After yet another loss, the Tennessee Titans have slipped further into the doldrums of the NFL power rankings of experts going into Week 11 of the 2023 season.
We start with USA TODAY’s Nate Davis, who has the Titans moving down five spots, from No. 19 to No. 24. Here’s what he had to say about Tennessee following last week’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
24. Titans (19): When K Nick Folk starts missing field goals – misfiring on his first of 2023 on Sunday – you pretty much know this season is officially a lost cause.
Kicker Nick Folk has been one of the few things the 2023 Titans can rely on, so his missing a field goal was certainly a bad omen for the game. Even still, that was hardly the Titans’ biggest issue on Sunday.
Now, a look at where experts are placing the Titans in their respective NFL power rankings heading into a Week 11 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Jarrett Bailey, Touchdown Wire: 28 (-2)
Jarrett Bailey, Touchdown Wire:
Are the Titans the most boring team in football? The Patriots may be bad and boring, but at least there’s something thrilling about watching the empire fall. The Titans have nothing entertaining about them, save for Tyjae Spears when he gets his touches.
Barry Werner, The List Wire: 24 (-4)
Hate to keep repeating it but hard to believe how far and fast the Titans have fallen since the second half of last season. The buzz about Mike Vrabel to New England isn’t going to shut down anytime soon.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 24 (-3)
The move to Will Levis didn’t pay off against Tampa Bay, but he didn’t get much help. They have a lot of issues right now.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 26 (-1)
Biggest remaining game: Week 11 at Jacksonville
The Titans desperately need a spark to resurrect their season. Tennessee hasn’t scored a touchdown in the past six quarters and currently ranks 28th in the NFL, averaging 17.1 points per game. The Titans have scored 20 or more points three times, each of which came in a win. Meanwhile, Jacksonville is allowing 21 points per game. Tennessee has lost eight straight road games dating back to last November. Getting a win at Jacksonville (6-3) would be a nice way to break the streak and close the gap on the Jaguars, who have taken over as the team to beat in the AFC South.
Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: 27 (no change)
Will Levis is going through rookie lumps after his dazzling debut as the brutal offensive line woes exacerbated by injuries are getting to him and the entire Titans offense. The Titans still need to keep starting him, because they can’t overcome those systemic problems or those in overall pass defense.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo Sports: 22 (-2)
Will Levis was under constant pressure on Sunday, largely because the Titans couldn’t run the ball and keep the Buccaneers’ defense honest. Sunday was a big step back for Levis but that’s not unexpected. There will be plenty of ups and downs the rest of the way, and the Titans just have to hope he does enough to become a viable 2024 starting quarterback candidate.
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network: 24 (-3)
Dalton Miller, Pro Football Network:
It feels like the Titans’ offense hasn’t had a consistent string of offensive performances since Arthur Smith was still in the building. Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears couldn’t get anything going on the ground, and Will Levis completed fewer than half of his attempts.
Since his maiden voyage, he has looked much more like the young quarterback who needed seasoning at the NFL level. Since Tennessee isn’t competing for a playoff spot this season, there is no issue with keeping him under center instead of Ryan Tannehill – unless his play becomes so poor that it’s negatively impacting his progress.
Josh Schrock, NBC Sports: 27 (-4)
Tennessee Titans (3-6): Will Levis has shown promise, but the rookie and his mayo coffee won’t be a fix-all for Tennessee’s broken roster.
K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire: 26 (-2)
Bleacher Report: 25 (-1)
The shine has come off rookie quarterback Will Levis in Tennessee.
After a four-touchdown debut against the Atlanta Falcons two weeks ago, Levis has gone back-to-back games without throwing a touchdown pass. And while the Titans’ offensive struggles can’t be laid solely at the former Kentucky star’s feet, he told reporters that he knows there are things he needs to do better.
“It’s tough as an offense as a whole,” Levis said. “We’ve just got to do a better job at looking introspectively at what we can do better. For me, if we have these games where we’re feeling the flow and they’re on us a little bit quicker, maybe just getting through my reads a little faster. Getting the ball out sooner. It is hard to change the thought process mid-game, but there’s definitely things I could have done better.”
Levis isn’t getting any help, either. The offensive line play has been abysmal of late. The Titans run game managed all of 2.6 yards per carry. The Titans defense allowed Tampa to convert seven of 15 third-down attempts.
Long story short, the Titans aren’t doing anything particularly well right now. And when you add to that the growing pains that go with most rookie quarterbacks, you have the recipe for a 3-6 team that has lost all five road games this season.
Eric Edholm, NFL.com: 25 (-3)
It feels like Will Levis‘ fine debut happened months ago. To be fair to the rookie quarterback, much of Sunday’s disappointing offensive showing had nothing to do with Levis himself; the Titans just aren’t a well-oiled group right now on that side of the ball. Pass protection and inconsistent run-blocking remain major issues. The loss to Tampa was ugly up front, and Mike Vrabel might not have many viable solutions. The red-zone execution has been bad all season, and Tennessee went 0-for-2 on Sunday despite getting inside the 10-yard line on two separate drives. The Titans have survived previous such cold snaps because the defense and special teams have been able to clean up after the offense. Not on Sunday. The blame fell mostly on an inexistent pass rush and a secondary that allowed Bucs receivers to roam with impunity.
Titans' average ranking: 25
