Tennessee Titans fans correctly have a lot of contempt for the franchise right now. Everyone can admit this team needed a chance to catch its breath. The Week 10 bye provided an opportunity to reset.
After more than a month of terrible play, the team fired Brian Callahan and started looking toward the future. In the meantime, interim coach Mike McCoy has done his best to keep this team afloat while also dealing with players like Jeffery Simmons and Calvin Ridley missing multiple games.
With a chance to step back and evaluate during the bye week, McCoy and his offensive staff should have come to one definitive conclusion. This team couldn’t run a successful screen if their season depended on it, and they need to remove it from the playbook completely.
Sure, the plays out of the wildcat formation are the most recent idoicy on the minds of Titans fans, but the screen game has been the most consistently frustrating part of the team’s playbook since Week 1. Penalties and poor execution have routinely doomed nearly every screen the Titans have run this season.
Whether they call them “run solutions” or something else, the quick screens have killed the momentum created by the offense whenever they have been called. Whether the play gets blown up, a lineman goes downfield illegally, or there is offensive pass interference, the play is nearly guaranteed to lose yards and to hurt the offense.
Instead of calling any of those plays ever again, the Titans coaching staff should consider more play-action passes. Most of Cam Ward’s successful plays have come from play-action concepts, and both play-action passes and screens serve functionally the same purpose.
If the concern is that the defense is crowding the box or coming up too aggressively to stop the run, screens and play-action passes take advantage of that aggression. If one type of play (screens) is killing you and the other is leading to explosive plays and touchdowns (play-action), then the conclusion should be straightforward.
This coaching staff needs to remember that their sole job is to help Ward (and to a lesser extent, this whole rookie class) develop. With just the small change of eliminating the handful of screen passes per game and replacing them with play-action passes, the Titans could make life easier for Ward and create a more fun and explosive offense.
As the 2025 NFL season intensifies, Geno Smith has made one thing abundantly clear: he’s not interested in the off-field chatter, the opinions of critics, or the narratives being spun by the media.
Smith has faced his fair share of criticism throughout his career, with his time with the Seattle Seahawks and now his tenure with the Raiders providing plenty of moments for pundits to weigh in. After a series of inconsistent performances, there’s no shortage of narratives being built around his future in the NFL. But Smith isn’t concerned with the noise — he’s determined to prove himself on the field.
A New Focus: One Play at a Time
For Smith, it’s all about his next opportunity to lead his team to victory. Despite a rough start to the season with the Raiders, Smith is focused on putting the past behind him and moving forward. His statement is a clear indication that he’s choosing to focus on what he can control — his performance, his leadership, and the results on the field.
“I’ve learned to block out the distractions,” Smith continued. “At the end of the day, it’s about what happens when you step onto that field. The rest doesn’t matter. I’m here to play ball, and that’s where my focus is.”
This mindset comes at a critical juncture for Smith. The Raiders are looking for consistency from their quarterback, and Smith knows that he needs to step up and lead this team. With a solid supporting cast around him and a coaching staff committed to his success, Smith is ready to show the world that he’s capable of more than the ups and downs he’s been labeled with in the past.
The Opportunity Ahead
Week 11 is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in Smith’s season. As the Raiders face a tough opponent, the quarterback’s ability to block out the noise and deliver on the field will be crucial. With his statement, Smith is making it clear that he isn’t going to be defined by the criticism or the narrative that surrounds him. His focus is laser-sharp, and he’s determined to let his play do the talking.
For the Raiders, Smith’s commitment to his role and his no-nonsense approach could be the spark they need to get back on track. His leadership will be key to executing the game plan and finding success in the high-stakes moments. And for Smith, his chance to prove himself on the field has never been more important.
No More Excuses
At this point in his career, Geno Smith has nothing left to prove to anyone except himself. He’s already overcome plenty of obstacles, and now it’s all about taking responsibility for his role in the offense and leading his team with conviction. The past is behind him, and the future is in his hands. Smith has the chance to rewrite the narrative — and he’s doing it with one clear focus: football.
As the Raiders head into the second half of the season, the pressure is on. But with Geno Smith’s mindset firmly on the field, the distractions of the outside world won’t be a factor. The only thing that matters now is what happens when he takes the snap. No distractions, no excuses — just football.