December 8, 2024 • 8 mins
The Voice of the Tennessee Titans Mike Keith explains how the 3-9 Titans can finish the 2024 campaign with the arrow pointing up with senior reporter J.P. Shadrick on Countdown to Kickoff.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Countdown to kickoff continues the Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans
Week fourteen in the National Football League. The Jaguars officially eliminated.
The Titans are having some issues as well. Mike Keith,
the voice of the Titans, with us and here we go.
I hate this trip. The Jaguars hate this trip. I mean,
the Jaguars have struggled in Nashville forever. But here we
(00:22):
are in December, and it's nice to see you at least, Mike.
How's it going.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it's nice to see you as well. I think
we're all excited about everything going on in terms of
the NFL and down the stretch and here we go
and all of the matchups, and I think both of
these teams would very much like to be a part
of that revelry which is December football in the NFL.
(00:51):
Unfortunately we're not. I'm sure for you guys, it's a
lot of confusion about why this season has gone as
it has, because I know there were expectations. Our feeling
in a new era was that it would probably be bumpy,
and it has been. And so now trying to figure
(01:12):
out how you end this season with the arrow pointing
up and JP I think that was always the goal
for the Titans is to end twenty twenty four with
the arrow pointing up. The Titans still have that opportunity,
and that's what they're going to need to.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Do, all right, to have that arrow pointing out. My
quarterback play helps is will Levis the guy for the Titans.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I think we're starting to believe he really is. And
he had a rough September. Got hurt in a Monday
night game against the Dolphins. Tried to play post by
the shoulder was still hurting him, and so they shut
him down. They said, we're going to get you well,
and he got well. He had a chance to watch
(01:55):
Mason Rudolph play quarterback, he had a chance to spend
time with Simeon in the system and in the meeting rooms.
And he's come back and he has played the position
of quarterback well. How Brian Callahan describes it, JP is
Will Levis is not calling plays and throwing passes anymore.
(02:18):
He's playing quarterback. And that's the part of it that
they're very happy with. The stats don't say he played
great at Washington, but he played a good game. He
had six passes drop. He didn't make big mistakes. He
kept the team competing even after it fell behind. He
actually had managed the game well enough that with three
(02:39):
point forty to go in the third quarter, the Titans
had climbed back to twenty eight to thirteen. They were
in the game. Now, it didn't work out. The defense
didn't get a stop there. But that's what quarterback does
in the NFL. As you know, I don't have to
explain it to you, but from the Titans perspective, that's
what they wanted to see out of Will Levis. They
(03:00):
wanted to see him play quarterback, and that's what he's
doing right now. Now it's not over, he's got five
more games, but as this year long evaluation goes on,
his arrow is pointing up.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Like Keith Voice of the Tennessee Titans, got some weapons
around him, Ridley, you know, we know all about him here.
Westbrook and Keine is catching touchdowns every week now. And
they got a running back and Pollards who's playing well.
So when you have those pieces around a conquo obviously
the tight end we know all about him, so that
helps when those guys are playing well. Let's focus on Westbrook,
(03:36):
a Kine, this guy can't stop catching touchdown passes.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Why is that now, Well, because they throw it to
him near the end zone and he makes the plays.
Nick is really a great story. You know, he's from
Lake Mary, he goes to Indiana, he comes to the
Titans as an undrafted and this guy does whatever he
has to do to stay on the roster. And this
(03:59):
year they start off with DeAndre Hopkins and with Traylon
Burks as the two guys who are gonna go with
Calvin Ridley. They can't really figure out a rotation and
Will Levis is not playing well, so all those things
combined are probablematic they trade Hopkins. Unfortunately Burkes gets hurt
and then they gotta play Nick. And now Nick has
(04:22):
shown for Brian Callahan what he showed everybody for five years,
and that is when he plays, he's just a good
football player. He's not the fastest guy. He's got decent size,
but he's not really big. But he is a winning
football player and he has been throughout his time here.
(04:44):
Mike Rabel believed in him, John Robinson believed in him.
