Titans are FAILING Cam Ward by firing Callahan + Stephen’s A-List of TOP 5 NFL teams 📝 | First Take

Titans are FAILING Cam Ward by firing Callahan + Stephen’s A-List of TOP 5 NFL teams 📝 | First Take

Titans fired their head coach Brian Callahan yesterday after a one and five start to his second season as head coach. Tennessee drafted Cam Ward, we remember, with the number one overall pick this off season and felt like they just were not seeing enough progress from the team. Senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy will now take over as interim coach. So this move continues though an alarming trend in the National Football League. You see Shepy’s tweet. The last four quarterbacks taken number one overall have now seen their head coach fired during their rookie campaign. And the list includes Trevor Lawrence, Bryce Young, Caleb Williams, etc. So, Drew Brees now joining us here on First Take as he does every single Tuesday. And so, Drew, we’ll ask you as a former quarterback, do you think the National Football League is failing these young QBs? Yeah, look, in a lot of ways, I I do. And and I think the the proof of that too is is you you watch some of these guys that um you would have said had, you know, rough early stages of their careers, the the Sam Darnolds and the Baker Mayfields and the success that they’re now having, you know, in their second and third stop after they’ve had a chance to get some experience and maybe be in some more capable situations. At the end of the day, I I I really have kind of developed a formula just based on observation, you know, for a lot of these young quarterbacks um in finding success in the NFL. And first and foremost, I think a lot of these guys need about 50 highlevel starts before you’re going to know what you have in a quarterback. And that includes college and then at their time in the NFL. In other words, if you go draft a guy who has all this upside potential, but he only had 15 to 20 starts in college, well, guess what? you’re gonna have to sit around and wait, you know, two and a half, three seasons before you can really develop this guy. He needs those 50 highlevel starts. He needs a solid veteran backup quarterback in the room with him that’s going to help guide him, teach him how to be a pro, teach him about preparation. He’s going to need to be in an offense that fits his skill set or can be built to his skill set. You’re going to need to build the team around him. Um, I I saw a great quote from Liam Cohen down in uh Jacksonville the other day just talking about a lot of the success for these young QPS is about timing and circumstance early on in their career. And that is absolutely right. Now, some guys are going to develop a little bit faster than others. Some guys are just going to be in better situations. You know, QB’s best friend, great defense, great run game, right? If your team doesn’t have that, you’re just putting more pressure on this kid. So, at the end of the day, that that’s that’s really the formula. And now you just need a patient organization, patient fan base in order to get that QB to that level that you want him to be at. Now listen, if you’re drafting the number one overall pick, you likely don’t have all those places pieces in place, right? You don’t have a complete team ready yet. But you seem to disagree with one Drew Brees. Why? Well, I mean, I don’t think I disagree. I disagree with how we probably framed it, right? Like like my issue is I think organizationally we’re impatient and that that’s with that’s at all levels, right? to your point, you go draft a kid first, your team ain’t very good. Yeah. Right. Like your team ain’t good. So to have expectations this kid’s going to come in and be the savior, I think is a bit ridiculous, right? Like everybody wants to point to like Jaden Daniels last year going to the Commanders. That’s the exception. That is not going to be the rule. Like I played with a guy who was three and 13 this first year, Pton Manning, and led the league in interceptions. The world would be on fire if this was now, right? They’d be like, “Oh, he’s terrible. He’s washed up. we should have never drafted him, right? They’re going to beat this guy up and then look what happens through the next 17 years that the guy plays and is in the Hall of Fame, right? And so my point is I think even this Callahan thing, if if you knew you weren’t sold out to the head coach, fire the coach and then bring in whoever you think is going to develop your quarterback and let them grow together, right? Let them be let them be together and they’re this relationship is going to walk together so they understand what is at stake. what happened in Chicago, what just happened in Tennessee, I think it’s such a disservice to the quarterbacks, but it’s it’s an organization and it’s like fans, you know, I mean, they’re f they’re hiring and firing dudes from the stands and general managers and and ownership are listening and it’s like give this thing time. It takes years to turn a a a organization that has been that bad where you’re drafting that high around. So, don’t expect it to be, you know, something that’s going to happen all of a sudden. I just I have a big problem with it all being a tribute. It’s not it’s a it’s to me it’s more of a failing in an organization than it is a specific position. Unfortunately, the quarterbacks