Titans Move Up in NFL Power Rankings

The Tennessee Titans grabbed their first win of the season. Where does that put them in the NFL power rankings?

Sep 30, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Tennessee Titans cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) attempts to bring down Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are on the winning end of a game for the first time this season after beating the Miami Dolphins 31-12 on Monday Night Football inside Hard Rock Stadium.

The win comes after three ugly losses, two of which saw the Titans in the lead at halftime. Luckily for them, they were able to put their foot on the gas in the second half against the Dolphins rather than squander their lead.

Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr saw the win as reason to move the Titans up one spot in his weekly power rankings. After placing at No. 31 last week, Tennessee now sits at No. 30.

"The Will Levis experiment seems to be over in Nashville barring injury. Like Dave Canales in Carolina, there was only so much time Brian Callahan could spend trying to fix a quarterback who may be a little ways away. Mason Rudolph was not spectacular and the Titans practiced against a version of this defense all summer but the absolute backbreaking plays are gone for now," Orr writes.

A big part of the win against the Dolphins was the lack of turnovers, which coincidentally came when Levis left the game with a shoulder injury. Before exiting, he threw his sixth interception of the season, which leads the NFL through four games alongside Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Even though the offense looked smoother with Levis on the sideline, coach Brian Callahan is sticking with his quarterback as long as he is healthy.

"If Will [Levis] was healthy, he is our quarterback,"Callahan said via Titans insider Paul Kuharsky. "It was not a decision based on anything other than his health and protecting him, particularly with the bye week. With the shoulder that didn't feel great, I didn't want to put him out back there and I knew I was going to run the ball quite a bit. He's our starter when he's healthy and we're ready to roll with him."

Levis may still be the quarterback, but Rudolph just made his seat a little warmer, and if he doesn't return to form after the bye, the calls for his job will continue to get louder.

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