The Tennessee Titans dropped their first game of the 2025 campaign, losing 20-12 to the Denver Broncos in Week 1. There are several reasons why the Titans lost and rookie quarterback Cam Ward wasn't one of them. Head coach Brian Callahan struggled mightily, from play calling to clock management.
The Titans spent large portions of the offseason attempting to eliminate self-inflicted wounds. They were penalized 13 times for 131 yards. Callahan's most frustrating series included three-straight passing incompletions from his own seven-yard line with 47 seconds remaining instead of running out the clock. The Titans were forced to punt and the Broncos scored a touchdown when they should have never had an opportunity to score.
But it arguably wasn't Callahan's biggest gaffe on Sunday, and that's saying something. Rookie wide receiver Elic Ayomanor appeared to have potentially made an acrobatic catch on 1st-and-20 near the sideline. He was ruled out of bounds by the officials despite it looking like his elbow landed in bounds. Callahan decided not to challenge the call, wiping out a would-be explosive play, and his explanation after the game was even more mind boggling.
Titans HC Brian Callahan gives nonsensical explanation for refusing to challenge Elic Ayomanor catch
Callahan was pressed by reporters on why he didn't challenge the original call. Callahan explained that Ayomanor needed to get a foot in bounds in addition to his elbow, and the Titans weren't convinced he did that. That explanation is factually incorrect.
"You have to get a foot in bounds too," Callahan told reporters during his postgame presser. "We didn't have a clear look at it. An elbow doesn't equal two feet. His foot would have had to have come down [in bounds]. We didn't have a clean look, so the call from upstairs was it wasn't worth challenging."
Yikes. That's a downright embarrassing answer from Callahan, and it's equally concerning that none of the assistant coaches he consulted seemingly possessed the knowledge to correct him. The jury remains out on Callahan's coaching ability, and Sunday's lackluster showing was a step in the wrong direction.
