Tennessee Titans, marred by more Will Levis miscues, drop home opener vs New York Jets

The Tennessee Titans fell short. Again.

The Titans lost their home opener 24-17 against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium Sunday, dropping to 0-2 in two games with identical scores where turnovers and special teams miscues doomed the team in the middle quarters and the offense wasn't able to make the one play it needed late to flip the score.

Quarterback Will Levis looked efficient on the stat sheet, finishing 19-for-28 with 192 yards and a touchdown, but his impulsiveness once again led to costly giveaways.

Two early turnovers and a blocked punt put the Titans in a 17-10 hole midway through the third quarter, but Levis and receiver Calvin Ridley connected for their first touchdown as a duo on a 40-yard strike to tie the score heading into the fourth.

Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers guided his team downfield for a go-ahead scoring drive with 4:31 remaining, capped by a 20-yard touchdown run from running back Braelon Allen. Levis guided the Titans across midfield on the ensuing drive, with chunk gains from Ridley and running back Tony Pollard pushing the Titans inside the Jets' 30-yard line ahead of the two-minute warning.

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What was Will Levis doing?

Levis fumbled away one of the best opportunities for points the Titans had in the first half in a moment reminiscent of his game-losing pick-six from Week 1. Instead of taking a third-down red zone sack, he went airborne and underhand-flipped a ball backward toward running back Tyjae Spears. The Jets recovered the unforced fumble, taking over possession when the Titans likely would've been able to convert a field goal from around the 12-yard line had Levis just gone to the ground.

As Levis came off the field, coach Brian Callahan got in his quarterback's face. The TV broadcast captured Callahan saying "What the (expletive) are you doing?" as an angry Levis stormed to the sideline and slammed his helmet.

More of the same from the defense

The Titans' defense couldn't keep its "no offensive touchdowns allowed" streak going, but the unit kept Rodgers and the Jets' offense off-balance and out of rhythm most of the day. Without forcing a turnover, the group stifled the Jets with consistent pressure, lock-tight coverage on the perimeter and impressive downhill performances from linebackers Ernest Jones IV and Kenneth Murray Jr.

First-year defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson has his unit humming. Playing well against a rookie quarterback in his NFL debut was one thing, but limiting a future Hall of Fame passer like Rodgers the way the Titans did Sunday is a huge check mark.

Another blocked punt?

The Titans' special teams allowed another punt to be blocked. This one, luckily, bounced out of bounds instead of being recovered for a touchdown, but it did set the Jets up with good field position that they converted for three points. That makes three straight games, dating to last season, that Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse has had a kick blocked.

After the play, reserve running back Julius Chestnut walked over to Stonehouse on the sideline and said a few words, seemingly apologizing for the miscommunication that allowed for the free runner.

What's next?

The Titans stay home for Week 3 of the NFL season, hosting the Green Bay Packers at Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon CT, FOX).

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Will Levis, Titans fall short against Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets