Defensive Spotlight: Calen Bullock earns his game ball for TNF masterpiece
To start, I want to fill you in on a little secret. A couple of months back, when this Defensive Spotlight series was in its earliest stages, I mapped out the players I wanted to put a spotlight on each week of the season moving forward, and this was supposed to be the Tommy Townsend week.
Yes, Tommy Townsend is a punter, so he more accurately falls under the 'Special Teams' umbrella than he does the 'Defense' umbrella, but I had this plan where I would make the joke that because Tommy Townsend looks like he could've been a pilgrim at the first Thanksgiving, it's only fair that I covered him on the week of Thanksgiving.
But then Calen Bullock's Thursday Night Football masterpiece against the Buffalo Bills happened, and I decided to pivot. And boy, I've gotta say that I'm very proud of myself because I was still able to work the pilgrim joke into this week's spotlight anyway, and now I get to write about Bullock instead. It's a win for all parties involved, including you, because even with as much faith as I have in myself as a writer, Calen Bullock is just a bigger draw than Tommy Townsend will ever be.
Well, except for back in 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Calen Bullock's 2025 Season to Date
What the stats are saying: 37 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 6 passes defended, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble, 65.8 PFF Grade (40th among 94 qualified safeties)
What DeMeco Ryans said about Calen Bullock after last Thursday's win: "The way our defensive line hunted, of course, that was great, but Calen Bullock is the guy for me,” Ryans said, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. “The way he went out and intercepted the ball two times, forced a fumble to get us in plus territory there. My favorite play is the one that ended it. A lot of emotions going on on the sideline through that entire drive. For Calen to come down with the interception, that was my favorite play because it meant it was over.”
What Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair said about Calen Bullock after last Thursday's win: “He’s a ball hawk. It’s just who he is. He’s one of the best in the league in being able to do that. He’s just in the right spots.”
What Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said about Calen Bullock back in August: “I think we all know how good he is in the deep end of the field and how valuable he can be getting the ball. But I think he’s really shown growth to me, and he's putting it on himself to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to try to play down here a little bit more, do this or tackling.’ We keep stressing working on tackling with all these guys. So, I really like the way he’s attacked the offseason coming from February on.”
What the tape is saying: The tape is saying that even though this was clearly Calen Bullock's best game of the season, this is not an abberation. While the PFF grade doesn't paint the picture of a player who is among the best at his position, it feels like both the tape and the raw numbers do.
As Azeez Al-Shaair noted, Bullock is an absolute ballhawk who utilizes fantastic instincts, his 6-foot-3 frame and long arms to routinely disrupt passes downfield. Even though Burke suggested over the summer that he was entertaining the idea of moving Bullock around a little bit more, the 22-year-old has been so effective in the deep-third of the field that Houston just can't afford to lose his presence in the back end.
This season, Bullock has lined up in the deep third on 616 of his 683 snaps. He's been targeted just six times this season while playing in the box or in the slot. But again, this makes sense that Houston wouldn't be eager to move Bullock around that much, because he's been an eraser at his more natural position.
In just 28 career games, Bullock has already picked off 9 passes. According to NFL analyst Doug Farrar, Bullock has been targeted 49 times and allowed only 21 catches and 3 touchdowns, and has an opponent passer rating of 41.4.
Calen Bullock knows that much of his success -- and much of the success of the Texans secondary as a whole -- can be partially credited to a pass rush that was at its absolute best against the Buffalo Bills. But pair that pass rush with one of the most technically sound and talented secondary's in the league, and you have a defense that is capable of being the best in the National Football League.
"We know we got some bad guys on our team in front of us, and our D-line know that we’re going to do our job in the back end," Bullock told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt following the win over the Bills. "So it’s just all of us, we’re going out there, we trust each other. We trust each other. We’re the best defense in the NFL.”
The Tennessee Titans are rebuilding - Three Titans are in constant danger of losing their roster spots
The Tennessee Titans are rebuilding. General manager Mike Borgonzi has routinely churned both the active roster and practice squad on almost a daily basis this season. You're constantly searching for solutions when you're 1-10 and slated to earn the No. 1 overall selection in back-to-back NFL Drafts.
The Titans have shown no hesitancy to trade or release veteran players this season. Roger McCreary, Jarvis Brownlee, and Dre'Mont Jones were all sacrificed in exchange for additional or improved draft capital. Veterans Tyler Lockett and Quandre Diggs were released to make room for younger players in the lineup.
A few Titans are fortunate to have avoided the chopping block thus far. That doesn't necessarily mean Borgonzi isn't weighing his options. We've identified three Titans who are in constant danger of losing their roster spot.
3 Titans players who are lucky they are still on the roster through Thanksgiving
Mason Kinsey, WR
Mason Kinsey first joined the Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Somehow, his work ethic has convinced multiple GMs and coaching staffs that he deserves to stick around. Most recently, Titans fans were disappointed when he failed to connect with Cam Ward on two potentially explosive passing plays in Week 11.
The Titans added James Proche II to the roster, and made Xavier Restrepo a standard gameday elevation versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12. Both Proche and Restrepo grossly outperformed Kinsey on offense. Kinsey could be cut to make room, though his special teams prowess could rescue him.
Xavier Woods, S
The Titans aren't afraid to cut veterans, as proven by their decisions to sever ties with Diggs and Lockett. One veteran who is potentially lucky to avoid joining them is safety Xavier Woods. Woods signed a two-year contract this past offseason, so what's probably saving him is that cutting him in-season wouldn't be a financially fruitful decision.
The Titans have added a ton of safeties to the roster in recent weeks though. Jerrick Reed II joined off waivers and Mike Brown was activated off IR. Meanwhile, rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr. has broken out in recent weeks.
C.J. Ravenell, DL
The Titans claimed a league-high four players off waivers in August. None of them have proved they truly belong. Though cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis has been the most frustrating, the Titans haven't seen production from defensive lineman C.J. Ravenell either.
Ravenell has earned just 66 defensive snaps this season. That's despite the Titans having endured multi-week injuries to both Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat. If the Titans need to create a roster spot anytime soon, Ravenell could find himself on the outs.
