NASHVILLE – The Titans lost 23-14 to the Texans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things that stood out from the contest:
Titans Scheduled to Pick 1st Overall in 2025 NFL Draft
Some might call this making the best of a bad situation: The Titans are scheduled to pick first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. No one involved in Sunday's game was focused on this, of course. Players play to win, and coaches are hired to win games. But the way things unfolded on Sunday at least provided one positive to an otherwise miserable season for the Titans, because the team now controls its own fate in the upcoming draft. Tennessee's loss, paired with New England's win over Buffalo, allowed the Titans to leapfrog the Patriots for the top spot. It was about the only good thing that came out of a season everyone would love to forget. Now, the Titans have to make the most of the first pick, the 2025 NFL Draft, and the upcoming offseason.
Levis, Rudolph Take Turns – and Talk About the Future
Just like they've done all season, Will Levis and Mason Rudolph took turns playing quarterback for the Titans. Levis finished the day 9-of-17 for 175 yards and a touchdown, while Rudolph was 7-of-9 for 70 yards. After the contest, they took turns answering questions about their future. "I want to be the quarterback for this team the rest of my career," said Levis, who has two years left on his contract. "I can't control who makes those decisions." Rudolph, whose deal expires in March, said he enjoyed his year in Tennessee despite the losses. "I think it was a breath of fresh air, a new staff, new head coach," Rudolph said. "I really enjoyed Cally (Brian Callahan) and his staff and Nick Holz, Bo Hardegree they were great. A lot of good input. They helped with the offense quite a bit in game planning, obviously, but they did a great job managing a tough season. But yeah, obviously, that's the football side of it. But it's been a great place to live and a lot of good friendships."
Cavlin Ridley Eclipses 1,000
Titans receiver Calvin Ridley didn't hide the fact he wanted to get to the 1,000-yard mark this season. On Sunday, he caught three passes for 76 yards, and he got there. Ridley's 39-yard reception allowed him to finish the year with 1,017 receiving yards. Ridley became the sixth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat in his first season with the franchise. He joined Bill Groman, Drew Hill, Ernest Givins, A.J. Brown and DeAndre Hopkins. "I got the thousand, that's the only thing that makes it feel a little better," said Ridley, who has now recorded 1,000 receiving yards three times in his career. "But the season is done, throwing it away. Just get ready for next year. Watch the playoffs and get ready for next year."
Harold Landry Get to 50 Career Sacks
Edge rusher Harold Landry, a 2018 draft pick of the Titans, recorded his ninth sack of the season, and it he topped 50 career sacks for his career in the process. Landry, who now has 50.5 career sacks, trails only Jevon Kearse (52) and Jurrell Casey (51) for most sacks in the "Titans era." Landry dropped Texans quarterback Davis Mills for an 11-yard sack in the second quarter on Sunday. Later in the same drive, he recorded a three-yard tackle for loss against running back Dare Ogunbowale. Landry became the eighth player in franchise history (counting the Oilers) to eclipse the 50-sack mark.
Tay Martin's Catch … and Julius Chestnut's Assist
Let's face it: There weren't a lot of highlights from Sunday. The biggest highlight of the day was a 49-yard touchdown pass from Levis to receiver Tay Martin, who got under the moon ball and took it into the end zone. "Let's go make a play," Martin said to himself as the ball hung in the air. "I saw it was a perfect spiral, the perfect trajectory to run under it and make a play. My eyes got big, and I was able to get under it and make a play." It was the first career catch, and touchdown, for Martin, who was promoted from the practice squad and signed to the active roster on Saturday. Martin gave running back Julius Chestnut credit for retrieving the football after he dropped it after scoring, and walked away. "Shout-out to Julius and my teammates," Martin said, "for making sure I got that (football)."
The End
Players headed out of the locker room at Nissan Stadium for the final time on Sunday. On Monday, they'll meet at Ascension Saint Thomas Sports Park, and they'll be involved in meetings with coaches and teammates. This season was a rough one for everyone, from coaches to players to fans. Next year's team will look different. "It's pretty sad, honestly," defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day said. "It sucks. Because when I signed here, looking at the roster, and I've been on successful teams before, looking at what they built, you could never predict what this season became. But it's nothing but love for these guys here, and I have faith that they'll pull it together and come back hotter than ever."
