Tennessee
Here’s hoping Will Levis changes this Tennessee Titans season, not the other way around | Estes
The slumping Tennessee Titans lack confidence. Good for them, Will Levis has plenty. They need to ensure it stays that way.
It happens all the time during games, Daniel Brunskill explains.
Players will be talking in a huddle, going back over a previous play or a call or delving into some other topic of convers—
“Hey guys! Listen up!”
Conversation stops.
Quarterback Will Levis can do that.
“He makes sure he commands everybody’s attention,” said Brunskill, the Tennessee Titans’ veteran right guard. “That’s a leader right there for sure, being able to do that. He’s got great confidence and great poise coming into the huddle. And that’s huge.
“If you let guys just talk in the huddle while you’re calling the play and then you’re kind of nervous and thinking about too much and the OC is in your ear, a lot of things can go wrong. … But if you get a guy there with confidence, it’s amazing what he can do.”
Levis is good for these Titans. On a slumping team that’s running thin with confidence, their young quarterback is not lacking in that area. “Will has got some confidence in him,” Brunskill said. More so, Levis exudes competency. It means something to him to not come across like a rookie.
And to not sound like one, either.
Example: Levis was asked this week about the Titans’ revolving-door offensive line.
“I’ve got to be a leader,” he replied. “My leadership role has got to step up. I’ve got to instill confidence in these guys, regardless of who it is.”
Who talks that way after three NFL starts?
“I feel like in everything that I’ve done, I’ve always just wanted to be at the forefront, in the driving seat,” Levis said. “I don’t know. I think I’ve got that innate ability to bring others with me. … It’s a tough job to have, and I like having tough jobs. It’s kind of how I’m wired.”
It’s part Tony Robbins, part Tom Brady. Levis is selling himself as someone for older teammates to aim to follow, and you know what? He’s surprisingly good at it.
We’re barely stopping to ponder his age or inexperience or other things like:
Shouldn’t it be the Titans’ offensive line that’s got to instill confidence in him?
Don’t laugh.
Just go with it. That’s what the Titans are doing.
They are banking on this rookie quarterback’s swagger to liven up an otherwise dreary present. Looking at a roster that’s getting long in the tooth while also proving to fall below standards for success in the NFL, it’s difficult to find many hopeful spots for the future.
Quarterback is one of them, though. That’s the good news.
The bad? A shoddy Titans’ offensive line is going to have to find a way to protect the 24-year-old Levis and keep him healthy for eight loooong weeks.
Latest: Who’s next up in the Tennessee Titans’ quest to fix the O-line? Meet ‘Doc Throck.’
Estes: The Titans aren’t a confident team, and that starts with Mike Vrabel
Can’t play scared. Levis needs to continue to play, but you’d want him to continue to play confidently. You don’t want him getting hit too much. And you definitely don’t want him getting hurt and missing games – or even worse, getting seriously injured in a way that could linger into next year.
There’s no larger question for the rest of the Titans’ 2023 season, barring some stunning turnaround and unforeseen return to immediate AFC relevancy.
Can’t see that turnaround happening. There’s been too much lately that feels off about these Titans.
Levis has been an exception.
The hope now? That he rubs off on the rest of the Titans this season, rather than this season rubbing off on him.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) @Gentry_Estes.
Tennessee
Affidavit: Tennessee cop faces DUI, assault charges, stopped for going 104 miles per hour
A Hendersonville police officer has been decommissioned and temporarily suspended from duty pending an internal investigation after he was stopped by a Sumner County deputy Monday and charged with driving under the influence and assault on an officer, authorities confirmed Tuesday.
According to an arrest affidavit, Steven Wilson was driving 104 miles per hour in a 65-mile-per hour zone on Highway 86, and he continued on toward Exit 6 after a deputy activated his overhead lights and siren in an attempt to stop him.
Wilson was seen with “bloodshot-watery eyes” and the odor of intoxicating beverage was coming from his vehicle once he did pull over, the affidavit said.
When he was asked to get out of his car, Wilson asked Deputy Oscar Vazquez to turn off his body camera, the affidavit notes. It also said that when Vazquez refused, Wilson grabbed at the deputy’s body camera repeatedly and eventually grabbed at Vazquez’s left wrist.
