Potential Titans Head Coach Candidate Sends Clear Warning to Tennessee
One massive question is set to determine the future of the Tennessee Titans: Who will be the head coach to pull this franchise up from the pits of the league, leading the Titans back into playoff contention and setting the young career of Cam Ward back on track?
Since Tennessee fired Brian Callahan earlier this season, plenty of potential candidates have been named. The decision won't be made until the offseason, but it's crucial enough to monitor going forward.
One of the top names mentioned in rumors has been current Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Minter has been an elite defensive play caller, leading a Chargers defense that consistently outperforms expectations.But hiring Minter could be a terrible mistake for the Titans.
Jesse Minter just showed Titans why they shouldn't hire him
When the coaching carousel fully gets going in January, Minter is expected to be a popular candidate.
As he showed in Week 11 though, the Chargers' coach has no way of stopping one of Tennessee's division rivals,
Division rivalries are an underrated aspect of coaching performance. If one play caller has a consistent advantage over another, it can decide playoff spots. Of course, the ability to win with Cam Ward is the most important factor in the Titans’ decision on their next head coach. But the way candidates have fared against other AFC South teams should certainly come into play.
In Week 11, Minter gave the Titans a clear reason to pass him by. His Chargers allowed 35 points and nearly 350 yards to a Jacksonville Jaguars offense that has been struggling to get rolling this season. Jaguars’ head coach and offensive mastermind Liam Coen seemed to be one step ahead of Minter the whole game, consistently setting his players up to find open space. Justin Herbert’s injury played a big part in the 35-6 final score, but Coen’s advantage over Minter was clear throughout the game.
This isn’t the first time Coen has dominated Minter, either. When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Coen’s former team) played the Chargers last season, Minter’s defense allowed 40 points and over 500 yards. The Buccaneers ran the ball with ease in that game, totaling well over 200 yards on the ground.
Again, one matchup shouldn’t decide the candidacy of a coach. But no Titans fan wants to watch a division rival score 40 points on their defense. With that in mind, it might be best for Tennessee to find its head coach elsewhere.
NFL Suspends Ja’Marr Chase Two Games After League Releases Video Showing Spit on Jalen Ramsey
The NFL moved at unprecedented speed late Sunday night, announcing a two game suspension for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase after league investigators confirmed video evidence of Chase spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey during their Week 11 matchup.
The punishment is doubled. One game for the act of spitting. Another game for what the league labeled a “deliberate and intentional false denial” during his postgame press conference.
Hours earlier, Chase forcefully rejected accusations that he spat on Ramsey. He told reporters he never “opened his mouth” and insisted it was only routine trash talk that caused Ramsey to snap and throw a punch.
That version collapsed instantly once the league released enhanced sideline footage. The slow motion angle clearly showed saliva leaving Chase’s facemask and hitting Ramsey moments before the altercation escalated.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a rare late night statement. “The officials on the field ejected the wrong player and we are correcting that mistake tonight. Fortunately the error did not affect the final outcome of the game. But respect between players is a non negotiable standard and spitting is one of the most egregious violations of that standard.”
The decision came less than four hours after the game ended, marking one of the fastest discipline turnarounds in recent league history. Ramsey had been ejected for retaliatory contact but is now cleared of further discipline.
The footage also contradicts Chase’s public denial. Goodell emphasized that lying in the league’s formal postgame process is a punishable offense. That is why the suspension was doubled.
Before his ejection, Ramsey recorded four tackles and one pass breakup in Pittsburgh’s 34-12 win. Chase finished with six catches for 74 yards but will now miss two pivotal games in the Bengals’ AFC playoff push.
Cincinnati has not yet issued a public statement but is expected to appeal the ruling Monday morning. The NFL made clear that the suspension will stand unless “compelling and extraordinary evidence” emerges, which sources privately say is highly unlikely.
The league’s message is unmistakable. The wrong player was punished during the game. The correct player is being punished tonight. And this time, there is no room for debate.
