NASHVILLE – Titans coach Brian Callahan held a press conference on Monday, one day after the team’s 26-0 loss to the Houston Texans.
Next up is a road game at the Arizona Cardinals.
Here’s a look at some of the hot topics from today’s presser:
-Callahan said the plan is to get running back Tyjae Spears back into the practice mix this week. Spears was placed on Injured Reserve prior to the start of the season because of an ankle injury, and he’s missed the last four games. “We’re going to activate him, open up his window,” Callahan said of Spears. “It’s a 21-day window he has to get elevated back to the active roster.” Callahan said Spears had some good workouts last week, and his return would help running back Tony Pollard back.
-Callahan said quarterback Cam Ward has had to learn some tough lessons during his first four starts, but said he’s shown great passion for getting better, and finding ways to improve. “He’s understanding what it takes to play NFL quarterback,” Callahan said of Ward. “And he’s only going to get better the more (he plays).”
-Callahan said it’s not a bad thing to see Ward so animated, like he was after the game. “I think what everyone is learning about Cam is that he cares a tremendous amount,” Callahan said. “It is really important to him. He wants to win football games, and he wants to deliver a winning performance for our organization, for our fans. That’s what he cares about. There is nothing else that he has any interest in other than playing football and trying to play football at a high level.”
-Callahan said receiver Calvin Ridley was fighting through an in-game injury on Sunday, which impacted his snap count.
-Callahan said left tackle Dan Moore Jr. was close to not playing on Sunday after waking up in the middle of the night with an illness. Moore worked out about 20 minutes before inactives were due, and “he said I’ve got you, I’m going,” Callahan said. “For him to go out there and battle that way, against the players he had to battle against,” Callahan said, “was good. And I appreciate that about him.”
-Callahan said right tackle Oli Udoh was solid at right tackle while playing in place of JC Latham.
-Callahan was asked if he has had any assurances about his job security during the course of this season. “Whether I do or I don’t,” Callahan said, “it doesn’t matter to me. My job is to try and put our team in a position to try and win as many games as possible and to keep coaching until the day comes that they don’t want me to coach here any more, and that is the reality for coaches in the league. I don’t look for assurances, but I can tell you I’ve always been supported here, and I’ve always felt like the people that I have to work with on a day-to-day basis believe in what we’re doing, and how we’re doing it. But I also know how the NFL works.”
-Callahan raved about defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who was credited with five tackles, four tackles for a loss and a sack against the Texans despite regularly getting double-teamed and even triple-teamed on some plays. Simmons became the only Titans player with at least four tackles for loss in a game since the beginning of the 2008 season. “Jeff as played at a level that I have not seen too many defensive players play at,” Callahan said. “He has been absolutely fantastic in every way, shape or form you could ask of him. He has been phenomenal … and I think the area I am probably the most proud of him and excited for him is his leadership. That area of his professional growth has been incredible.”
-Callahan said he pressed officials on Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair’s hit to the head on Ward in the first quarter, which was not called. “I made a lot of stink about it to those guys,” Callahan said. “I kept asking them: How did we not see that?” (Cam) got a pretty good shot to the head, and I was mad about it, and felt like it should have been a penalty. … I felt like that was a pretty clear roughing the passer.”
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