AFC South

The Indianapolis Colts are one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL after their 1-2-1 start, and changes could be coming soon following their 24-17 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

"Jim Irsay is not going to stand for this," NBC Sports' Peter King said of the team's owner. "He really isn't. I can feel him fixing to blow from here."

Indianapolis entered the year with high expectations after adding veteran quarterback Matt Ryan to a squad that went 9-8 last season. Outside of the surprising win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3, the Colts have been an embarrassment in 2022 with two losses and a tie against the other three teams in the AFC South.

Considering the Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans only have a combined two wins outside of the Colts, the performances are especially disconcerting.

It could put head coach Frank Reich, who is in his fifth year with the team, on the hot seat. The squad has cycled through six different starting quarterbacks in that stretch: Andrew Luck, Jacoby Brissett, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Ryan.

With the Colts currently dead last in the NFL at just 14.3 points scored per game, Irsay might be running out of patience.

Doug Pederson is hopeful Philadelphia Eagles fans remember the good times when he returns to the City of Brotherly Love this week.

The Jacksonville Jaguars head coach told reporters Wednesday he'd like to get a standing ovation:

Doug Pederson says he is looking forward to coming back to Philadelphia

"What we did in 2017 is something we will always remember"#Eagles

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 28, 2022

Doug Pederson says he is hoping he gets a standing ovation but he knows "anything is possible"

(The idea anyone will boo Doug Pederson is laughable)

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) September 28, 2022

Philadelphians can be unforgiving at times, but they're also more than willing to celebrate figures who helped to deliver success in the past. Andy Reid got a positive reception in his first game back as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach in 2013.

Pederson spent five years as the Eagles' coach. He helped lead the franchise to its first Super Bowl title in 2017 as well as an NFC East title in 2019.

One presumes Pederson will get plenty of cheers before Sunday's game, because that Super Bowl triumph earned him a lot of goodwill. But he may not be all that popular if the Jaguars hand the Eagles their first loss of the season.

Even after an 0-2 start to the season, the Tennessee Titans aren't looking to bench Ryan Tannehill in favor of Malik Willis.

Peter Schrager provided the latest on NFL on Fox pregame:

Outside that building, there's a lot of whispers, and maybe louder than whispers, about seeing the third-round pick Malik Willis out of Liberty. Maybe it's time to go to him, I can tell you, speaking to Titans sources, that is not the conversion internally. They are all-in on Tannehill and they still believe they're contenders this season.

Willis saw his first NFL action in a Week 2 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, finishing 1-of-4 passing for six yards, plus four carries for 16 yards.

There are high expectations for the former Liberty star, who showcased his dual-threat ability during the preseason. Willis was the third quarterback taken in the draft behind Kenny Pickett and Desmond Ridder.

It's enough for plenty of fans to call for the rookie to take over and prove himself as the quarterback of the future.

On the other hand, Tannehill is just one year removed from leading the Titans to the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a 12-5 record. In 47 appearances with Tennessee, the quarterback has a 101.1 passer rating with 78 touchdowns and a 2.1 percent interception rating.

The team is standing by Tannehill despite the early season struggles, hoping it's enough to remain in playoff contention.

If things don't turn around, however, Tennessee would be smart to see what it has in Willis before the year is over. Tannehill has a $36.6 million cap hit in 2023, but the Titans can save up to $27 million by trading or releasing the quarterback in the offseason, per Spotrac.

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury suffered Monday during his team's road matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

The news was announced on the Twitter account for Bussin' With the Boys, a Barstool Sports podcast featuring Lewan and his ex-teammate, free-agent linebacker Will Compton.

We come to you with sad news

The boy, Taylor Lewan, is out for the season after his knee injury in the Buffalo game last week

— Bussin' With The Boys (@BussinWTB) September 24, 2022

Lewan, 31, is a three-time Pro Bowler who has been with the Titans for his entire nine-year NFL career.

Lewan's great career with the Titans could very well be over now. He signed a five-year, $80 million extension ($50 million guaranteed) that began in 2019 and runs through 2023, but the Titans can release Lewan without any cap penalty next offseason and save nearly $15 million on the cap as well.

The former Michigan star's time in Tennessee was ultimately a great success. He notably served as an instrumental part of the team's turnaround after the Titans went 5-27 in 2014 and 2015.

The Titans have sported winning records ever since 2016, and their six-year span from 2016-2021 includes a 2019 AFC Championship Game appearances and a pair of AFC South titles.

Lewan also helped pave running paths for star running back Derrick Henry, who led the league in rushing in 2019 and 2020 and finished with 2,027 rushing yards in the latter year.

As far as this season goes, the onus is now on Dennis Daley to step in at left tackle. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel already told reporters Friday that Daley will replace Lewan when Tennessee hosts the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The Indianapolis Colts have gotten off to a disappointing start to the 2022 season largely because of the lackluster play by quarterback Matt Ryan, but head coach Frank Reich isn't panicking just yet.

Per Pro Football Talk's Myles Simmons, Reich said on Monday that he has not lost confidence in Ryan at all.

