2023 Tennessee Titans season
64th season in franchise history
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The 2023 season was the Tennessee Titans' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 64th overall, their 27th in the state of Tennessee and their sixth and final under head coach Mike Vrabel. The Titans attempted to improve upon their underachieving 7–10 record from last year. They also attempted to make it back to the playoffs after missing them for the first time since 2018. However, after a Week 15 loss to the Houston Texans in overtime, they were eliminated from playoff contention for the second year in a row.[1] The following week they were locked to last in the AFC South after losing to the Seattle Seahawks 20–17 in Week 16, and they failed to improve on their 7–10 record from 2022. The Titans would lose many close games this year, with 7 out of their 11 losses being decided 8 points or less. They also lost 5 of their games by a combined 14 points. On January 9, the Titans fired Vrabel.[2]
| 2023 Tennessee Titans season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | KSA Industries |
| General manager | Ran Carthon |
| Head coach | Mike Vrabel |
| Home stadium | Nissan Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–11 |
| Division place | 4th AFC South |
| Playoffs | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | RB Derrick Henry |
| Uniform | |
The Tennessee Titans drew an average home attendance of 64,520 in 9 home games in the 2023 NFL season.
Offseason
Coaching changes
On January 9, 2023, the Titans fired offensive coordinator Todd Downing, offensive line coach Keith Carter, secondary coach Anthony Midget, and offensive skill assistant Erik Frazier.[3] Under Downing in 2022, the Titans' offense was 30th in the league in yards and 28th in points-per-game.[4] Fans had called for his firing since during the 2021 season, and many celebrated his departure.[5][6] Carter's offensive line under his tenure was consistently ranked low, and Midget's secondary finished 2022 as worst in the league in passing yards.[7][8] On February 7, passing game coordinator Tim Kelly was promoted to offensive coordinator, Charles London was hired as the quarterbacks coach from the Atlanta Falcons, and Chris Harris was hired as the defensive pass game coordinator/cornerbacks coach from the Washington Commanders.[9] Lori Locust was hired from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the first full-time female coach in Titans history, alongside Justin Hamilton, as defensive quality control coaches.[9] Jason Houghtaling was promoted to offensive line coach, Luke Steckel was moved to run game analyst, Pat O'Hara was moved to pass game analyst, and Tony Dews was moved to tight ends coach.[9]
Organizational changes
On January 18, 2023, the Titans hired San Francisco 49ers executive Ran Carthon as their new general manager.[10] The Titans had fired previous general manager Jon Robinson in December 2022 at the beginning of their seven-game losing streak.[11]
Roster changes
Reserve/future free agent contracts
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Curtis Brooks | DE |
| Shyheim Carter | CB |
| Zack Johnson | G |
| Mason Kinsey | WR |
| John Leglue | OT |
| Zach McCloud | OLB |
| Thomas Odukoya | TE |
| Sam Okuayinonu | OLB |
| Jayden Peevy | DE |
| Justin Rigg | TE |
| Reggie Roberson | WR |
| Andrew Rupcich | OT |
| Tyler Shelvin | NT |
| Caleb Shudak | K |
The Titans signed 11 players to futures contracts on January 10, 2023. By January 23, the Titans had signed three additional players.[12]
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Peter Skoronski | OT | Northwestern | |
| 2 | 33 | Will Levis | QB | Kentucky | From Houston via Arizona[A] |
| 41 | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals[A] | ||||
| 3 | 72 | Traded to the Arizona Cardinals[A] | |||
| 81 | Tyjae Spears | RB | Tulane | From Cardinals[A] | |
| 4 | 110 | Traded to the Atlanta Falcons[B] | |||
| 5 | 147 | Josh Whyle | TE | Cincinnati | |
| 6 | 186 | Jaelyn Duncan | OT | Maryland | From Atlanta[B] |
| 189 | Traded to the Los Angeles Rams[C] | ||||
| 7 | 228 | Colton Dowell | WR | UT Martin | |
Draft trades
- The Titans traded a fourth-round selection (110th overall) and a 2022 second-round selection to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a sixth-round selection (186th overall) and WR Julio Jones.[14]
- The Titans traded a sixth-round selection (189th overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for WR Robert Woods.[15]
Undrafted free agents
The Titans signed 22 undrafted free agents.[16]
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Anthony Kendall | DB | Baldwin-Wallace |
| Mo Hasan | QB | USC |
| Sammy Wheeler | LS | Kansas State |
| Jahleel Billingsley | TE | Texas |
| Shea Pitts | LB | UCLA |
| Keenan Agnew | DL | Southern Illinois |
| Eric Garror | CB | Louisiana Lafayette |
| Tyreque Jones | DB | Boise State |
| Maxwell Worship | S/LB | Vanderbilt |
| Matthew Jackson | LB | Eastern Kentucky |
| Tre'Shaun Harrison | WR | Oregon State |
| Shakel Brown | DL | Troy |
| Thomas Rush | LB | Minnesota |
| Kearis Jackson | WR | Georgia |
| Trey Wolff | K | Texas Tech |
| Jacob Copeland | WR | Maryland |
| John Ojukwu | OT | Boise State |
| Caleb Murphy | EDGE | Ferris State |
| T. K. McLendon | EDGE | Eastern Kentucky |
| Steven Jones Jr. | CB | Appalachian State |
| Charles McClelland | RB | Cincinnati |
| Otis Reese IV | LB | Mississippi |
Staff
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Final roster
Team captains
- Ryan Tannehill (QB)
- Derrick Henry (RB)
- Kevin Byard (FS)
- Jeffery Simmons (DE)
- Azeez Al-Shaair (LB)
- Aaron Brewer (C)
- Morgan Cox (LS)
Source:[17]
Preseason
The Titans' preseason opponents and schedule was announced in the spring.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 12 | at Chicago Bears | L 17–23 | 0–1 | Soldier Field | Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 24–16 | 1–1 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | New England Patriots | W 23–7 | 2–1 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | at New Orleans Saints | L 15–16 | 0–1 | Caesars Superdome | Recap |
| 2 | September 17 | Los Angeles Chargers | W 27–24 (OT) | 1–1 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | at Cleveland Browns | L 3–27 | 1–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 27–3 | 2–2 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 8 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 16–23 | 2–3 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 15 | Baltimore Ravens | L 16–24 | 2–4 | Recap | |
| 7 | Bye | |||||
| 8 | October 29 | Atlanta Falcons | W 28–23 | 3–4 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 2 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 16–20 | 3–5 | Acrisure Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers | L 6–20 | 3–6 | Raymond James Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | L 14–34 | 3–7 | EverBank Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | Carolina Panthers | W 17–10 | 4–7 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | Indianapolis Colts | L 28–31 (OT) | 4–8 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 11 | at Miami Dolphins | W 28–27 | 5–8 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | Houston Texans | L 16–19 (OT) | 5–9 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–20 | 5–10 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 31 | at Houston Texans | L 3–26 | 5–11 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 28–20 | 6–11 | Nissan Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Game summaries
Week 1: at New Orleans Saints
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 6 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
| Saints | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
at Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: September 10
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