Body camera footage also shows Wilson grab his car keys off the hood of Vazquez’s cruiser and begin walking back to his car before Vazquez grabbed Wilson, the affidavit said.
A struggle ensued, and Vazquez is heard asking responding officers to “step it up” in coming to the scene, the affidavit notes of the footage.
At least four responding deputies and a Hendersonville police officer arrived and struggled to gain control of Wilson, who was warned he would be Tased, the affidavit said.
Four deputies were ultimately able to take Wilson to the ground and handcuff him, the affidavit said.
Vazquez suffered a cut near the pinky finger of his left hand while trying to handcuff Wilson, but he did not seek medical attention for the wound, according to documentation from authorities.
Wilson did not consent to a blood test, but the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant for one and conducted a blood draw shortly before 4 a.m. on Monday.
A search of Wilson’s car revealed two small Jack Daniels bottles and two unopened White Claw beverages, authorities noted.
“Based on the speeds he was traveling, his intoxication, and his action during the traffic stop, I believe that Mr. Wilson was a danger to himself and the public,” the affidavit said.
Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.
Tennessee
Titans fire general manager Ran Carthon
The Tennessee Titans have fired general manager Ran Carthon per Jim Wyatt. President of Football Operations Chad Brinker will be retained and will conduct the search for a new general manager per Wyatt’s report. The report also confirms that Brian Callahan will be retained as the Titans’ head coach.
Ran Carthon was hired in January of 2023 to succeed Jon Robinson who had been fired during the 2023 season. In his two years here, the team compiled a 9-25 record. Just putting that record out there without context isn’t fair to Carthon, however. He took over a roster that was depleted of talent after Robinson had three really bad drafts in a row.
Carthon’s 2024 draft looks like it could end up being pretty good. JC Latham had a solid rookie year and looks like a tackle the Titans can count on going forward. T’Vondre Seat showed some promise in his rookie season, though they need him to develop as a pass rusher. Jarvis Brownlee held his own at cornerback after the two guys they brought in, Chidobe Awuzie and L’Jarius Sneed were injured for the majority of the season.
But at the end of the day, this roster really is not any better than the one Carthon inherited when he was hired. It was always curious that Carthon hired Brinker and Brinker ended up being promoted over him in less than a year here. That was a pretty strong indication that people inside the organization were not happy with the job Ran was doing.
Last year, Amy Adams Strunk chose to keep Carthon over Mike Vrabel. You have to wonder if she regrets that decision now just a year later.
Full statement from AAS:
“I’ve loved the time I’ve spent with Ran. He’s a talented football mind, a great man, and friend to everyone along his path,” Strunk said in the statement. “It’s impossible to ignore that our football team hasn’t improved over the past two years. I am deeply disappointed in our poor win-loss record during this period, of course, but my decision also speaks to my concern about our long-term future should we stay the course.
“I love this team more than you can imagine. To our fans: we know this level of performance isn’t acceptable. We’re humbled by your support as we continue to work towards building the team you expect and deserve.”
Tennessee
What schools are closed Tuesday? Middle Tennessee school closures, delays due to weather
‘Heaviest snowfall in over a decade’: Winter storm impacting millions
A massive winter storm is bringing bitter cold temperatures, rain and snow to more than 60 million Americans.
A strong cold front brought freezing temperatures and some snow showers to Middle Tennessee this week.
While the precipitation was expected to taper off Monday evening, moisure left on the roads could freeze overnight, the National Weather Service in Nashville reported.
Williamson County Schools reported car accidents, black ice events and road closures.
Here’s what Middle Tennessee schools are closed on Tuesday.
Middle Tennessee school closings and delays
- Cheatham County Schools: two-hour delay
- Franklin Special School District: closed
- Williamson County Schools: closed
-
Health1 week ago
New Year life lessons from country star: 'Never forget where you came from'
-
Technology1 week ago
Meta’s ‘software update issue’ has been breaking Quest headsets for weeks
-
Business7 days ago
These are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Culture7 days ago
The 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports6 days ago
The top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics5 days ago
New Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics5 days ago
Carter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country
-
Politics3 days ago
Who Are the Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom?