Titans QB Mason Rudolph gets another chance at starting, this time against the Jags
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Coach Brian Callahan is sticking with Mason Rudolph at quarterback for a second straight game to see if the Tennessee Titans can build on the veteran who’s played in four of their highest scoring games this season.
Callahan said Tuesday that he thinks Rudolph earned another chance to play despite a 38-30 loss to Indianapolis.
“Obviously the one interception was probably his only really poor moment,” Callahan said. “The rest of it was pretty well executed on his part and operated in a drop-back passing game and had to fight his way back through it. And it was good to see, so we’ll let him take another crack at it.”
Rudolph is 2-4 in the six games he’s played in this season. That includes coming in for an injured Will Levis on Sept. 30 in a 31-12 win at Miami, and he tried to rally the Titans in a turnover-plagued 37-27 loss to Cincinnati before being selected as the starter last week.
Rudolph, who is in Tennessee on a one-year deal, was 23 of 34 for 252 yards with two touchdown passes and three interceptions. One went off running back Tony Pollard’s hands with the final pick coming on the last play of the game after Rudolph led a rally from a 38-7 deficit in the final 18 minutes.
Rudolph’s ability to avoid sacks is a key piece of sticking with him over Levis, the 33rd pick overall in the 2023 draft.
The quarterbacks’ stats are similar with Rudolph having eight TD passes and eight interceptions, completing 63.8% of his passes with a 78.8 passer rating. That’s similar to Levis completing 63.7% of his passes with 12 TD passes and 12 interceptions.
But Levis has been sacked 40 times compared to just seven for Rudolph.
“He’s got the ability to avoid the negative play when it comes to sacks,” Callahan said of Rudolph. “He gets the ball out. He knows where to go with it quickly.”
That means Rudolph gets a chance Sunday when the Titans (3-12) visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12) to see if he can guide the offense to more than the six points Levis managed against their AFC South rival in a 10-6 loss on Dec. 8 in Nashville.
Rudolph said he knows he put the Titans defense in a bad spot with some turnovers.
“I’m ready to prove that I can take care of the ball better and keep scoring points,” Rudolph said.
Holiday adjustment
The Titans held a walk-through Tuesday with Callahan giving the team Wednesday off for Christmas. An injury report won’t be released until Wednesday, and Callahan said it’ll likely be lengthy. RG Dillon Radunz, who was knocked out of last week’s game with an injury, will be on that report.
Lineman Jaelyn Duncan, who hurt a hamstring badly enough early in his first start at right tackle Oct. 20 that he wound up on injured reserve, will be available. Callahan said he is excited to see Duncan play.
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