Now Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan believe in him. If
the Titans are going to go back up. I think
guys like Nick Westbrook a Keene have to be part
of the mission. You've got to find those mesh guys
who hold it together. He's never going to be a
(05:04):
twenty million dollar a year guy, but he's a good player,
and you need some good players who just know how
to play football. Plus he's really smart. He got his
degree at Indiana at the Kellogg School of Business, which
is not an easy thing to do. Nixt one of
those people JP. I don't think he would be making
as much money outside of football as he is playing
(05:28):
in football, but he'd be making a really good living
at age twenty seven because he's really smart and really talented,
and all those things factor into his success.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Mike Keith of his voice of the Tennessee Titans. You know,
you just look at the record at three and nine,
and then I'm looking at the defensive rankings of the NFL,
and the Titans are second and total defense first against
the pass, I mean, really good, and all these metrics
top ten and third down that I mean, the defense
has really stepped up and played well.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Why is that? It's a good defense? They have good people.
Now they have some problems due to injury. They've lost
three of their regular starters.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
In the secondary for the year. Some young guys have
played pretty well. They've had some issues at linebacker traded
Ernest Jones. Jack Gibbins got hurt. That was tough. The
defensive line is very good. Jeffrey Simmons is a really
good player. To Andre Sweat, the rookie from Texas has
been dominant. The outside line linebackers Arden Key and Harold
(06:29):
Landry have been excellent. So they're really good players on defense.
I do think it's a bit misleading because with some
of the offensive woes that the Titans have had, teams
have not gotten real froggy on offense, particularly in second halfs.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
They've chosen to just run the ball. So you can't say,
you know, this is the two thousand Titans defense or
the two thousand Ravens or the eighty five Bears. But
has did a Wilson done a good job with this unit? Yes,
And in situations like at Houston two weeks ago, when
they needed to shut them down at the end, they did.
(07:07):
They shut down a good Houston offense at the end
of the ball game, held Houston to forty yards rushing
Joe Mixon was a non factor in the game. So
it's a good defense. If it's a competitive game, the
defense can show what it's all about. And I think
that was always going to be a strength of this team.
(07:27):
As the defense has improved, I think the defense has
been able to be in situations where they could show
out a little bit. But in many games teams have
been far enough ahead where they've just been able to
play nineteen seventy four football in the second half, trying
to kill the clock because they knew Tennessee couldn't score
(07:51):
enough to beat him.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, hopefully you're not screaming sack at the top of
your lungs too many times this week. It's always a
pleasure to I heard of that. If it's not that
it's ninety nine yards, we don't need that either, So
have a great week. We'll talk to you on Sunday. JP.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Thanks for having me on
Countdown to kickoff continues the Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans
Week fourteen in the National Football League. The Jaguars officially eliminated.
The Titans are having some issues as well. Mike Keith,
the voice of the Titans, with us and here we go.
I hate this trip. The Jaguars hate this trip. I mean,
the Jaguars have struggled in Nashville forever. But here we
(00:22):
are in December, and it's nice to see you at least, Mike.
How's it going.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Well, it's nice to see you as well. I think
we're all excited about everything going on in terms of
the NFL and down the stretch and here we go
and all of the matchups, and I think both of
these teams would very much like to be a part
of that revelry which is December football in the NFL.
(00:51):
Unfortunately we're not. I'm sure for you guys, it's a
lot of confusion about why this season has gone as
it has, because I know there were expectations. Our feeling
in a new era was that it would probably be bumpy,
and it has been. And so now trying to figure
(01:12):
out how you end this season with the arrow pointing
up and JP I think that was always the goal
for the Titans is to end twenty twenty four with
the arrow pointing up. The Titans still have that opportunity,
and that's what they're going to need to.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
Do, all right, to have that arrow pointing out. My
quarterback play helps is will Levis the guy for the Titans.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
I think we're starting to believe he really is. And
he had a rough September. Got hurt in a Monday
night game against the Dolphins. Tried to play post by
the shoulder was still hurting him, and so they shut
him down. They said, we're going to get you well,
and he got well. He had a chance to watch
(01:55):
Mason Rudolph play quarterback, he had a chance to spend
time with Simeon in the system and in the meeting rooms.
And he's come back and he has played the position
of quarterback well. How Brian Callahan describes it, JP is
Will Levis is not calling plays and throwing passes anymore.