get caught up because they’re the face of the franchise, right? And it’s like Cam Ward’s not going to be good now or so and so is not going to be good now. We have Cam Ward’s played six games, man. Yeah. We have no idea who Cam Ward’s going to be. And to think that Brian Callahan knew what he doesn’t know what he’s going to be yet either. He’s trying to work to figure out what he does well and what he doesn’t do well. I think expectations are are silliness and it and it’s it’s bad for for our players. Yeah. I mean, it’s a catch 22 because you got to get the franchise quarterback when you have an opportunity to draft them. And more often than not, those guys are found at the top of the draft. So, even if your your program isn’t at a point where you think you can develop a franchise quarterback properly, the opportunity cost on passing on a guy like that is too great. So, there is that. But, when it comes down to the Tennessee Titans situation, Stephen A, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen something like this. You’re talking about them having three different general managers and now three different head coaches since 2022. Yeah, that was just three years ago, right? This cycle of dysfunction that they’ve been in. And by the way, fired the dude who had won two two division titles. You fired that guy. Mike Vrabel has as many wins as Brian Callahan has over the last two years. Mike Vrabel did not coach football last year. Right. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That that’s real, y’all. Yeah. And so the Tennessee Titans have a lot to blame for this and and and they are emblematic of the bigger issue that the NFL is facing, which is that they’re in they’re consumed with trying to find a savior rather than putting in the work to develop the culture and the infrastructure to develop the talent in the building because the quarterback is an important piece. We all know that that person has more influence on your team having success than anybody else. But he ain’t the only piece on your team that you need to be good in order to win, especially to have sustain. He also had Derrick Henry in the building in Tennessee. Like, let’s not forget. That’s the issue that the Tennessee Titans are facing. Here, here’s what I would say. From a football perspective, I’m the least qualified individual here to argue against any points that y’all are making. But from a business perspective and from an ancillary perspective outside off the football field, just looking at the world that we’re living and what you all have taught us about the NFL, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t look at a quarterback situation. I’m talking to you too, Drew. You can’t look at a quarterback situation knowing that if you find somebody that has that kind of potential and that promise, let’s look at a Jaden Daniels for example, even though he’s an extreme because he’s I mean the the brother is stellar. Even if he was a little bit less than that, but pretty good. He doesn’t cost that much now, right? But knowing that he has the potential gives you the piece and the and enables you to build off of that level of infrastructure to to evolve stuff around him, right? If you have a situation where it’s a quarterback and it’s a coach and something ain’t working, you got to make that decision. You got to figure out a way. It can’t in all likelihood it’s not going to be both of them. It’s rare that it’s going to be both of them. In one situation, the coach is working. In another situation, damn it, you know it’s the quarterback. It ain’t the coach, right? But sometimes you got to make that decision. Now, a place like the Tennessee Titans is a poor example cuz they don’t even know what the hell they’re doing. Nothing. I mean, when you got three coaches, three trainer managers in the last two and a half years, that is just pathetic. It’s dysfunctional and there is no denying that. Okay. But the New England Patriots, for example, went from Bellich, you got Gerard Mayo, and then one year hook and Vables there. Right. Right. Look at them. Look at them. Look at Drake May and look at the progress that he made from last year to this year. We can’t ignore something like that. Clearly coaching, right, has worked for them. Yes. Clearly, you got to find that. But sometimes that coach will expose what the other cat is lacking, but because that investment was made in that quarterback, you stuck with him until you find a different way to make a move. It’s all of that that comes into it. It’s not as simple. And I’m not saying I’m not trying to imply that y’all said it was, but I’m saying you’re making errors because you know you’ve made a mistake and you’re trying to correct it. And sometimes you make it worse rather than make it better because you knew you had to do something. Yeah. It it it’s it seems to be a pro. Like when we talk about Jaden Daniels, Dan Quinn was hired like four months before they drafted Jaden. They had a chance to develop together. In the case of the Bears, obviously you have Matt Eberfloose who we knew was a sitting duck and then they draft Caleb Williams. It’s like, okay, we’re disservice, right? Like that’s disservice because when he gets he he loses his play caller, then he loses his head coach, then he gets another play caller, then he gets another head coach, another And the same thing is happening