"What I love about Matt is that he takes responsibility. He's the leader. I could not be happier that he's our quarterback," Reich said. "He's an elite leader and I really believe he can be an elite player in this offense."

Ryan went 16-of-30 for 195 yards and three interceptions in Sunday's 24-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, which dropped Indianapolis to 0-1-1. The 37-year-old was sacked five times and coughed up a fumble that the Colts managed to recover.

Despite his immense struggles against a team Indianapolis was favored to beat, Reich said the loss didn't fall solely on Ryan's shoulders.

"I mean the protection yesterday wasn't our best effort. He was under duress a number of times," Reich said. "There's still mistakes that he made, that we all make, but I think overall—listen, I understand how the quarterback position is. You're really dependent on everybody else on there, but you're at the center of it so you have to make it work."

Through the first two weeks of the season, Ryan has thrown for 547 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions while completing 60 percent of his passes. He's been sacked seven times and he's fumbled the ball five times, though only one was lost. That level of production is well below what was expected of the 2016 NFL MVP when the Colts acquired him from the Atlanta Falcons.

While Ryan obviously needs to improve, Reich said it's up to the entire team to address their deficiencies if they hope to turn their season around.

"We've all got to pull it together. We all have got to carry our own weight, each one of us, including him and everybody on that offense," he said.

The Colts have a tough matchup in Week 3 as they will welcome the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) to Lucas Oil Stadium for their home opener.

As the Tennessee Titans were getting blown out by the Buffalo Bills on their way to a 41-7 loss on Monday Night Football, it became apparent that starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill was overmatched.

The 34-year-old completed 11 of 20 passes for 117 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. The lackluster performance had many fans online clamoring for Tannehill to be replaced by rookie quarterback Malik Willis, and they got their wish.

Tannehill was benched after throwing the pick-six, and Willis made his NFL debut in the third quarter of Monday's game. However, things didn't go much better for the 23-year-old, as he went 1-of-4 for six yards and ran the ball four times for 16 yards and a lost fumble.

With the Titans falling to 0-2, much of the chatter on social media centered around the team's quarterback position, with Willis getting most of the attention:

It's Malik Willis time.

— Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) September 20, 2022

"sorry Ryan, it's Malik Willis time." pic.twitter.com/AgfdAjKPh5

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) September 20, 2022

Malik Willis time. Electric athlete.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) September 20, 2022

It’s Malik Willis time.

3:49 left in the 3rd.

The Bills steal your souls, mess with your heads and then your roster.

— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) September 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/thorku/status/1572008783878180865

We, the people, DEMAND Malik Willis

— Davis Mattek (@DavisMattek) September 20, 2022

put malik willis in the game now @Titans

— gabb (@gabbgoudy) September 20, 2022

Y’all asked for Malik Willis and he immediately came in looking like a rookie QB….this game of NFL Football ain’t easy

— Carp (@robcarpenter81) September 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/MaggieGray/status/1572045215283945474

Titans going with Malik Willis is only thing keeping me tuned into this Titans/Bills mess.

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_Sooners) September 20, 2022

And there’s Malik Willis’ welcome to the NFL moment. Matt Milano on one tonight.

— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) September 20, 2022

Matt Milano just knocked Malik Willis back into the 2022 NFL Draft.

— Ryan Talbot (@RyanTalbotBills) September 20, 2022

Hand up...I did not have "Malik Willis in at QB by Week 2" on my 2022 #Titans Bingo card.

— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) September 20, 2022

Malik Willis good luck bro damn

— Keith McPherson (@Keith_McPherson) September 20, 2022

Tennessee has a lot of questions to answer. Tannehill is likely to remain the team's starter, but for how long? The Titans can't afford to fall into a deeper hole this season after finishing as the No. 1 seed in the AFC last year.

If Tannehill puts forth another performance like he had Monday, there will be no shortage of fans calling for Willis to be the team's starter for the rest of the season.

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Malik Willis made his NFL debut, replacing starter Ryan Tannehill in the third quarter of Monday night's game against the Buffalo Bills.

Tannehill was benched after throwing for 117 yards and two interceptions on 11-of-20 passing. Willis is now the first rookie quarterback to see game action this season.

It’s Malik Willis time.

3:49 left in the 3rd.

The Bills steal your souls, mess with your heads and then your roster.

— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) September 20, 2022

The Bills had taken a 41-7 lead on a pick-six by Matt Milano, which sent Tannehill to the bench. The veteran was more effective in the season opener against the New York Giants, throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers, though the Titans lost on a late field goal.

Willis was the third quarterback taken in the 2022 draft when Tennessee selected him with a third-round pick. He had initially been projected to be a possible first-round pick, but there weren't many quarterback-needy teams. The Titans took the chance to secure their signal-caller of the future when he fell down the draft board.

The 23-year-old is known for his dual-threat ability, as he rushed for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns in his two seasons at Liberty while also throwing for 5,107 yards and 47 scores. He adds a different dimension to the Tennessee offense because of his willingness to utilize his athleticism.

