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Titans at 2: Will Levis returns as QB1 as Titans try to beat Chargers "at their own game"
Mar 27, 2025
Titans at 2: Will Levis returns as QB1 as Titans try to beat Chargers "at their own game"
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0:00
What's going on? A to Z sports, Sam Phelan here with Titans at two on a Saturday afternoon
0:07
Recording this on a Friday afternoon, but coming at you guys on a Saturday as Brian Callahan just
0:12
wrapped up speaking to the media. I got a chance to pop into the Titans locker room as well. Check
0:18
in with some of their players as the team gets ready to head to Los Angeles to take on the Los
0:23
Angeles Chargers looking to build a little bit of a winning streak. Titans win in overtime against
0:28
the Patriots 20 to 17 last week. Can they keep momentum rolling? We'll see. Will Levis though
0:35
is looking to get momentum rolling as he is returning back to being the Titans starting
0:40
quarterback. We'll show you what Callahan said about Levis and then we'll go over why the Titans
0:45
are trying to beat the Chargers at their own game. That's what we got for you here today
0:50
Before we get into it, I want to remind you guys that Titans at two is brought to you by Lipscomb
0:54
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They're changing how it's played. Sport ytics Program and Lipscomb University. All right, let's get to Brian Callahan, who did not beat around the bush
1:45
He met with Titans media earlier this afternoon and said, feeling good about where the Titans are at injury wise
1:51
And let us know that Will Levis, good to go back as the starter. Only one, only designation for this week would be Snead
1:58
He'll be out. Everybody else has a pretty good chance of, we'll take it up to game day on a few of them
2:04
but most guys have a pretty good shot that were listed. Again, report will come out this afternoon
2:08
but don't see anybody, anybody else being ruled out. And we'll just wait till Sunday on one or two of them
2:12
but feel pretty good about where we're at on the injury front. Just to save Jim from asking me if the sixth captain would be Sebastian Joseph Day this week, former Charger
2:22
Let him be the sixth captain. He's done a great job for us. Other than that, Will will start this week
2:29
Just let you guys know that now. No reason to wait. Will's going to play
2:33
Had a really good week of practice. Feels really good. Best he's looked in a couple of weeks
2:37
So excited to see him go play. Obviously he's just chomping at the bit, as he said, to be out there
2:42
How's he been through this process of having to sit? You know, he's been good. I think he learned a little bit about himself in the process learned about how to be honest about how your body feels and when fighting through an injury or when trying to fight through something is
3:00
detrimental to you and the team as opposed to helping the team by being out there
3:04
There's a line there that guys learn as they get experience. And so that part was good
3:09
I mean, I learned a lot too in terms of managing that process
3:13
But really, it's been good for him to have a little patience and
3:17
know that it doesn't do us any good if he doesn't feel great. He doesn't feel like he can go play the position the way he needs to and
3:23
that part was that was good to see him understand that process
3:28
We're likely to see maybe a little bit of rust just to simplify the game in a world
3:33
Certainly possible, it's been a couple of weeks since he played so there could be that I'm hoping that there's not
3:38
That's realistic to maybe have a little bit before you get back out there
3:43
So and hopeful not to see much but would be understanding if there was a little bit
3:48
Maybe some rust, but Will Levis will be back and he will be playing quarterback for the Titans
3:54
against the Chargers. This has kind of always been the plan that as soon as Will Levis is healthy
3:59
enough to go, he's still the quarterback. He's still playing and now finally able to throw
4:05
able to look as Callahan says there, better than he has in the last couple of weeks. So
4:10
less soreness, less pain, able to make all of the throws. You just got to hope that this is
4:17
different than it was before the Colts game, because this is what we were told before Will
4:21
Levis went out and played against the Colts, that he was able to do everything required of him to
4:26
win the game, and that was not the case. He did not feel good enough. His body was not ready
4:31
Now, you hope Will learned his lesson. You hope that that experience taught him, hey, I have to
4:37
be honest about my body and how my body's feeling, as Callahan brings up there. You hope it helped
4:43
him gain a little bit of perspective. Levis talked to me in the locker room yesterday about
4:47
you know, playing sideline quarterback right next to quarterbacks, coach Bo Hardegree and
4:52
third stringer Trevor Simeon. And you would walk through all the motions of every snap and learn
4:57
pre-snap cadences and checks at the line and just how to operate within this Titans offense
5:01
effectively from watching Mason Rudolph. It is a big, big game on Sunday. I'm pumped
5:08
I know a lot of people are maybe shouldn't be pumped to watch a two and six football team
5:13
take the field. I'm excited to see how healthy Will Levis looks against a very good Chargers
5:19
defense in a very interesting game. We'll get to that here in a moment, but I do want to go back
5:26
to what Brian Callahan said to the beginning when he talks about some injuries again
5:32
Only one, only designation for this week will be Snead. He'll be out. Everybody else
5:38
Legereus Snead out yet again. What's going on with him? Because this will now be four
5:43