- Game attendance: 70,024
- Referee: Ronald Torbert
- TV announcers (CBS): Chris Lewis, Jason McCourty, Ross Tucker and Amanda Guerra
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 2: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chargers | 3 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Titans | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 27 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: September 17
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,438
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Tiffany Blackmon
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Browns | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: September 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sun/Clouds, 68 °F (20 °C)
- Game attendance: 67,919
- Referee: Craig Wrolstad
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 4: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Titans | 3 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: October 1
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 82 °F (28 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,951
- Referee: Shawn Smith
- TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth and Kristina Pink
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 5: at Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 3 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 16 |
| Colts | 7 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: October 8
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C) (retractable roof open)
- Game attendance: 65,287
- Referee: Brad Rogers
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Amanda Renner
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 6: vs. Baltimore Ravens
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravens | 6 | 12 | 0 | 6 | 24 |
| Titans | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 16 |
at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England
- Date: October 15
- Game time: 2:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. CDT
- Game weather: Sunny, 52 °F (11 °C)
- Game attendance: 61,011
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (WTVF/NFLN): Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner and Jamie Erdahl
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 8: vs. Atlanta Falcons
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falcons | 3 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 23 |
| Titans | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: October 29
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
- Game weather: Cloudy, 77 °F (25 °C)
- Game attendance: 68,008
- Referee: Clay Martin
- TV announcers (CBS): Beth Mowins, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Amanda Guerra
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 9: at Pittsburgh Steelers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 3 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Steelers | 7 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 20 |
at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 2
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Mostly clear, 40 °F (4 °C)
- Game attendance: 65,969
- Referee: John Hussey
- TV announcers (WTVF/Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 20 |
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- Date: November 12
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 85 °F (29 °C)
- Game attendance: 62,725
- Referee: Alan Eck
- TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Matt Ryan and AJ Ross
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 11: at Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| Jaguars | 7 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 12: vs. Carolina Panthers
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panthers | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Titans | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 31 |
| Titans | 10 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 28 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 14: at Miami Dolphins
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 28 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 27 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: December 11
- Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST/7:15 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Partly cloudy, 64 °F (18 °C)
- Game attendance: 66,068
- Referee: Adrian Hill
- TV announcers (WTVF/ESPN): Chris Fowler, Louis Riddick, Dan Orlovsky and Laura Rutledge
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 15: vs. Houston Texans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texans | 0 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 19 |
| Titans | 6 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: December 17
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 48 °F (9 °C)
- Game attendance: 66,219
- Referee: Clete Blakeman
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 16: vs. Seattle Seahawks
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 20 |
| Titans | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 17: at Houston Texans
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Texans | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: December 31
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,517
- Referee: Scott Novak
- TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Robert Smith and Jen Hale
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Week 18: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
| Titans | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
- Date: January 7
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Cloudy, 41 °F (5 °C)
- Game attendance: 63,744
- Referee: Tra Blake
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
- Recap, Game Book
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Standings
Division
| AFC South | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (4) Houston Texans | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 7–5 | 377 | 353 | W2 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | 377 | 371 | L1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | 396 | 415 | L1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 305 | 367 | W1 |
Conference
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division leaders | |||||||||||
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .543 | .529 | L1 |
| 2[a][b] | Buffalo Bills | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .471 | .471 | W5 |
| 3[a] | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .481 | .428 | W2 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .474 | .465 | W2 |
| Wild cards | |||||||||||
| 5[c] | Cleveland Browns | North | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .536 | .513 | L1 |
| 6[b][c] | Miami Dolphins | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .450 | .358 | L2 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .540 | .571 | W3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
| 8[d] | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .574 | .536 | W1 |
| 9[d][e] | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .533 | .477 | L1 |
| 10[e] | Indianapolis Colts | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .491 | .444 | L1 |
| 11[f] | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .488 | .426 | W1 |
| 12[f] | Denver Broncos | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .485 | L1 |
| 13 | New York Jets | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .502 | .454 | W1 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | South | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .522 | .422 | W1 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .529 | .388 | L5 |
| 16 | New England Patriots | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .522 | .529 | L2 |
| Tiebreakers[g] | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||