Week 1 GDT: Tennessee Titans @ Chicago Bears

[KingTitan]

6 minutes ago, twotonebluenation said:

Will had some drop dead stupid throws for sure. But you can’t expect a guy to succeed in that kind of pressured environment. Bears had one of the best days of getting after the qb in the last 3 years statistically for them.

I had a little higher expectation for our line because I saw some nice things at least for the left side in the preseason.

Will has to stop playing like a meat head and know when to just take an L. 

For someone like Levis, he can't afford to miss on that deep pass to Ridley. It appears he won't get another chance at it. The way the offense was called, you get one or two shots. 
We are still limiting our QBs. Maybe it's a combo of line and QB, but I'm on the side of let him sink or swim. If he is going to throw 30 INTs then let him bury himself.  
The 2 yard checkdown calls aren't doing him any favors. 

The line didn't help.

I can live with INTs. But the toss pick 6 is the kind of things that get coaches/GMs fired and QB's sent off into purgatory. 

[TitanRedd]

1 hour ago, titans0021 said:

Outside of Levis, think I find Skoronski to be most worrisome. Latham getting beat off the edge a few times while being on an island was to be expected in his first game. Skoronski was supposed to be the most pro ready OL in last year’s class and he’s still really struggling in pass pro. We are/were really relying on him and Cushenberry to be the stabilizing forces on the OL. 

2 different positions, in college he was a T he’s a G now. The techniques are different he’ll be okay he’s developing 

[KingTitan]

14 minutes ago, SerenityNow said:

All the bad that I saw from Levis at Kentucky that made me weary of drafting him, I saw yesterday. The lack of pocket presence, inaccuracy in key moments, and most of all the boneheaded decisions that cost him games at Kentucky and will cost him a lot more in the NFL if they continue. I've been hopeful (and still am to a degree) for him to be the answer at QB because of the physical traits he possesses and getting a good offensive coaching staff behind him to hopefully coach out the bad habits. I'm not going to let a bad week 1 in a brand new offense lead to me jumping off the train just yet, but we are in dangerous territory here...

If one bad game turns into two bad games turns into three etc etc... The fanbase and media are going to turn against him and once that pendulum starts to swing on a QB, it's over. We saw it with Marcus who had a much longer leash, because he was a first round pick, we saw it with Tanne who had prior success here, so we probably spent more time than we should hanging on with him, but Levis doesn't have either of those luxuries. He has this year to prove he's the unquestioned QB for this franchise and that's it. Callahan and his staff as much as I'm sure they want it to work with him, they don't have any prior ties to him. Ran took a swing at a physically gifted QB at the top of the second, and I don't blame him for taking that swing, but it wasn't a first round investment.

Levis has to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he's the guy for this team moving forward, and he has 16 more games to prove that. He doesn't have the luxury of being "so-so" this year or just having a bad year in general because we can move on from him fairly easily. The pressure is on, and he knows that. For our sake and his I hope he comes out the rest of the year and looks like a franchise guy, but the reality is that he's not going to be afforded the same grace that most young first round QBs are. 

You are 100% on his leash. He doesn't have any equity built in where fans are going to love him through his mistakes. 
You mentioned Kentucky and this area just can't get those games out of their head. That is the QB they see. So when he shows those same mistakes it is prime "I told you so" fuel. Rightly so. 

Add on that people don't like his personality. 

He has to over perform consistently to turn the most hardcore UT fan into a borderline supporter. 

My prediction if he says throws 23 TDs and 15 INTs on way to a 3,035 Yard season and we are 6-11. 
They find a bridge QB, invest more in the line or WRs. Battle at QB. 

Then open up the new stadium with Arch Manning or Nico Iamaleava then and only then will Vol fans feel like all is right in the world. 

[KingTitan]

Dr. Gibby got beat.

[titans0021]

 

[KingTitan]

2 minutes ago, titans0021 said:

 

He was able to know when a play was dead earlier by passing in the dirt. But that brain fart was a killer. I don't know if he was trying to toss it out of bounds or to the player. 

Also, it gives me more evidence that Cally went safe with the play calls. I really want someone to step on an opponent neck when they down, not go conservative and safe. 