in Tennessee, right? It’s going to go head coach, then they make him change his play caller, right? He fires him. He can’t call it. That guy can’t call it. Now we fired everybody in the building. Now who’s going to call it? McCoyy’s going to call it. They want to have another head coach. These guys got to learn offense. So now you’re trying to learn three different systems, three different languages, three different voices. It’s a disasterity, right? you’re asking him to be successful. I I just think it’s crazy. It’s tough. So, Drew, maybe you can speak from experience. How important was it for you when you got with Shawn Peyton and you guys were able to develop together? Look, I I I I sit here and I I look at my career. I had Shawn Peyton as my play caller for for my entire career with the New Orleans Saints. You know, I look at Pton Manning having Tom Moore. I look at Tom Brady having um Josh McDaniels, right, for the length of time that they were together, right? That continuity is so important because at the end of the day that just becomes that becomes a relationship that that throughout the week like you are so much on the same page that I know the words that are going to come out of his mouth before they come out and there’s always that play caller intent like the minute that they call the play I know exactly why they called that play because of the situation who we’re trying to attack whatever it might be. So building that relationship, building that continuity is so important, not just for the development of the quarterback, but for his overall confidence in the game plan each and every week. Hey, hey, Drew, let me let me just say this because I I I experienced this in in Indianapolis with Tom Moore and Pton Manning. But you like like the I think like those coaches like Shawn Payeyton like Drew’s first Ballot Hall of Fame, right? Going in, no doubt the kid the guy absolutely played lights out, but Payton called him into that greatness, right? He asked him to make things and make things happen in certain situations and he trusts him to go out and execute it. And if Drew’s like, I don’t like it, he scratches it. Right. It’s like this relationship they develop together and they go, hey, I don’t feel it or this isn’t I like it better this way. They trust each other. Exactly. And the relationship they build, it’s not like this all of a sudden hardline. Now, there may be some, but but very few instances are there a hard line. talk to that like just about the relationship that you had with Payton about being able to go back and forth on what you like to do and vice versa. Oh, look, you you become an old married couple. Yeah. Like he’s he’s going to be he’s going to be straight up and honest with me and I’m going to do the same, right? And you have those heated moments and yet at the end of the day you you love respect and trust each other so much. And at the end of the day, the objective too is putting our team in the best position to win, right? So whatever that’s going to take it and and so that’s throughout the week and that’s constant communication all the way to the night before the the game where we’re sitting there literally we call it the dot meeting like we are going through the entire call sheet and you’ve seen that Shawn Peyton call sheet that keep the flock keeps getting bigger and bigger and then the readers you know get a little bit thicker you know on game day but like and you see all these uh you know different uh highlight colors on there and and dots. So, we would dot the favorite plays. We’d go through play action. We’d go through third down. We’d go through red zone. Every single situation that we’re going to encounter in that game. In a lot of cases, it’s like, “Hey, coach, I just don’t like this play. I don’t feel comfortable with it. I don’t feel great about how I’m reading it. All right, it’s out, right?” And then he would give me his feelings. He might try to talk me back into it, you know, like, “Hey, let’s just simplify it by doing this.” But bottom line is we were so much on the same page, same wavelength going into the game that literally two words out of his mouth and I knew the play that was being called and I knew why he was calling it. And we’d get in critical situations in a game, fourth down, I’d come over and say, “Coach, I think we should go for it.” He said, “You got a play you like?” Yes, I do. On the flip side, come over, he’d say, “Hey, you want to go for it?” I’d say, “Nah, I think we should punt it.” Right? Like, I think that’s the right decision. Defense is playing well. Right? Like, so it’s just this constant communication, but trust based on the amount of time that we’ve had together. Well, Drew, let me ask you this question real quick. And far be it for me to ask this because we all know I’m not a troublemaker. I would never do such a thing. I would never do such a thing, Drew. But when but when we saw Shawn Payeyton on the sidelines post Drew Brees era and he’s in Denver, all right, whether it’s a Russell Wilson or anybody or Bicks or anybody else and he’s getting animated and he’s upset. What’s going through a head coach’s mind at that particular moment in time when he’s getting all in a quarterback’s you know what. What’s usually the reason for that? Explain that to the audience. Well, it sometimes it’s what what you did and sometimes it’s just anger