NASHVILLE – There was some excitement early at Nissan Stadium.
The Titans scored touchdowns, a big man on defense delighted the crowd with some nifty moves, and a running back did some crowd surfing into the end zone.
But things unraveled in an ugly way on Sunday against the Bengals in a 37-27 loss, thanks in large part to turnovers and mistakes.
Titans quarterback Will Levis threw three interceptions, and he also lost the ball on a fumble in the game.
Levis also lost his job mid-game, as he was replaced by quarterback Mason Rudolph in the third quarter.
"A series of unfortunate events," Levis said after the game. "Four of those last five possessions, like the turnovers, you're rarely not going to get pulled when you turn the ball over four times. So, I mean, I understand that. I got to watch the tape and see how it all went down. I kind of already know how a couple of them happened, and the last one was definitely the most disappointing just because it's a look that I was ready for and that I was ready to launch, and the guy made a good play. And yeah, it sucks. It wasn't my day."
The Titans turned the ball over six times in the contest, on four interceptions and two fumbles. The Titans also committed 12 penalties for 110 yards in the game.
It all added up to another loss, and the Titans dropped to 3-11.
After the game, coach Brian Callahan was asked plenty of questions about Levis, and whether he'll still be the team's starter moving forward.
"I think we'll get through today," Callahan said. "I'm not going to make any definitive statements one way or the other. We just have to make sure we can correct what we saw on tape and where we had a tough day for him. And again, sometimes these things happen where you have a rough day, and you got to get sat down. So, I'm not going to make any statements about it. And we got to see where we can get better and how it worked in the game and where we can improve."
Levis finished the day 8-of-12 for 89 yards with three interceptions, and a 49.0 rating.
Rudolph completed 21-of-26 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with an interception, and a rating of 109.8 in relief.
"They told me that I was going in," Rudolph said. "Mindset is to try to get some points on the board and cut the lead. Proud of way the guys fought, proud that we got some points on, but I threw a red zone pick that hurt us and I'd love to have that one back.
"I've been benched and it's no fun," Rudolph continued. "But I think looking back, you can use it to—you can learn from it. And I think it hardens you as a man and as a human being and it is all about how you how you respond, and I know he'll respond well."
The Titans showed some spunk early, scoring touchdowns on their first two possessions.
But the defense had trouble slowing down the Bengals all day, as quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns.
"It's tough," Titans edge rusher Arden Key said. "We've got a lot of guys who care about the game, care about their last name, care about what people say about us."
Things started off on a positive note for the Titans.
After linebacker Luke Gifford intercepted Burrow on the second play of the game, the Titans cashed it in for a touchdown.
Running back Tony Pollard capped a quick, six-play, 29-yard drive with a three-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 at the 10:52 mark of the first quarter.
The Bengals tied it up less than four minutes later, however, on a six-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to running back Chase Brown, which made it 7-7.
The Titans then answered back quickly themselves, as running back Tyjae Spears scored on a one-yard touchdown run less than three minutes later to make it 14-7. Spears was lifted high into the end zone, on the arms and shoulder pads of players, and the score capped a five-play, 70-yard drive that was highlighted by a 40-yard catch and run by receiver Tyler Boyd.
The Titans then made a big play on defense.
With the Bengals on the Tennessee nine-yard line, Titans edge Harold Landry forced Burrow to fumble, and Titans defensive lineman T'Vondre Sweat picked it up and ran it 30 yards before being pushed out of bounds.
The play electrified the crowd, and the Titans had early momentum.
But a fumble by Levis ended the possession, and it gave the Bengals the ball back.
The Bengals made it 14-14 on a two-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to Sam Hubbard with 5:13 left in the first half.
Things went downhill from there.
After an interception thrown by Levis, the Bengals made it 21-14 on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Burrow to receiver Tee Higgins.
On the team's next possession, Levis was intercepted again, his third turnover of the first half.
The Bengals cashed that in for three more points, on a 21-yard Cade York field goal, to make it 24-14 at the half.
After the Titans went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half, Titans safety Daryl Worley intercepted Burrow at the Tennessee three-yard line when the Bengals got the ball.
But the game came off the rails on Tennessee's next possession, as Levis was intercepted for the third time in the game. This one, by safety Geno Stone, was returned for a touchdown to make it 31-14 with 7:24 left in the third quarter.
Rudolph replaced Levis on the next possession, and the move was greeted with applause from many in the crowd at Nissan Stadium.
The Titans dodged a bullet late in the third quarter when Bengals safety Jordan Battle lost control of the football on the way into the end zone after picking up a fumble and racing to the Tennessee one, and it resulted in a touchback.
Rudolph was intercepted in the fourth quarter, which was the team's six turnovers in seven possessions.
The Titans cut the lead to 31-21 with 6:50 left on a 17-yard touchdown pass from Rudolph to Spears, which capped an eight-play, 87-yard drive.
The Bengals added a late touchdown by Chase Brown before Rudolph connected with tight end Josh Whyle for a 13-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the game to account for the final margin.
"I thought it was going to be back and forth the whole game and we were going to have to do a good job," Callahan said. "And ultimately, against a team like that, you just can't turn it over. And that's where it got away from us. But I was confident our game plan, I was confident in how these guys played and came out ready to play and ultimately gave them too many chances and a team with a quarterback like that, you give them too many chances, they capitalize."
The Titans return to action next Sunday in Indianapolis against the Colts.
