The Las Vegas Raiders entered Week 6 of the 2025 NFL season with very little to gain. If they beat the 1-4 Tennessee Titans at home, then they accomplished what they should have, and they stay out of the bottom of the barrel in the league.
Losing, however, would have been completely disastrous, and both the organization’s leadership and Raider Nation would have demanded answers, and perhaps change. Luckily, a 20-10 victory on Sunday prevented these unsavory talks, for now at least.
This win was still momentous for the Silver and Black, as they snapped a four-game losing streak and earned the first victory at Allegiant Stadium under Pete Carroll and John Spytek. The loss, however, was the final nail in the coffin for Titans head coach Brian Callahan.
Titans fire head coach Brian Callahan after loss to Raiders
On Monday morning, following the loss, the Titans announced that they were firing Callahan after just 23 games as the franchise’s head coach. In that time, he compiled just a 4-19 record, including a 3-14 campaign in 2024 and a 1-5 start in 2025.
While it may seem like a badge of honor to beat a team soundly enough that they plummet into chaos and fire their coach, it is actually the biggest backhanded compliment that Tennessee could have given Las Vegas.
What this means is that the Titans’ brass decided that losing to the Raiders was the tipping point for Callahan. In a way, it seems like losing to Las Vegas in its current state, on top of Tennessee’s other shortcomings, is a fireable offense.
RELATED: Michael Mayer said what every Raiders fan needed to hear about Geno Smith
Obviously, Callahan had nearly a year and a half to prove that he was the man for the job, and he did not do so. But changes like this typically occur during a team’s bye, and that was still weeks away for the Titans.
It stands to reason that Tennessee’s decision-makers saw the Indianapolis Colts beat down on the Raiders by a score of 40-6 the week before, and a 20-10 loss proved to them just how far behind they were in the AFC South.
Regardless, as riveting as it may be that Las Vegas’ victory spurred a coaching change for the team that they beat, it is actually quite the backhanded compliment. After losing to the Raiders, the Titans had finally seen enough of Brian Callahan.