The AFC has turned into a weekly puzzle, and through four games, there still isn’t a clean answer for who owns this conference. Five teams opened 0-4 across the NFL this season, but after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stunned the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, that number is down to four - and every one of those winless clubs is in the AFC.
That kind of chaos has made Week 5 feel especially important. With two AFC head coaches making major changes in the play-calling department this week, the conference is still sorting itself out, and the latest power rankings show just how much uncertainty remains.
At the bottom, the Miami Dolphins sit at No. 16, and the story around them hasn’t really changed. They have one game left before their Week 6 bye, and for now they remain in evaluation mode. Head coach Jeff Hafley and GM Jon-Eric Sullivan have the freedom to build this team piece by piece, and the bigger question looming is whether Miami becomes a major seller at the NFL trade deadline.
There’s even a little humor baked into the moment for the Dolphins, with the reality that too many other teams are still winless for fans to start dreaming about the future arrival of Jeremiah Smith just yet.
Just above them at No. 15 are the Tennessee Titans, a team that still feels like it’s searching for traction. There have been flashes on both sides of the ball this season, but the overall picture still looks unfinished.
One development worth watching is the growing connection between quarterback Cam Ward and rookie wideout Carnell Tate. The two hooked up nine times in Tennessee’s loss to the Ravens last week, and that chemistry now heads into another big test with the Texans coming to town. Houston enters Week 5 at 0-4, but if Ward and Tate can put together another strong showing against that secondary, it would matter a lot for Tennessee’s direction.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A New Concern In Their Passing Game
The Titans passing game picked up a new wrinkle this week when Carnell Tate landed on the injury report with a back issue ahead of Sundays game against the Houston Texans. Tate had been a full participant on Wednesday before being limited on Thursday, a shift that stands out on a roster already dealing with multiple players showing up on the report with assorted injuries.
For Tennessee, the timing matters because Tate has become a meaningful part of the offense as the team tries to keep its attack steady against Houston. The Titans have been monitoring several health questions this week, and Tates status now adds another layer of uncertainty to a passing game that could use as much stability as it can get heading into a divisional matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Carnell Tate Could Put Texans In A Tough Spot Again
Carnell Tates Week 4 breakout gave the Titans another layer to work with, and it came at the right time. The rookie wideout caught nine passes for 145 yards, flashing the kind of versatility that can make an offense harder to pin down when a defense starts keying on where a receiver lines up. Tennessee has already shown a willingness to move Tate around, using him on the boundary and also inside, which has helped expand how the passing game can attack different coverage looks.
That flexibility could matter again soon against Houston, where the Titans are likely to keep searching for favorable matchups by shifting Tate pre-snap and changing his alignment from play to play. If Tennessee can keep defenses guessing about where he will show up, it can force the Texans to sort through more decisions than they may want to make, especially after Tates emergence has given the Titans a young weapon worth building around. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Secondary Suddenly Has A Big Problem Before Texans Game
The Titans secondary took a hit heading into Sundays matchup with the Texans, with Amani Hooker unavailable after not clearing concussion protocol. Hooker has been a key part of Tennessees back end, so his absence changes the look of a group that already had to keep one eye on Houstons passing game this week.
Tony Adams is expected to step into Hookers role, while Isaiah Oliver is likely to be elevated from the practice squad to give the Titans more depth at safety. Cornerback Joshua Williams also returned to practice after being designated to come back from injured reserve, though his game status remains unsettled as Tennessee sorts through its defensive options. [Read more 🡒]