Titans’ Taylor Lewan talks Week 1 performance, getting booed

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan might have had the worst Week 1  of any player on the team during the blowout loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Lewan got dominated by Cardinals stud edge rusher Chandler Jones, allowed a pair of sacks, posted a putrid 24.1 pass-blocking grade, and got leveled by safety Budda Baker, who he has nine inches and over 100 pounds on.

After practice on Thursday, Lewan listed off several reasons (or excuses, depending on how you look at it) for why he didn’t play well.

“I think I put too much in the game, I got too excited,” Lewan explained. “I kind of maybe got a little over-excited before the game, and when the game came I felt drained and legs felt heavy, and had more anxiety. I was more worried about messing up than I was being better, or helping the team. I think I was trying to compensate in a couple of ways for my knee… I’ve had a long time in this league and had a lot of success, and through those things, like Year 2 with Whitney Mercilus, having a similar game, it’s something I have to overcome and work through. I plan on doing those things. It’s not easy, it was a tough 24 hours, but you’ve got to get over it and move on and hopefully play better next week.”

Lewan heard it from the crowd during the game, as he was booed upon re-entering the contest in the third quarter after leaving briefly with cramps.

The left tackle acknowledged hearing the boos hurt him but said he doesn’t blame fans for feeling the way they do. He went on to apologize for letting them down.

“You go in, you get an IV, and you’re cramping, you come back out, and they announce that I’m back in the game and you get booed from the fans,” Lewan said. “That stuff happens. It hurt, but at the same time the way I was playing, I don’t blame them… I’m sorry for letting them down.”

Lewan better turn it around and fast or else he’s going to be hearing a lot more boos and seeing a lot more angry tweets.