You should be glad the Titans beat the Patriots in Week 9
The Tennessee Titans defeated the New England Patriots on Sunday in an overtime thriller. The Titans weathered the storm despite giving up a game-tying touchdown on fourth-and-goal as time expired in regulation, sending the game to a fifth quarter. Nick Folk kicked a field goal in OT and Amani Hooker recorded his second interception of the afternoon on the ensuing Patriots possession to clinch victory.
As a result, the Titans moved down from No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft order to No. 9. Yes, had they lost, they’d currently own the No. 1 overall selection because the Carolina Panthers upset the New Orleans Saints. Instead of Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward, you’ll see pass rushers mocked to the Titans at ninth overall in this week’s mock drafts.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan was emotional following Sunday’s victory. Callahan was holding back tears while discussing what the victory meant with local members of the media during the postgame press conference. It’s a stark reminder that the people in charge are real human beings who endure real emotions.
Brian Callahan is emotional after his team’s win today pic.twitter.com/DbG8pWJsPh
— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) November 3, 2024
Callahan is attempting to establish his culture in the locker room. Had the Titans been defeated by the Patriots, they’d have been the lone remaining one-win squad in the NFL. It’s difficult to establish an identity and receive buy-in from the players when you’re undeniably the worst team in the entire league. This victory reminds the Titans roster that Callahan’s approach can lead to victories on Sunday.
It’s also worth acknowledging that there are nine two-win teams in the NFL, including the Patriots, who moved up to No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft after losing to the Titans. Because there’s so much parity among the basement, the draft order will undergo massive changes weekly. Based on our evaluation, the Titans will likely select significantly earlier than ninth overall.
If you were rooting for a Titans loss, it’s understandable that possessing an early draft-pick is realistically the best outcome for this disappointing 2024 campaign, as GM Ran Carthon begins trying to accelerate this painful rebuild. But there will be plenty of late-season opportunities for the Titans to move into the top-five of the 2025 NFL Draft order with late-season losses. Winning in Week 9 helped the Titans more than it hindered.