First & Tenn

The Tennessee Titans fell to 0-4 with a 26-0 loss at Houston on Sunday. It was one of the most lopsided shutout losses of the Titans era (1999-present) and the first time since Week 6 of the 2019 season they failed to score. Then, the coaches made a big change that carried the Titans through the next two and a half years. This shutout made their rookie quarterback mad and left many thinking coach Brian Callahan would be fired the next day. Callahan still has his job, but his team has lost 10 straight games dating back to last season. On top of that, each of this season's four defeats has been by a wider margin than the previous one.

The Tennessee Titans fell to 0-3 on the season with an all-too-familiar performance Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. Then on Tuesday, they decided to make a few changes. Coach Brian Callahan said he is going to give up play-calling duties so he can focus on larger in-game issues, and second-year cornerback Jarvis Brownlee was traded to the New York Jets. Are those moves --- and maybe a few more in the coming weeks --- going to be enough to make a substantive difference, or is all of this just prelude to a coaching change? 

The Tennessee Titans are 0-2 for the third time in four years. Franchise history suggests that is not a good thing. The offensive line continues to struggle, committing too many penalties and allowing too many sacks. One notable difference from Week 1 to Week 2 was the fact that the offense scored a touchdown – and it was not just any touchdown. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward's first career touchdown pass was inexplicable in some ways and figures to be part of his highlight reel for years to come. Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed saw a lot more playing time than he did in the opener but also had more struggles. This week, the Indianapolis Colts – one of the season's most surprising and offensively efficient teams – come to Nissan Stadium. 

The Tennessee Titans did a lot of things that often lead to victory Sunday in Denver. Yet they still lost. Four takeaways, a big play on special teams, stout defense and more were not enough to overcome a whole lot of penalties, three dropped passes and at least one questionable move by coach Brian Callahan. The result was a 20-12 loss that offered some reason for optimism --- of you're a glass-half-full type --- but generally set a disappointing tone for what is to come for the rest of the 2025 NFL season. It also put Callahan squarely on the hot seat just one game into the schedule. 

The start of the 2025 NFL season is here, and for the Tennessee Titans, it is time to kick off the Cam Ward era. The rookie quarterback and the rest of the team face a tall challenge when they travel to Denver for a Week 1 matchup with the Broncos, a team that returns many meaningful contributors and carries as much momentum into this season as any team. Based on the injury report, the challenge could be heightened because it is possible that one of the Titans' key offseason acquisitions might not be available. And in case anyone needed more evidence of what a tall task this opener is, the oddsmakers have made the Titans one of the two biggest underdogs for the NFL's opening weekend. 

The Tennessee Titans made their roster cuts this week to get to the NFL's regular-season limit of 53 players. Then they promptly used their position as the first team in the league's waiver order to make a handful of roster adjustments a day later, with a clear focus on one unit. Additionally, they named team captains, and the seven-person group includes one newcomer, one rookie and a couple of familiar names, but it also excludes one position group. All of this sets the stage for the start of the regular season, which will come in just over a week. 

After two preseason games on the road, the Tennessee Titans will close out their preparation with a home game against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday. The practice week leading up to that game included the return of cornerback L'Jarius Sneed, who had not played or practiced since last October, and a brief -- but much-discussed -- shoving match between defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons and rookie quarterback Cam Ward. Speaking of Ward, his relatively brief appearances in the first two preseason contests have not been particularly revelatory or memorable, but there have been indications that he is different (read: better) than the other young quarterbacks this franchise has tried in recent years.

The Tennessee Titans headed south this week for two days of joint workouts with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers followed by the preseason opener for both teams on Saturday. Before that, though, they brought back a player who knows a little something about the defense as well as the most notable member of this year's rookie class. Also, coach Brian Callahan made it clear that things will be different this year when he said that starters will play in all three preseason contests and when -- following a poor practice performance by the offense -- he unleashed a degree of fury on that unit.

The first full week of training camp, which included some practices in pads, was a mixed bag for some recent Tennessee Titans' first-round picks. Wide receiver Treylon Burks (2022) was released after he sustained another injury, this one a fractured shoulder. Quarterback Cam Ward (2025) had a tough time with five interceptions over three days, including three in a single day. On the flip side, guard Peter Skoronski (2023) and tackle JC Latham (2024) were dominant at times (Latham in particular) against the defensive line and created optimism that the offensive line might actually be much better than it was a year ago.

The Tennessee Titans did not have one of their quarterbacks when they opened training camp this week -- and they won't have him at any other point this season either. Will Levis was placed on injured reserve and will miss the entire 2025 season after he opted to have shoulder surgery. The decision takes away a little preseason drama and raises questions about the timing. ... Cam Ward did take part in the first training camp workout of his NFL career, and he called the offense's performance "mid." There are worse things for a rookie quarterback than an uneventful day. ... Cornerback L'Jarius Sneed is one of two veterans on the Physically Unable to Perform list. The reason he is there is somewhat unexpected and adds to the feeling that he will never be fully healthy for the Titans. ... Edge rusher Lorenzo Carter informed the team that he planned to retire rather than report for camp. The seven-year veteran never has had more than five sacks in a season and did not have one last season for Atlanta, yet his loss made waves among the fan base, which says something about the current state of the defense.