NASHVILLE – Titans head coach Brian Callahan talked to reporters on Monday, one day after the team's 10-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Here's a look at the hot topics from the presser as the team turns its attention to Sunday's game vs the Cincinnati Bengals:
-Callahan said quarterback Will Levis will be monitored during the course of the week after aggravating his right shoulder injury on Sunday against the Jaguars. Whether his practice time will be limited is to be determined, Callahan said. "It's hard to know now, at this moment," Callahan said of Levis. "So we'll see what tomorrow brings, and how he feels Wednesday throwing the football. … The one thing about Will that I very much appreciate is he's one of the toughest dudes we've got playing football on our team. … I know that if he's capable of playing, he's going to play."
-Callahan said he's hopeful cornerback Roger McCreary will be able to return on Sunday against the Bengals after missing the Jacksonville game with a shoulder injury.
-Callahan said the Titans failed to make "four critical plays" on offense, and that came back to haunt them in Sunday's loss. One of the plays was a fourth down throw by Levis that went to tight end Nick Vannett when Chig Okonkwo was open, and it resulted in an incompletion. Another was a Levis throw that went off the hands of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the end zone. The third was a short completion to receiver Calvin Ridley in the flat late, when he ran out of bounds on a third down. "He had a chance to get the ball and turn up," Callahan said of Ridley. "I thought Will maybe could have been a touch earlier." The fourth play was a third down and six sack by the Jaguars when Nicholas Petit-Frere missed a block, and both Okonkwo and Ridley were open for what would have been an explosive gain, and potentially a touchdown.
-Callahan faced a number of questions about his job security. Callahan said he doesn't worry about, or focus on, his job security. He acknowledged it's not a forgiving job, not one for the faint of heart. It's a challenging job, he said, and you can't let your confidence dip. Callahan said the final four games of the season are important for what he wants the team to be in the future. We're eliminated from playoff contention, he said, but these games are important as we try to build a foundation. "How we finish the season matters," Callahan said. "It's a huge part in being able to set the foundation for what's expected in the future."
-Callahan complimented the play of inside linebackers Luke Gifford and Otis Reese, who played in place of an injured Kenneth Murray, and linebacker Jerome Baker. "I thought Gifford and Otis played pretty dang good," Callahan said. "They played fast, they played physical." Callahan said it remains to be seen whether Murray returns this week as he recovers from his hamstring injury.