[KingTitan]

 

[Daniel]

47 minutes ago, SerenityNow said:

All the bad that I saw from Levis at Kentucky that made me weary of drafting him, I saw yesterday. The lack of pocket presence, inaccuracy in key moments, and most of all the boneheaded decisions that cost him games at Kentucky and will cost him a lot more in the NFL if they continue. I've been hopeful (and still am to a degree) for him to be the answer at QB because of the physical traits he possesses and getting a good offensive coaching staff behind him to hopefully coach out the bad habits. I'm not going to let a bad week 1 in a brand new offense lead to me jumping off the train just yet, but we are in dangerous territory here...

If one bad game turns into two bad games turns into three etc etc... The fanbase and media are going to turn against him and once that pendulum starts to swing on a QB, it's over. We saw it with Marcus who had a much longer leash, because he was a first round pick, we saw it with Tanne who had prior success here, so we probably spent more time than we should hanging on with him, but Levis doesn't have either of those luxuries. He has this year to prove he's the unquestioned QB for this franchise and that's it. Callahan and his staff as much as I'm sure they want it to work with him, they don't have any prior ties to him. Ran took a swing at a physically gifted QB at the top of the second, and I don't blame him for taking that swing, but it wasn't a first round investment.

Levis has to prove without a shadow of a doubt that he's the guy for this team moving forward, and he has 16 more games to prove that. He doesn't have the luxury of being "so-so" this year or just having a bad year in general because we can move on from him fairly easily. The pressure is on, and he knows that. For our sake and his I hope he comes out the rest of the year and looks like a franchise guy, but the reality is that he's not going to be afforded the same grace that most young first round QBs are. 

This was the real killer.  The pick six where he threw the ball at a covered receiver while being sacked was infuriating.  Like, it's good to get rid of the ball if you're about to be sacked, but you have to get rid of it before you start being tackled.  What's worse is that that one came after he had done it once before on a previous drive, and it came this close to being ruled a fumble that the Bears would have recovered.  If he takes the sack there, it puts it back on the Bears offense, who our D had been stuffing.  Instead, we immediately give points.

Now realistically, I don't know if we don't still lose the game, but it certainly would have made it harder on Chicago.

I'm hoping the pocket presence issue improves with improved protection.  Any QB getting that much pressure is probably gonna struggle, especially one that's still pretty raw, but you have to be able to adjust.  But yeah, he just can't feel pressure if it's not right in front of him, but I am hoping it was more due to him just getting overwhelmed.

[Dr.Doom52]

I was saying the same thing about going conservative...he called the game like 17 points would win the game, and it really should have. But the bottom line is we had them on the ropes and backed off. I assume he will learn from that and show more killer instinct going forward. His dad was not one to back off too much so maybe he gets in his ear and says something. 

Rarely do you see the "hero ball" stuff coached out of the QB, but it has been done somewhat...no doubt it pos up occasionally in those guys because it is instincts taking over, but if you eliminate 90% it can be manageable. 

 

[615finest]

This comment says a lot 

[KingTitan]

3 minutes ago, 615finest said:

This comment says a lot 

It does. 

It speaks to the lack of performance on offense. 
How bad the Bears were.
How dominate we were on the defense.
How safe he felt with 17 point lead. 

[titans0021]

I get why people want to stay aggressive with a lead, but up 17 with the defense absolutely dominating, I’m not that bothered by going conservative. Because, he’s right, if we give them the ball at their own 30 every drive I’m not sure they score 17 points in the next 8 quarters. You see your QB falling into bad habits and your OL losing, you don’t want to risk disaster, you want to run down the clock and secure the win. 
 

If Levis hits Ridley down the sideline to put us up three scores or Gibbens blocks his man, we almost certainly coast to a win as road underdogs and nobody even considers questioning the coaching strategy.

[ttitansfan4life]

58 minutes ago, 615finest said:

This comment says a lot 

Lack of confidence in the offense and his QB. Love it

Edited September 9 by ttitansfan4life

[MdTitansFan56]

7 minutes ago, ttitansfan4life said:

Lack of confidence in the offense and his QB. Love it

At least we have a coach that says more than we have to coach better, we have to play better. 

[Dr.Doom52]

I totally get why you go conservative, but not with only 17 points in the first game. The biggest issue I have with going conservative is the offense loses al rhythm. We had so many penalties on the Oline in the 2nd half, and so many 3rd and 8+, and that got us out of sync.

The truth is if the ST and Levis don't have a meltdown 17 was plenty, but this is an organization still building and we need to play 4 quarters of offense and defense every game. Maybe next year when we have eliminated some scar tissue we can sit on a 17 pt first half lead.