(02:18):
He's playing quarterback. And that's the part of it that
they're very happy with. The stats don't say he played
great at Washington, but he played a good game. He
had six passes drop. He didn't make big mistakes. He
kept the team competing even after it fell behind. He
actually had managed the game well enough that with three
(02:39):
point forty to go in the third quarter, the Titans
had climbed back to twenty eight to thirteen. They were
in the game. Now, it didn't work out. The defense
didn't get a stop there. But that's what quarterback does
in the NFL. As you know, I don't have to
explain it to you, but from the Titans perspective, that's
what they wanted to see out of Will Levis. They
(03:00):
wanted to see him play quarterback, and that's what he's
doing right now. Now it's not over, he's got five
more games, but as this year long evaluation goes on,
his arrow is pointing up.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
Like Keith Voice of the Tennessee Titans, got some weapons
around him, Ridley, you know, we know all about him here.
Westbrook and Keine is catching touchdowns every week now. And
they got a running back and Pollards who's playing well.
So when you have those pieces around a conquo obviously
the tight end we know all about him, so that
helps when those guys are playing well. Let's focus on Westbrook,
(03:36):
a Kine, this guy can't stop catching touchdown passes.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Why is that now, Well, because they throw it to
him near the end zone and he makes the plays.
Nick is really a great story. You know, he's from
Lake Mary, he goes to Indiana, he comes to the
Titans as an undrafted and this guy does whatever he
has to do to stay on the roster. And this
(03:59):
year they start off with DeAndre Hopkins and with Traylon
Burks as the two guys who are gonna go with
Calvin Ridley. They can't really figure out a rotation and
Will Levis is not playing well, so all those things
combined are probablematic they trade Hopkins. Unfortunately Burkes gets hurt
and then they gotta play Nick. And now Nick has
(04:22):
shown for Brian Callahan what he showed everybody for five years,
and that is when he plays, he's just a good
football player. He's not the fastest guy. He's got decent size,
but he's not really big. But he is a winning
football player and he has been throughout his time here.
(04:44):
Mike Rabel believed in him, John Robinson believed in him.
Now Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan believe in him. If
the Titans are going to go back up. I think
guys like Nick Westbrook a Keene have to be part
of the mission. You've got to find those mesh guys
who hold it together. He's never going to be a
(05:04):
twenty million dollar a year guy, but he's a good player,
and you need some good players who just know how
to play football. Plus he's really smart. He got his
degree at Indiana at the Kellogg School of Business, which
is not an easy thing to do. Nixt one of
those people JP. I don't think he would be making
as much money outside of football as he is playing
(05:28):
in football, but he'd be making a really good living
at age twenty seven because he's really smart and really talented,
and all those things factor into his success.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Mike Keith of his voice of the Tennessee Titans. You know,
you just look at the record at three and nine,
and then I'm looking at the defensive rankings of the NFL,
and the Titans are second and total defense first against
the pass, I mean, really good, and all these metrics
top ten and third down that I mean, the defense
has really stepped up and played well.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Why is that? It's a good defense? They have good people.
Now they have some problems due to injury. They've lost
three of their regular starters.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
In the secondary for the year. Some young guys have
played pretty well. They've had some issues at linebacker traded
Ernest Jones. Jack Gibbins got hurt. That was tough. The
defensive line is very good. Jeffrey Simmons is a really
good player. To Andre Sweat, the rookie from Texas has
been dominant. The outside line linebackers Arden Key and Harold
(06:29):
Landry have been excellent. So they're really good players on defense.
I do think it's a bit misleading because with some
of the offensive woes that the Titans have had, teams
have not gotten real froggy on offense, particularly in second halfs.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
They've chosen to just run the ball. So you can't say,
you know, this is the two thousand Titans defense or
the two thousand Ravens or the eighty five Bears. But
has did a Wilson done a good job with this unit? Yes,
And in situations like at Houston two weeks ago, when
they needed to shut them down at the end, they did.
(07:07):
They shut down a good Houston offense at the end
of the ball game, held Houston to forty yards rushing
Joe Mixon was a non factor in the game. So
it's a good defense. If it's a competitive game, the
defense can show what it's all about. And I think
that was always going to be a strength of this team.
(07:27):
As the defense has improved, I think the defense has
been able to be in situations where they could show
out a little bit. But in many games teams have
been far enough ahead where they've just been able to
play nineteen seventy four football in the second half, trying
to kill the clock because they knew Tennessee couldn't score
(07:51):
enough to beat him.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Well, hopefully you're not screaming sack at the top of
your lungs too many times this week. It's always a
pleasure to I heard of that. If it's not that
it's ninety nine yards, we don't need that either, So
have a great week. We'll talk to you on Sunday. JP.
Speaker 2 (08:10):
Thanks for having me on
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