NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- That philosophical change Titans' fans have been pining for, that modern offense, is coming with new coach Brian Callahan.
Just read what he told reporters at a luncheon before Bengals' training camp in 2023.
"The teams that win the most games are generally the teams that pass the ball the best. Usually because they have really good quarterbacks and usually because they have guys that can make plays on the football outside. And so you're seeing teams invest in that part of the game, really across the board.
"And we're no different. We spent really two top 35 picks on receivers (Ja'Marr Chase fifth in 20921 and Tee Higgins 33rd in 2020) and on a quarterback (Joe Burrow first in 2020), so we've invested in it as well. I do think that that's the shift in the league these days. The passing game has become the focal point. However, that does leave you opportunities to be really effective and efficient running the football because defenses do the same thing.
"They still give the resources to the pass game which then gives you opportunities hopefully in the run game, to run against light boxes, the numbers game and all that stuff. So I think the running back is still an important part of an NFL offense. It just has changed in the way that people view it and look it at. But you still have to be able to do those things to play good football."
How long have we wanted to hear that, a priority on receivers and the passing game?
"The teams that win the most games are generally the teams that pass the ball the best."
Callahan aspires to pass the ball the best. That is revolutionary thinking in these parts.
The Titans haven't had a top-10 passing offense since 2005. Their inability to find receivers is one of the main stories of their Tennessee existence.
Questions raised here that we can't get far into until we are introduced to Callahan or until we see the team move forward:
➡️ What are his views on protection and the degree of repair the Titans' offensive line needs to give Will Levis and new weapons a chance to pass the ball best? How does the team get there and how big a turnaround is possible in one offseason?
➡️ Does this thinking lead to a scenario like the Bengals faced in 2021, when in dire need of both offensive line and offensive weaponry as the Titans are now, they chose receiver Ja'Marr Chase over Penei Sewell fifth overall?
➡️ What level of running back(s) fit into that thinking? Joe Mixon got the majority of the work in Cincinnati. In 2023 he averaged 1.5 fewer carries and 1.7 more targets than Derrick Henry. In total yards, Mixon had a 21-yard edge and both scored 12 touchdowns. Mixon made $4.4 million less.
➡️ Can Callahan and his staff help identify and develop quality receivers in a way the Titans have so frequently failed to do?
New #Titans head coach Brian Callahan on the importance of the passing game in the modern NFL
— Mike Herndon (@MikeHerndonNFL) January 23, 2024
(accidentally cut off the best part on my last tweet, so I re-did it) pic.twitter.com/VglLFldldk
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