Prior to the start of the season, the Titans were hoping to bring Willis along slowly in his development.

"Naturally there's going to be a learning curve," offensive coordinator Todd Downing said in August. "He is a very gifted thrower that has great ball speed and has an accurate ball. There are probably times when he got away with things collegiately that he's not going to be able to get away with in the pros. Tying his feet to his progressions and helping the timing, there will be a major step in the process. He's made strides and realizing that he can trust that process."

After Monday, the process is now accelerated, and there's a chance this won't be the last time we see Willis this season.

The Tennessee Titans faced a daunting challenge going on the road to face the Buffalo Bills in Monday's game even at full strength, and things became even more difficult in the first quarter when offensive tackle Taylor Lewan was carted off the field with a knee injury.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported he was ruled questionable to return.

Dennis Daley entered the game in Lewan's place, and the Titans responded by marching down the field for a touchdown on their first drive. Derrick Henry punched it in with a touchdown run on fourth down from the 2-yard line even without one of their offensive leaders up front.

Lewan has been with the Titans his entire career since they selected him with a first-round pick in the 2014 draft.

The Michigan product has dealt with durability issues of late, missing four games last year and four games in 2019. Injuries also limited him to five games during the 2020 season.

When healthy, he is a cornerstone of Tennessee's offense as a three-time Pro Bowler who has helped set the tone up front throughout his career. He earned a solid Pro Football Focus player grade of 70.9 last season.

While the Titans were able to move the ball without him in the immediate aftermath of his injury Monday, a long-term setback would limit their ceiling as they look to compete in the AFC again after finishing with the conference's No. 1 seed last season.

The Tennessee Titans have elevated veteran receiver Josh Gordon to the active roster ahead of Monday night's matchup with the Buffalo Bills, according to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

"Josh just needs opportunities to prove that he's still the incredible player and talent he's always been," Gordon's agent, Zac Hiller, told Pelissero.

Gordon, 31, has had an up-and-down NFL career.

He appeared to be on the cusp of superstardom in 2013 after he caught 87 passes for 1,646 yards and nine scores for the Cleveland Browns, earning Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro honors in the process.

But off-field struggles hampered him from there.

He was suspended separately by both the Browns and the NFL for a total of 11 games in the 2014 season and was promptly out of the league in both the 2015 and 2016 seasons for violations of the NFL's substance abuse policies.

The NFL reinstated him in 2017 and he appeared in five games for the Browns, catching 18 passes for 335 yards and a score. He split time between the Browns and Patriots in 2018 and had stints with the Pats and Seattle Seahawks in 2019, appearing in a total of 23 games across those two seasons.

But the NFL suspended him again in the 2019 season for a sixth violation of the substance abuse policy, and he wasn't in the league in 2020 after failing to meet the requirements of his reinstatement process.

He was reinstated by the NFL in Sept. 2021 and signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, appearing in 12 games and catching five passes for 32 yards and a score. The Chiefs re-signed him in March, though he was released in late August as the team trimmed its roster to the 53-person limit.

Appreciate all the @Chiefs kingdom has done for me and my family this past year. Thanks for the opportunity and the many memories. 🙏🏾

— Flash (@JOSH_GORDONXII) August 30, 2022

He was quickly signed to Tennessee's practice squad.

Excited to kickoff this chapter of my career w/ the @Titans ❤️‍🔥🤝 #TitanUp lessgooooo 🫡

— Flash (@JOSH_GORDONXII) September 1, 2022

It remains to be seen if Gordon will see much of the field Monday night, as he'll likely be buried behind players like Robert Woods, Treylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Kyle Phillips (if he plays after coming into Monday with a "questionable" designation).

But it's a new chapter for Gordon's career, nonetheless.

The Indianapolis Colts cannot figure out the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"The s--t was embarrassing," Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner said after Sunday's 24-0 loss, per Stephen Holder of ESPN. "We got our ass whupped. We have to come in tomorrow, take it on the chin and grow from this."

He wasn't the only one who was upset, as head coach Frank Reich called Sunday's performance "pathetic" even though he sees a path to turn things around.

"As pathetic as that was today, where this is and where we need to be, the distance is not that far," Reich said. "We have the players and coaches to do it. I know that doesn't play in the outside world and I'm fine with that. We'll take our medicine, and I'll take my medicine, and we'll just keep doing what we do."

The defense allowed two touchdown catches to Christian Kirk and didn't create a single turnover, but the offense was the biggest problem.

Matt Ryan was an ugly 16-of-30 passing for 195 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He was also sacked five times, as the offensive line struggled to protect him from Josh Allen and Co. throughout the game.

Star running back Jonathan Taylor had just nine carries with the Colts in comeback mode, and the result is a 0-1-1 record through two games that also includes a tie with the Houston Texans.

It was Indianapolis' eighth straight defeat in Jacksonville, a streak that also includes last season's stunning Week 18 loss that kept it out of the playoffs.

Things don't get much easier for the Colts from here with the next three contests against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, the division-rival Tennessee Titans, and Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos.

The season will slip away quickly if they don't improve from Sunday's showing.