NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- You've got mail. 

The Titans are quiet until Tuesday.

But you've got a lot on your mind and I'm here to give you something engaging to read in the meantime.

Anthony Michael Do you have any thoughts on why Vrabel is always so reluctant on stating the obvious? In this case Levis being the starter even when Tannehill is healthy?

Gamesmanship, in this instance, and to treat Ryan Tannehill well.

It’s not important what Mike Vrabel says about the status of quarterback 10 days before their next game. It’s

By JAKE DOWNARD

Jake Downard is a law student who creates NFL and NBA content focused on analytics on Twitter as @JakeAndBall. He also works with fanspo.com. A glossary of the analytics terms he uses is at the bottom of the piece.

For a glossary of the metrics and terms used in this post, please see this earlier file.

A team rarely loses such a frustrating, winnable game and the fanbase comes out of it relatively happy.

That’s what happens when you have a rookie quarterback that you drafted in the second round, who once again shows flashes of his special attributes and a seemingly unlimited ceiling.

With Levis flexing the off-balance throws, layered targets, and overall malleability as a passer, it is clear that Titans fans have something to be excited about under center. There should be no question about who the Titans quarterback is for the remainder of the 2023-24 season at this point. As I said in my Falcons analysis, I am an optimistic guy, so let’s get into the positives. 

Ready for your weekly dose of obscure, niche statistics? You’ve come to the right place. [Unlocked] 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Back at the home office after a zero-sleep night in Pittsburgh, a Mike Vrabel press conference and an edit of Blake Beddingfielkd's review of the game I am now prepared for our broadcast chat reviewing the game.

We did sneak in that nice, uplifting chat after the Atlanta game and I think we will still have Will Levis-related positivity now. But the Titans blew a big opportunity in Pittsburgh and I think it's going to wind up being one of their big regrets of the season.

The Titans had seven pass plays of 20 or more yards, the most since the 2022 opener, which is great. But at crucial moments when a touchdown was required, they settled for a field goal at the end of the first half and they went run heavy around the 4-minute mark with the game winding down, turning it over on downs with a fourth-down desperation deep ball.

It felt like Jeff Fisher-era Titans. They played not to lose. They were determined to do it a certain way, rather than to get out of a comfort zone and take some chances at the most meaningful times with a rookie quarterback. And it bit them in the ass.

Come discuss any element of the game and what's to come that you like.

We'll be on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, which is also below.

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special contributor

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans versus the Steelers was a matchup between two average NFL teams, that are undisciplined, highly penalized (total of 17 accepted penalties) and lacking identities in 2023. Both teams once prided themselves on being tough defensive teams that rushed the passer and would do just enough on offense to win ball games by controlling the ball and limiting turnovers.  

Thursday night the Titans gave up 326 total yards and the Steelers gave up 340 yards to mediocre NFL offenses.  

Neither team has established an identity in the 2023 season and is moving forward with their young quarterbacks with what they are capable of providing.  

The Titans should feel good about Will Levis after his first two starts, but signs of inexperience showed in the second half of the Steeler game. 

PITTSBURGH – The Titans have changed their quarterback, but they haven’t changed their thinking.

Ryan Tannehill-style conservativism used with Will Levis, who made multiple throws as he was hit or with defenders bearing down, was a big factor in the Titans' 20-16 loss at Acrisure Stadium.

Instead of returning to Nashville at 4-4 in a great position, Tennessee is 3-5 and left to scratch and claw with little realistic hope of registering what will be considered a successful season.

It might have all been different if they’d shown a little more faith and taken a little more risk. 

But Mike Vrabel and Tim Kelly played the game thinking anything they could get from Nick Folk would be of supreme value, while their opponent, the similarly low-scoring Steelers, found enough plays to get to the end zone when they needed to. [Unlocked]

By MIKE HERNDON, columnist

What the Titans got from rookie quarterback Will Levis in his NFL debut was more than anyone could have reasonably expected. Levis threw for four touchdowns – tying an NFL record for a debut performance that he now shares with Marcus Mariota and Fran Tarkenton – to go along with 238 yards and a 65.5 percent completion rate.

Let’s talk, briefly, about the comparison to Mariota’s debut because there are some major differences between the two performances that, to me, make Levis’ far more impressive. For one, none of Mariota’s four touchdown passes traveled more than 15 yards in the air. They were good, accurate throws, but none were as eye-popping as Levis’ two second-half tosses.

This Day In History: @Titans rookie QB Marcus Mariota had a HISTORIC @NFL debut.

He had 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 158.3 passer rating. Mariota became the 1st QB in the modern era to post a perfect passer rating in his first career start. #TDIH (Sept. 2015) pic.twitter.com/VmAOrVUWJw

— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) September 13, 2018

But also, the 2015 Bucs proved to be one of the worst defenses in football, allowing 26.1 points per game, good for

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Thursday is a quick turnaround for the Titans. 

The Titans played well in all phases on Sunday versus the Falcons but get very little time to enjoy it. That may be a good thing because it also gives the opponent a short window to dissect and plan against the Titans’ new offensive look under rookie quarterback Will Levis.

The Steelers and Falcons have a lot of similarities to their offensive units. They’ve been low-scoring teams with average-to-poor quarterback play.

But that is where the similarities stop. The Steelers have a pass rush which the Falcons did not. The Steelers have arguably the best edge pass rusher in the league in T.J Watt and with his bookend rush partner Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh has the best duo in the NFL. Watt has 8.5 sacks; Watt and Highsmith each have two fumbles caused.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The win over Atlanta wasn't just a win, it was a recharging win.

Will Levis isn't likely to duplicate his debut performance Thursday night in Pittsburgh. But he didn't just re-energize a fan base, he reinvigorated a locker room. I talked to a lot of guys about that new vibe, because it's so important. And that's where The Paul Kuharsky Podcast kicks off this week.

The new episode awaits you on Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn, iHeart and YouTube, which is below.

Other subjects I dive into: