The Tennessee Titans opened Sunday’s game with the Washington Commanders with a three-and-out on offense with two false start penalties thrown in, an ominous sign of what was to come in the first quarter.

Tennessee fell behind 21-0 to Washington in a disastrous first quarter that included three Commanders touchdown drives allowed, two Titans turnovers and more catches for left tackle JC Latham than the Titans receiving corps.

It was an all-systems failure for the Titans on Sunday in such a thorough fashion that hadn’t been seen yet in 2024 despite a poor 3-8 campaign.

Let’s go through the lowlights:

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The Titans offense opened the game by losing 12 yards in a three-and-out that included false starts by Latham and Nicholas Petit-Frere.

After a Brian Robinson TD run, Tennessee’s second drive stalled out near midfield when Will Levis’ deflected pass landed in the hands of Latham for the rookie left tackle’s first career catch. But it didn’t move the chains, and the Titans had to punt.

Down 14-0 after a Jayden Daniels TD run, Tony Pollard was stripped on a second-down carry by Mike Sainristl, who recovered the ball he forced.

The Titans defense did get put into a difficult spot at 14-0 after the Pollard fumble, but that was after two Commanders touchdown drives that included Robinson’s 40-yard touchdown run and Daniels’ touchdown carry.

Washington ended the first quarter with 109 rushing yards. And Terry McLaurin, the Commanders top receiving option, already had four catches for 46 yards, including a touchdown catch.

After McLaurin’s TD catch to extend the Washington lead to 21-0 with 23 seconds remaining in the quarter, Jha’Quan Jackson returned the kickoff — and fumbled. Washington recovered the ball and proceeded to score on a second McLaurin touchdown reception.

But at least that TD happened in the second quarter.

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Morehouse Alum, McDonogh #35 Roneagles (NOLA), Drum Major of the Tenacious Four.  My Father, Mother, Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles were HBCU graduates!

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Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier recently joined the NIL millionaire club with a current value of $1.5 million. He currently sits at No. 30 in the NIL 100 and ranks No. 10 among college basketball athletes.

The 2024-25 season is Lanier’s first season with Tennessee. He spent the majority of his career with the North Florida Ospreys, returning to his home state of Tennessee for the chance to play in front of his family. Prior to the start of the season, Lanier was one of the top players in the transfer portal, coveted by teams like BYU and Kentucky.

Lanier’s performance in the Volunteer’s matchup against the Virginia Cavaliers really shined a light on his worth, both on the court and off. Recording his 1,000th career point with a three-pointer in the 3rd quarter opened the fans eyes. The guard’s exceptional efforts have definitely raised Tennessee to huge heights, lifting them four positions in the rankings into Week 8.

In the SEC, the Volunteers are currently sitting at No. 4, behind Florida, Kentucky, and Auburn.

Although Lanier’s NIL deals are not widely publicized, his worth has tipped the scales in order to place Lanier amongst good company. Bigger endorsements could be on the way if Lanier continues on his current path. In the past 10 weeks, his worth increased, even surpassing UConn’s superstar, Paige Bueckers, whose NIL value reaches $1.4 million.

Other established NIL stars will need to make room for Lanier and his efforts to make a name for himself.

From his stellar performance in North Florida, all eyes have been on Lanier as he entered the SEC with Tennessee, and more eyes will continue to turn towards Lanier as the season progresses.

As the season matures, Tennessee will look to make an appearance in the NCAA postseason, potentially topping their Elite Eight appearance from last season. With Lanier, the Volunteers have already proven that they could be contenders for an NCAA title.

Tennessee plays their next game on Tuesday, Dec. 3 against the Syracuse Orange, where they will look to improve their record to 8-0. The Vols have yet to play a conference game, with their first to come just after the new year against Arkansas.

Lanier will have big shoes to fill in the SEC, but he has already made waves with fans and opposing teams. To stay updated with his climb up the NIL ranks, visit On3’s website for all things NIL.