Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley is better since departure of DeAndre Hopkins.

-- Photo By Stew Milne | Ap

Did Tennessee have too many talented wide receivers? The team traded future Hall of Famer DeAndre Hopkins two weeks ago. Earlier that week, first-round disappointment Treylon Burks suffered a knee injury in practice that landed him on injured reserve.

But with those two now out, the Titans passing game has suddenly shown flashes of improvement with Calvin Ridley and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine atop the depth chart and Tyler Boyd still clinging to his role as the slot receiver.

In the past two games, Ridley has 15 catches for 216 yards. In five games before that, Ridley had 12 catches for 183 yards.

Westbrook-Ikhine went from getting no targets in the first four games of the season to now being the Titans solid No. 2 option.

It appears the Titans have finally established defined roles and a pecking order among the receiver group.

“I just think those guys are playing well,” Titans head coach Brian Callahan says. “I think we’re finding ways to get them the ball. They’re winning. They’re getting open. That’s the other part of it. They’re doing a great job.

“Nick just keeps making plays, man. He keeps finding ways to make plays. He ran an unbelievable route in the red zone (on his touchdown versus New England).

“We had a great protection and had a chance to get all the way back to it, and I think he’s what? Three-for-three, four-for- four, whatever it is, catching touchdowns,” the coach adds.

“He’s playing at a high level and the two of those guys together playing at a high level, mixing in Tyler in there doing what he does, it really helps our offense.”

While Hopkins was still producing when called upon before he was traded (15 receptions for 173 yards), Burks was not with just four catches for 34 yards.

Also, with Hopkins no longer with the team, Ridley is now the clear No. 1 option for the quarterback to find – no matter if it is Mason Rudolph as it has been in recent weeks, or Will Levis, who will assume the controls again once he is past his shoulder injury.

But at the very least, with the pecking order now determined, perhaps the increased productivity will be enough to help give the Titans offense some much-needed balance over the balance of the regular season.