Will Levis led touchdown drives in both of his series, helping the Tennessee Titans beat the San Francisco 49ers 17-13 on Saturday night in the teams’ preseason opener.
The two touchdowns came from not just big plays by special teams but also efficient play in the new offense under first-year Titans head coach Brian Callahan.
“We had no penalties until the second half, so that was really cool to see. We’ve got a couple of things we’ve got to clean up. But that was our number one goal, and I felt like we did a good job,” Levis said about the offense.
Levis completed 4 of 5 passes for 35 yards and ended the Titans’ first drive by scoring on a quarterback sneak.
The 49ers started the game with a 74-yard drive in 11 plays, with Jordan Mason scoring from 4 yards out. Brandon Allen started at quarterback for the 49ers, who did not play starter Brock Purdy or any of their top offensive players.
“For the most part, I don’t play any starters in the first game, if you look at the history of how we’ve done it,” 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said.
“So, that’s usually how we are, sometimes I might feel differently, based on how things are going but nothing’s changing so far this camp.”
Tennessee responded with a big help from special teams. On their first return using the NFL’s new kickoff rule, Kearis Jackson broke free up the middle for a 63-yard return.
The 49ers were penalized 15 yards for sideline interference, putting the Titans at the San Francisco 15-yard line. It took seven plays and a 49ers defensive holding penalty before Levis scored Tennessee’s first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak.
After forcing a San Francisco punt on the next series, the Titans got the ball back, and Levis led a longer scoring drive, covering 64 yards in seven plays. Levis connected with Calvin Ridley for a 22-yard catch and run on third down to start the drive.
Later, newcomer Tony Pollard had runs of 8 and 24 yards on the drive, which was finished by Tyjae Spears’ 4-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.
