NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans came into this season knowing they would be busy rebuilding with a youth movement and a coach in Brian Callahan working with a rookie quarterback.
They may be patient. Fans increasingly are not.
Boos and chants of “Fire Callahan” could be heard Sunday during a 41-20 loss to AFC South rival Indianapolis, including during a halftime ceremony with controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk on the field.
Asked about his job security postgame, Callahan said he doesn't
worry about that. His focus is on putting the Titans into as good a position as possible.
“The rest of that stuff is what it is,” Callahan said. “I don’t think about those things. You really can’t. This is hard enough as it is to put those other things and think about that, it doesn’t do anybody any good. So, I just go to work and work as hard as I can. I put as much effort as I can into this.”
Callahan now is 3-17 since being hired by the Titans in January 2024, having lost nine straight going back to his debut season.
The only thing the Titans won Sunday was the toss in a game with three starters, including the right side of the offensive line, out injured. They trailed 7-0 three plays after the kickoff when Kenny Moore picked off Cam Ward's pass to Tony Pollard and went 33 yards to the end zone.
That was the only turnover. The Titans hurt themselves yet again allowing four sacks, missed tackles, eight penalties for 68 yards and a blocked field goal.
Callahan had a second game where his decisions as a play-caller leading up to halftime wound up costing the Titans points. Down 17-6 on a drive that started with 3:15 left and three timeouts, the Titans ran five straight plays down to the Indy 39 to set up fourth-and-1.
The Colts took a timeout. Callahan took a timeout. The Titans' offense stayed on the field, and Ward said after the game he wanted to go for it.
Then kicker Joey Slye and the field goal unit came out before being flagged for delay of game. Slye's 62-yard attempt was blocked. The Colts used the final 37 seconds for another field goal and a 20-6 halftime lead.
Callahan said he went back and forth over trying to pick up a first down or go for points. He decided on a field-goal attempt with Slye coming into Sunday 8 of 8 except: “The operational part of it to kick it on time didn’t happen.”
The Titans coach said they didn't want to be flagged for a delay of game.
“Obviously looks really bad at the end of the day,” Callahan said. “That was not the intention to do that. So wanted to be able to kick it.”
The boos got louder as the Titans went to the locker room. Callahan took a bit longer than usual postgame talking with his team. Linebacker Cody Barton wouldn't divulge what was said. He did say Callahan is the first to own up to mistakes.
“And I respect that,” Barton said.
The Titans won't have to hear the home crowd booing with the next three games on the road. If Tennessee goes winless in that stretch, Callahan will match Ken Whisenhunt's 3-20 record before he was fired by Strunk in November 2015.
Worse, the Titans' next home game Oct. 19 comes against New England and the coach Strunk fired in Mike Vrabel before hiring Callahan.
“We can keep saying ‘Cally this, Cally that,’ but Jonathan Taylor just ran for how many yards?” three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said.
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