at the situation, you know, and I guess the more skins you got on the wall, you know, the less you get screamed at, you know. Like I think I’d come to the sideline and if I messed up, he knew that I knew that I messed up, right? and he’d just give me that look and I’d give him that look like, hey, it won’t happen again, you know. Um, but no, that that’s part of building the relationship, you know. I I I enjoy watching him and Bo right now because I think Bo’s a pretty fiery dude, you know, and so Bo will come over and and and get a little fired up on the sidelines at two and and might turn his back on him. And I’ll tell you what, Shawn Peyton doesn’t like Shawn Peyton came from the Bill Parcell school, right? Which was Parcels would light all those coaches up on the sideline. and parcels appreciate it when you would fire back at him with conviction about whatever it is that you were you you were fired up about. So yes, I think that’s that’s something that that’s something that you know Sean Payton likes everyone fights. You know, my my favorite thing I’m just say I’m going to say this last thing. My favorite thing is when you would see like Drew and Sean like point to each other, right? Like after the play before they go celebrate, right? It’s like you knew it and I knew it. This was going to be six or this was going to be a big play. This was going to clench it, right? And there’s something about that. And I think when you cut guys off as fast as we’re cutting guys off and expect things to happen so quickly, that relationship can’t develop. And it’s a shame, man, cuz there’s too many good players. They’re getting bypassed. I saw way too much of that relationship between Drew Brees and Shawn Peyton. How I saw way too much. Week six of the NFL season is beyond us. Okay. The top five teams in the National Football League. Are you watching Drew Brees? Are you watching? You watch us on the Friday. You watching CC Shake. The list is fluid. Y’all keep that in mind. The list is fluid. Okay, let’s go to number five on the list. Please give it to me right now. Bam. The New England Patriots. They got a quarterback. They got a quarterback in the National Football League. They’re tied the top. The AFC East. Okay. Drake May is balling. Vel is coaching. They coming with it. Right. Look at everybody else going. Where’s the momentum flowing? It’s flowing in this direction in New England. The Buffalo Bills are in danger of losing their supremacy in the AFC East. I’m paying attention to that. It’s week six. We got to give these teams a love. When I don’t give them love, y’all complain about that. What you going to complain about now? I’m giving them some love in New England. They top four. They top five right there. They ain’t top four though. Give it to me right now. Bam. You knew I was going there, baby. by Pittsburgh Steelers. Who’s at top the AFC North? Okay. Who’s pit balling? Who’s got only one loss on the season? This brother Aaron Rogers. Not mistakes. No mistakes. Okay. They weren’t running the football effectively before. They still need to improve on that. But damn it, I’m seeing improvement. Okay. DK Metav walking around right there with the six-pack and the defense led by TJ Watt. They coming y’all. They coming. I’m feeling it right now. I’m feeling it right now. Okay, let’s go. Top three. Give it to me right now, please. Bam. We going to really debate this right here. Do we see what’s going on with the Kansas City Chiefs? Do you see what’s happening when they going up against he just reminded everybody that they coming? And that’s without Rasheed Rice. He comes back now. So now he’s going to be back. Hollywood Brown’s going to be there. Tely’s going to be in the house. Okay, I’m just looking at them right now. I got to look at the Kansas City Chiefs and give them some love. They top three. They just they ain’t top two. I’m not going to give this I’m going to give these brothers some love for you, my man. There we go. The Indianapolis coach Daniel Jones is an MVP candidate. I’m going to sing it again. Daniel Jones is an MVP candidate. Jonathan Taylor can run the football when you can run. That’s what you can take on the road with you, right? If you have to. That’s the Indianapolis coach right now. You told me about the three receivers all doing different things and what they bring to the table. got good culture, too. I like what I’m seeing from the Indianapolis coach. Let’s give them some love right now. We just can’t make them number one. Give it to me right here, please. The Tampa Bay. About time. Let me tell you something. About time. Without Mike Evans, without Godwin, with Ibuka going down, they still finding ways to win games. Who’s the leading candidate for league MVP honors right now? It’s Baker Mayfield. What What position does he play? Quarterback. Oh, by the way, defensively, Tar BS is coaching them. All right, so you know that means something. Okay, I’m just looking at them right now and I’m saying this is the right order. The Bucks, the Colts, the Chiefs, the Steelers, the New England Patriots. Okay, I’m going to reserve judgment cuz we get to have a little fun with Stephen Z on his birthday today. We get to move it around ourselves. You see this touchcreen over here? We could rearrange Stephen Z to make it right. But we’re going to go to Drew. We got to fix this. We’re going to fix that. Let’s