NASHVILLE – The Titans open the 2024 preseason on Saturday night at Nissan Stadium against the San Francisco 49ers.
Here are six things to look out for in the competition:
Try telling Titans coach Brian Callahan that Saturday’s preseason game isn’t important. It’s Callahan’s first chance to really assess his team’s progress on a night he walks out of the tunnel at Nissan Stadium as a National Football League head coach. Callahan will also be calling plays for the first time. Did I mention his father, Bill, will be on the sidelines with him? It was a night to remember. “It’s more excitement than butterflies in the stomach,” Callahan said. “This is just my first time on the field as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans and being able to call plays in a game. We need to improve the communication between our game managers up there and the coaches on the field so I know how the flow of the game works on both sides of the ball, how to jump back and forth and call plays. That’s going to be really good for me. I’m excited for that part. But that’s the beauty of preseason: We have three chances to get everything figured out before it really counts. So, yeah, I’m really excited. I can’t wait.”
All three quarterbacks are expected to play, including starter Will Levis. Callahan said he plans for Levis to play one, possibly two offensive series, depending on how things go. Then backup quarterbacks Mason Rudolph and Malik Willis will get a chance to play. As a rookie, Levis failed to build momentum last preseason, re-exerting an injury in the preseason opener at Chicago and then falling back into his role as the team’s No. 3 QB at the start of the regular season. Now Levis is the team’s unquestioned starter, and the Titans need to work him in as best they can as the clock ticks toward the regular-season opener on Sept. 8, again at Chicago.
There’s been a lot of movement here so far. Saahdiq Charles was in at right guard and now he’s out (he retired this week). Nicholas Petit-Frere was out at right tackle and now he’s back in (got off the PUP). Dillon Radunz, meanwhile, has a chance to convince the coaches he can be relied on at right guard while others try to push him out. Two weeks into training camp, the Titans are trying to build some cohesion, and offensive line coach Bill Callahan’s unit will have its first test against the 49ers. On the left side, everything has been set since the start of training camp: Left tackle JC Latham, left guard Peter Skoronski and center Lloyd Cushenberry work side by side every day. The Titans will use a lot of combinations as the game progresses, and roster and starting spots are up for grabs in the preseason.
DeAndre Hopkins won’t play in this game, but Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd and the team’s other receivers are expected to play, some more than others. And keep an eye on the team’s tight ends Chig Okonkwo and Josh Whyle, who have played important roles in training camp. Levis and the quarterbacks need to be on the same page with the receivers early in the season, and that’s one reason Callahan wants his starters to play. But the preseason is crucial for players looking to move up the pecking order or earn a spot on the roster. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Kyle Philips and Mason Kinsey are among those who have shined in camp. Jha’Quan Jackson has also performed well. Can they keep the momentum going?
It’s been fun to watch new defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson’s unit attack during training camp. On Saturday night, Titans fans will get a taste of it for themselves. But how much will Wilson and the Titans want to give away? The Titans won’t be playing at full strength, as defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and edge Harold Landry won’t play, according to Callahan. Chidobe Awuzie also won’t play as he recovers from his calf injury, and I don’t expect Jamal Adams or L’Jarius Sneed to play, either. But other first-, second- and third-team players will get their chances. Keep an eye on No. 93, T’Vondre Sweat. You can’t miss him.
The NFL’s new kickoff rule is taking some getting used to. Saturday night will be the first time Titans fans have seen the new play since the league completely changed its kickoffs. The new hybrid format adopts the XFL’s approach and keeps the kickoff at the 35-yard line. Aside from the kicker, however, the remaining 10 players on the kicking unit will line up at the opposing team’s 40-yard line. The receiving team must have at least seven players in the “setup zone,” a 5-yard area between the receiving team’s 35- and 30-yard lines. A maximum of two returners may line up in the landing zone from the goal line to the 20-yard line, and the ball must be returned if it lands there unless it bounces into the end zone and is brought down. Some more rules: After the ball is kicked, the kicker may not cross the 50-yard line until the ball is touched, and the 10 players on the kicking team may not move until the ball touches the ground or a player in the landing zone or enters the end zone. Got it? Well, that’s not halfway there. The Titans football game begins Saturday night.