games that he missing The Titans haven placed him on injured reserve and yet he keeps not being able to play not even being able to practice It was supposed to be a quad bruise a pretty substantial quad bruise as Brian Callahan said
6:02
He ended up saying those are painful, but not something that you should be out for a long period of time for at max, like a week
6:10
He ended up saying that, you know, a little bit of time went by. the bruise wasn't getting any better. It was staying painful. And so the Titans put Snead
6:19
through an MRI. They found out that he is a quad strain on top of the bruise. So a quad bruise and
6:27
a quad strain, muscle strains keep you out for a chunk of time, depending on their severity
6:32
It just hasn't been getting better fast enough. And that is what has been holding Snead back
6:39
He's doing rehab. Callahan remains hopeful they can get him back soon. But that's the update on
6:43
LeJarius need. It's a headache. I don't know what's going on with him. The Titans need him back
6:48
He's making too much money to be sitting out with a quad bruise. But here we are with him
6:54
potentially missing yet another football game. So how do the Titans win this game with Will Levis
7:01
Well, I think they need to beat the Chargers at their own game. These are the two offenses that
7:06
of the two slowest offenses and pace of play in the entire league
7:11
Long drives. That is the name of the game. When the Titans and Chargers are functioning at their best
7:17
it is long, methodical drives that take up five, six, seven, eight minutes
7:24
that result in points. And if they can wear you down and possess the football
7:33
and take control of the game. That's where they're both comfortable. But with these two teams going at each other
7:40
two slow pacing offenses, it's going to be interesting. Nick Holtz talked about that
7:47
when I asked him in a press conference yesterday and he went on to talk about how staying ahead of schedule
7:53
staying on schedule is the key for the Titans and said, yeah, the Titans have to beat the Chargers
7:59
With the same style of football, the Chargers are going to try and beat the Titans with
8:03
about where he's been and we're really happy for him too. When you look at a game that might give you eight or nine possessions
8:09
like you said, in an opposing offense that can have long sustained drives
8:14
I guess what is the challenge for a play caller in an offense to make sure you're continuing your offensive momentum
8:21
while also potentially having long breaks in between sequences? Yeah, the key for us is staying on schedule
8:28
so first and second down are almost as important or more important than third
8:34
down theoretically because these guys have given up six conversions on third
8:38
and eight plus so if you get behind the sticks here they have just been it been a famine for everybody trying to get something They got a couple Kelsey got one over the middle a couple of those kinds So if you get off schedule here those pass rushers Khalil Mack
8:50
and all the other guys they got on the other side, they will crush the pocket. They play soft zone. They make you check it down
8:55
So getting behind the chains, that kind of thing is going to be, would be very disadvantageous to us
9:00
So that's the key. Stay on schedule. And both teams are going to really try to play the same way
9:05
So hopefully we can outplay them at their own game. outplay them at the wrong game. Two teams that are going to try and stay on schedule
9:13
pick up five, pick up five, pick up seven, pick up four, pick up three, like methodical 10
9:19
12 play drives. Whoever does that better is going to win this football game. I think this is a better
9:24
matchup for the Titans though, than some of their recent opponents are Buffalo, Detroit. Those are
9:31
teams that create explosive offense. The Chargers don't really do that. The Chargers rely on running
9:37
the football. They rely on staying ahead of schedule. As Holt says, they try and dink and
9:42
dunk you and burn clock, but that also keeps the game within reach. It makes plays like sacks and
9:50
turnovers at a premium because a sack or a turnover kills a drive. And with how valuable
9:57
a possession is in an 8-9-10 possession game, that can make or break the course of a game
10:06
The Titans had an example of this against the New England Patriots in the second half on Sunday
10:11
In the third quarter against the Patriots, the Titans had one possession. The Patriots put
10:17
together a seven and a half minute drive. The Titans put together a seven minute drive. We were
10:22
in the fourth quarter before you knew it. It was a touchdown and a field goal, and we were in the
10:26
fourth quarter. I think this game against the Chargers is set up to look a lot like that
10:32
So it will be whatever team gets the big interception, the big strip sack, the sack that
10:38
you know, knocks a team out of field goal range that wins
10:45
It will be a game that's won in the margins and probably I'll just make a call right now
10:50
This is going to be a one score football game. I would take the Titans plus seven in this game
10:56
which is currently the line, because I think it's going to be a one score game when it's all said
11:01
and done. Can they beat them at their own game? We'll see. Figure out what Will Levis has in the
11:07
tank as well in a game that I am very, very intrigued and excited to watch. That's all I
11:12
got for you guys today. Please leave a like on the show before we head out. Be tuning in Sunday
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afternoon right around like 2 30 or so p.m. Central I will be on the A to Z sports game day
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show the pregame halftime and postgame show to talk some Titans and react to this game live and
11:33
in real time with all of you so go check us out keep it locked on a to z sports.com for more
11:38
written content until next time Titans
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