fix it. So, Drew Brees, you get the floor first. Go ahead. How do you feel about the Bucks? You’re familiar with them as the number one team on this list. I like the Bucks. I I have the Bucks as number one, too, man. They’ve earned it. They find ways to win. Baker Mayfield’s playing outstanding. I love watching that defense. Aggressive. They’re going to light you up. They don’t care because they know they got one of the best QBs in the league right now. So, they’re going to find a way to win. So, I like the Bucks one. I like the Colts number two as well. They got a big challenge with the Chargers coming to town this week. We’re going to see if they can hold that spot. But I I I’ve said it before, I love the way this offense is playing. I think Daniel Jones, I agree, is is is a c is a MVP candidate as well. Um let’s see if they can keep that thing rolling. The Chiefs is a little aggressive for me at number three. Really? I know I know they just had this big win against the Lions, but I can’t I cannot put them at number three right now. Actually, I I Yeah, they they were not in my They were not in my top five. All right, we’ll take They got They got to win. They got to win a few more before we go top five. I actually did. I had the Ner. I had the Niners. Even though they just lost to the Bucks, that was a close game. I like the way play. I think they got something going. I do. All right. Number four, I actually had the Lions. The Lions, even though they just lost, I still think they’re one of the best teams in the NFC and they’re a real contender. So, I got them there. And then I got the Pats at number five. Wow. I love the way I I love the way Drake May’s playing as well. I think Braves got these guys going. Um, these guys are a big play offense, man. You turn on the tape, they are under center. Uh, shoot as much as anybody in the league right now. Run the football, play action. He’s launching it down the field. I love watching these guys play. Well, he didn’t just rearrange your list. He bounced two teams from bounc one, two, and five. Three, and four. He got He got two. I don’t think the deserves to be in there right now. No, I’m not agreeing with Drew Bre on that. Ky. So I think we’re got the consensus the top two teams, the Bucks and the Colts, they belong there. Stephen A had the Kansas City Chiefs at the third spot. I got him in my top five, but not number three. So where would you put them? The I got the Kansas City Chiefs checking in at the number five spot. Okay. Like the most important thing to me is that they cleaned up all of the mistakes. Patrick Mahomes four touchdowns against the Lions. They had 13 accepted penalties against the Jacksonville Jaguars in week five. Zero accepted penalties in the game against the Detroit Lions. as they brought their agame in pride time. Kansas City Chiefs belong at five. The number four team, I don’t have the Detroit Lions. I don’t have the Pittsburgh Steelers. I got the Seattle Seahawks. I thought about that. I thought I thought about that. Let me tell you something. I thought about that. You know what? Go ahead. Go. Sam D special. He leads the league in explosive pass plays. And that defensive front hit Trevor Lawrence 17 times in number three spot. I got the Denver Broncos. But the Denver Broncos, I got I got the Denver Broncos. Not when you bringing 1311 over the Jets. I got the I got the Denver Broncos Stephen A. Stephen A. They held Justin Fields to negative 10 passing yards. They got 30 sacks on the season. And I get you sacks on most of us. That’s my top five. We got to make some switches. We got to go Colts one, Bunks two. That’s the first major. You got the Colts. They got a top five running and passing attack. They got a top three scoring defense. They’re the most complete team right now in the NFL. It’s fluid. They got to be one. They only one team with a win record. Look, I like the Bucks at two. Then I had the Chiefs at three. Then I had the Niners at four and then the Seahawks at five. I would be I’m open to the Steelers being removed in favor of the Seahawks cuz the Seahawks beat them. I got that part. All right. The 49ers. What’s this with the 49ers? I don’t get that. I don’t know. They keep saying next man up, but they gonna run out of guys. They ain’t got no more fresh either. The Buccaneers. The Buccaneers got They got They got guys coming back. They got guys coming. The guys ain’t coming back for the 49ers. They gone, right? The Buccaneers are so banged up and still finding ways to win. So, let’s remove all the injury things. My problem with having the Steelers in there, they’re in the worst division in football. No one has a winning record besides Steelers. Meanwhile, the NFC North is not even on this list and they have the best division in football. So, that’s all I have to say. [Music] Hey. [Music]

Drew Brees joins Stephen A. Smith, Chris Canty, Jeff Saturday and Shae Cornette on First Take to discuss the ramifications of the Tennessee Titans firing head coach Brian Callahan. Then, Stephen A. shares his A-List of top-5 teams in the NFL this week.

2:38 Organizations are impatient
5:06 Titans’ cycle of dysfunction
9:24 Importance of continuity for development
14:54 Stephen’s A-List of top-5 NFL teams
18:53 Drew Brees shares his top-5 list
20:11 Chris Canty & Jeff Saturday’s analysis

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