Titans’ Brian Callahan already getting testy with reporters after Week 1 loss

Brian Callahan’s patience with pointed questions lasted exactly one week into his second season.

The Tennessee Titans coach got snippy with reporter Paul Kuharsky during Sunday’s postgame press conference when asked about the team’s horizontal passing game and whether throwing the ball sideways was really giving them the best chance to win against Denver.

“Did you have the play calls, Paul? Did you see them?” Callahan shot back.

it’s only Week 1, and Brian Callahan is already on the verge of asking a reporter if they want to take it outside pic.twitter.com/KdwIvPVbHk

— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 8, 2025

Kuharsky followed up by asking what Callahan was expecting out of those plays, which seemed to calm the coach down slightly.

“We had a couple of aggressive play calls down the field, trying to work across the field with some of the man coverage they were playing,” Callahan said. “We just didn’t hold up well enough in protection.”

Cam Ward had to dirt a screen today because all three receivers in the area thought they were supposed to be blocking and nobody turned around for the ball pic.twitter.com/BFkIX3gVRM

— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) September 8, 2025

The testy exchange came after the Titans managed just 2.4 yards per offensive play in a 20-12 loss to the Broncos. The team threw for 183 yards and ran for 70 more, which is about as inspiring as it sounds.

Kuharsky’s question made sense. The Titans’ offense looked like something you’d run for a rookie making his first NFL start, because that’s exactly what it was. Screens that went nowhere, passes that moved sideways instead of forward, the whole thing screamed “please don’t turn the ball over.”

But Callahan’s response suggests he’s already feeling the heat after one game. The defensive “did you see the play calls” comeback is the kind of thing coaches say when they know their game plan didn’t work, but don’t want to admit it.

This isn’t Callahan’s first rodeo with getting defensive about his team. Last December, he went on an expletive-filled rant when asked if his team was soft, telling the reporter they could “shove that right up your ass.” At least that question was more inflammatory than asking about horizontal passing.

The Titans have bigger issues than their coach snapping at reporters. They looked completely lost on offense, racked up penalty after penalty, and couldn’t convert on third down to save their lives. Despite starting five drives in Denver territory, they managed just 12 points on the afternoon.

Ward got sacked six times behind an offensive line that was supposed to be improved. The defense forced four turnovers and still couldn’t get off the field when it mattered.

Speaking of defense, getting defensive with reporters after one bad performance doesn’t inspire confidence that Callahan has the answers. If he’s this prickly after a close loss to a decent team, what’s going to happen when things get really bad?

The Titans spent the entire offseason talking about reducing penalties and self-inflicted mistakes, then came out and looked just as undisciplined as last year’s three-win team. That’s not a great sign for a coach trying to establish credibility in year two.

Kuharsky has covered the Titans for years and knows the team better than most. His questions come from watching the same uninspiring offense everyone else saw on Sunday. Callahan would be better served fixing the problems than getting snippy about people pointing them out.

The season is 16 games long, and if the Titans keep playing like they did in Denver, Callahan is going to face a lot more uncomfortable questions. He might want to work on better answers than “Did you see the play calls?”