First & Tenn

The Tennessee Titans fell to 2-12 on the season with a 37-24 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. In that game, three different safeties went down with injuries, and early this week, all three were placed on injured reserve. That means that a secondary that was already something of a patchwork unit will have to plug in some more pieces this Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. The good news on defense remains the play of defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who is making a strong case for his first All-Pro selection. Kansas City won't have quarterback Patrick Mahomes, a perennial All-Pro who is out with an injury of his own, but his replacement has a history of playing well against the Titans. Meanwhile, Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward continues to navigate his rookie season, delivering a mix of memorable moments and frustrating missteps.

The Tennessee Titans ended their losing streak with a victory at Cleveland. The offense, defense and special teams all delivered big plays, and then everyone held on at the finish. The offensive line was surprisingly good and was effective in both the run and pass game. Running back Tony Pollard showed big-play ability that was absent through the first 12 games and delivered on the most notable performances of his career. Cam Ward was not at his best on the field and was not particularly happy about it afterward, and the latter is not necessarily a bad thing. Up next is a trip to San Francisco and a matchup with the 49ers, a team that has won much more than it has lost and should be ready mentally and physically.

The Tennessee Titans were officially eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday's 25-3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The defeat capped a rare run of four straight home games — the Titans didn't win any of them — but was far less competitive than the other three. It also guaranteed the Titans will finish last in the AFC South for the third straight year and put them in position to achieve some new levels of futility over the remaining five games. Next up is a trip to Cleveland for a game against the Browns that could pit Titans quarterback Cam Ward, who went exactly where he expected to go in the 2025 NFL Draft, against Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who experienced an unexpected fall during the draft. Ward will need help from his offensive line, which must find a way to block Cleveland's Myles Garrett, who has a chance to set the NFL's single-season sack record. 

After a 16-13 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday, the Tennessee Titans are 1-9, and there is plenty of evidence to suggest that in the nearly three decades since the franchise relocated from Houston, this is as bad as things have been. Things went from bad to worse for the Titans wide receivers against the Texans. Injuries decimated that particular position group and set the stage for decisions to be made this week, including one that could give a fan favorite the opportunity that so many have wanted him to get. On top of that, the pain of defeat finally got to one of the team's most prominent players, who said he is tired of worrying about his teammates' feelings and did not hesitate to point out mistakes that some of them made against Houston. With all of that going on, the Titans now have to figure out a way to try to beat the Seattle Seahawks, a team that has been one of the NFL's best this season.

The Tennessee Titans had their open date last week, but somehow things managed to get worse. Two other teams won, which left the Titans as the only NFL team with one win. They are not, however, the only team playing a rookie quarterback. While Cam Ward was the clear choice among nearly everyone as the top quarterback available in the 2025 draft, the numbers show that his play has not set him apart in the same way. Another veteran player told franchise officials he wanted out and was released while many rookies, other than Ward, continue to see their playing time increase. It is back to playing games this week, and the next opponent gives the Titans an opportunity to atone for one of their worst performances of the season. 

The Tennessee Titans compiled a combination of things Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers that typically add up to a victory, yet they lost 27-20. They are now 1-8 as they enter the open week on their schedule, which is a time for players and coaches to reflect on what they have done and to think about what is to come. They also said goodbye to outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones, who was traded to the Baltimore Ravens shortly before the NFL trade deadline. The Titans received a 2026 draft pick in the deal. Speaking of the draft, Tennessee is in position to get the No. 1 overall pick for the second consecutive year. Not surprisingly, there has been much more not to like than there was to like during the first half of the season.

The Tennessee Titans are now 1-7 following a 38-14 loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. A day later, they traded cornerback Roger McCreary to the Los Angeles Rams in the first of what is likely to be several moves in the final week before the NFL's trade deadline. Quarterback Cam Ward's completion percentage continues to rise — which is good — but at least once in each of the last six games, he has thrown at least one pass to the other team — which is not good. Interim coach Mike McCoy continues to make decisions that don't make sense given the current state of affairs and are not likely to inspire a team that has little to play for over the rest of the year. Sunday's game is the first of a November homestand, and a homecoming for a number of Los Angeles Chargers players who used to be with the Titans.

A coaching change made little difference Sunday as the Tennessee Titans lost 31-13 to the New England Patriots. There were some positive signs early, but ultimately the Titans could not maintain their first start. Any positive feelings that were building within the fan base vanished in the closing seconds of the first half when interim coach Mike McCoy made some questionable coaching decisions, reminiscent of the man he replaced, Brian Callahan. Quarterback Cam Ward had his best statistical game to date but repeated a devastating mistake from the previous week. A veteran wide receiver decided he did not want to be here anymore and was released. Up next is a trip to Indianapolis to face the team with the NFL's best record.

The Tennessee Titans fired coach Brian Callahan on Monday, just six games into his second season. Callahan coached just 23 games, the same number as the last coach to be fired in-season, Ken Whisenhunt, and led the team to just four victories, one more than Whisenhunt. The timing of the move is notable in that it spares everyone the inevitable comparisons with former Titans coach Mike Vrabel, now the head coach of Tennessee's next opponent, the New England Patriots. Mike McCoy, who joined the team this year as a senior offensive assistant, has been named interim head coach for the rest of the season. McCoy has experience as an NFL head coach, offensive coordinator and more, but that résumé does not exactly inspire a lot of confidence for what is to come.

The Tennessee Titans got their first win of the season Sunday when they took advantage of an Arizona Cardinals' blunder and scored the final 16 points of the contest. As memorable as it was, the comeback was hardly a thing of beauty, and there is little reason that it represents a significant turning point in this team's fortunes. Still, it was an important and meaningful moment for rookie quarterback Cam Ward and a notable second-half performance by a defense anchored by Jeffery Simmons, who is undeniably one of the best linemen in the league right now.