a valuable piece of the Titans offense. Burks is one of the highest internally graded offensive players on the team...but it continues to result in shockingly low production.
Burks has three catches for 24 receiving yards in four games played and 138 offensive snaps. Going into Monday Night Football in Miami, Burks was one of 75 NFL wide receivers to play at least 66 passing snaps this season. Of those receivers, Burks was dead last in receiving yards (11), percentage of targets caught (33.3%), receptions (2), yards after catch (4), drop rate (33.3%), and passer rating when targeted (2.8).
He was also in the bottom three in targets (6), yards per route run (0.17), and yards per reception (5.5). Burks had one catch for 13 yards on his only target against the Dolphins.
Every time Burks is brought up, the Titans coaching staff has been quick to express confidence in the former first-round draft pick. But the bye week may be the perfect time to ask some important questions about the identity of this offense and what's best for the team's success moving froward. There is a good argument that maintaining a succesful run game will be easier with Nick Westbrook-ikhine getting more snaps.
3. How do we repeat our success in the run game?
Along those same lines, the Titans need to reevaluate their schemes and figure out how to repeat the success on the ground they had in Miami.
One of my hottest takes heading into the season was that Tennessee was going to be a rushing offense first and foremost. That is proving to be the case with the more we see from Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears.
Pollard and Spears combined for 37 carries, 127 rushing yards, and two touchdowns on the ground. Tennessee's ability to run the ball helped simplify the game plan for backup quarterback Mason Rudolph, and ultimately propelled the Titans to their first 30-point performance in over 1,000 days.
A Titans offense with a good run game and Will Levis under center is one that will thrive...or at least thrive enough to win games thanks to the defense. But outside of the first half in Chicago, that's not something we have seen yet.
Figure out how to run the ball consistently and the Titans can figure out how to win games consistently.
Honorable Mention: Do we need to add a third quarterback?
While not essential to playing winning football, I'm curious to see what the Titans do at quarterback with Levis nursing a shoulder injury.
Tennessee has avoided signing a third quarterback to the team's practice squad because the current setup allows Rudolph to take all of the scout team reps and stay ready for game days. The Titans are the only team in football without three QBs in the organization at some level.
Does that change if there is some concern that Levis will be less than 100 percent once the Titans return from the bye?
