For 30 minutes of game time Sunday, it appeared that the Tennessee Titans problems on offense had been solved with the insertion of Mason Rudolph.
Will Levis, who has been plagued by turnovers all season long, was scratched to rest his injured shoulder, and the offense with Rudolph at the helm looked sharper in the first half’s series.
For his part, Rudolph was 18-of-23 for 155 yards and a touchdown pass to give the Titans a 10-7 lead.
But in the second half, the Titans’ offense reverted to how it had been for the bulk of the season. It could not sustain any drives or momentum as they ended up buried in Buffalo.
The offensive line’s inability to protect the quarterback, combined with Rudolph’s inability to get on the same page with receivers like Calvin Ridley, resulted in the backup’s second half stat line looking very different, 7-of-17 for 60 yards and an interception.
In other words, it appears that the Titans’ problems go far beyond and much deeper than just the issues Levis was having protecting the football and making plays with it.
The chasm that exists between the Titans and four quarters of successful offensive football appears to be one that is so wide that neither Levis nor Rudolph is able to bridge it.
Head Coach Brian Callahan pledged Monday Levis will return as the starter once his shoulder is healthy. Then the process of evaluating him as the starter will continue.
But can the Titans really get an accurate assessment of Levis with the many issues facing this team. It’s hard for him to show progress surrounded by this offensive cast.
“We’re in a position now where we need more from everybody,” Callahan said Monday in discussing how the Titans might improve from this 1-5 mess.