The Titans left Cincinnati with another loss, but Week 8 also put a few roster truths on full display. In a 43-36 overtime shootout, Tennessee dropped to 1-7, and for the second straight week it wasted a two-score first-quarter lead. Still, the game also gave the Titans their highest-scoring outing in five years.
The biggest bright spot was Tony Pollard, who has taken off over the past two weeks as his snap count has climbed. Against the Bengals, he ran for 117 yards on 21 carries and scored twice.
His first touchdown came on a 41-yard burst in the opening quarter, when he powered through multiple defenders to finish the run. Through the first six weeks of the season, Pollard had averaged 31 snaps per game, according to Fantasy Pros.
In Cincinnati, he logged a season-high 63 snaps.
That followed a strong showing the week before against Cleveland, when Pollard played 47 snaps, scored three touchdowns and topped 150 yards from scrimmage. Before that Browns game, he had only one touchdown on the year. Now he has six, and with the NFL trade deadline approaching on November 10, those breakout performances could make him a name to watch if the Titans decide to move him to a contender.
On the defensive side, Alontae Taylor answered a rough stretch with one of his best games of the season. After a poor outing against Houston, head coach Robert Saleh benched him against Cleveland.
This time, Saleh shifted Taylor from outside corner to nickel, where he worked in the slot. The change paid off.
Taylor played 51 snaps against Cincinnati and finished with five tackles, two quarterback pressures, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Taylor’s workload mattered even more once Marcus Harris left with an ankle injury. Tennessee had invested heavily in Taylor, giving him a three-year deal worth up to $58 million, and this performance may have given the Titans a new path for him moving forward.
The passing game also got an unexpected lift from Chimere Dike. With rookie wideout Carnell Tate sidelined by a shoulder injury, Dike stepped into a much bigger role and made it count.
After playing just 13 snaps the previous week, he was on the field for 63 snaps against the Bengals and caught five passes for 71 yards and a touchdown. His 28-yard grab was Tennessee’s longest reception of the day.
Dike had been used mostly as a kick returner this season, with only limited offensive chances. In the previous two games, he had no catches on one target. Against Cincinnati, he blew past his season total of 53 receiving yards and posted his first 70-plus yard receiving game since Week 8 against the Colts last season.
The backfield picture, meanwhile, got even murkier. Tyjae Spears and rookie Nick Singleton were healthy scratches for the second straight week, and neither has found a way back into the rotation.
Pollard handled 63 of the Titans’ 78 backfield snaps, while Michael Carter and Julius Chestnut split the rest with 13 and two snaps, respectively. Carter and Chestnut were used only as blocking backs and did not get a touch.
Spears has yet to score this season and has just 23 touches for 141 yards from scrimmage. Singleton has four carries for 12 yards and no touchdowns, and he has not played an offensive snap since Week 4 against the Ravens. At this point, it may take Pollard being traded before Spears and Singleton get back on the field.
In Other News...
Titans Sent A Clear Message About Jeffery Simmons After His Trade
Jeffery Simmons departure to Chicago did not go unnoticed in Tennessee, and the Titans made sure of that in their next game. The defensive line showed up with red sleeves as a nod to the veteran tackle, a small but visible tribute to a player who had become a central figure in the room and on the field.
Solomon Thomas spoke about Simmons impact on the team and the gesture that followed his trade, underscoring how much respect he had earned inside the building. For a defense trying to move forward without one of its defining voices, the tribute said plenty about the standard Simmons left behind and the void the Titans now have to fill. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Trade Drama Just Took A Wild Jeffery Simmons Turn
Trade chatter around Jeffery Simmons took an unusual turn when Giants coach John Harbaugh confirmed he reached out directly to Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk about a possible deal. The move came after New York reportedly was not getting anywhere through Tennessee general manager Mike Borgonzi, which pushed Harbaugh to try a different route as the sides explored whether there was any real traction on the defensive tackle.
Harbaugh also made clear he has no interest in following any unwritten etiquette that might keep coaches from picking up the phone on matters like this, saying he would make similar calls again if needed. For Tennessee, it adds another layer to a situation already worth watching, since Simmons remains the kind of player who can alter a defense and draw interest even when the usual front-office path is not producing movement. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rebuild Just Put Jacob Martin At The Center Of A Debate
Jacob Martins best game of the season came in a loss that only sharpened the bigger conversation around the Titans direction. In the overtime defeat to Cincinnati, the edge rusher piled up three sacks and nine quarterback pressures, the kind of disruptive night that stands out even on a team sitting at 1-7 and deep in a rebuilding stretch.
With the November 10 trade deadline approaching, Martin has suddenly become one of the more interesting names on Tennessees roster. The Titans have already shown a willingness to move pieces as they sort through the future, and a productive pass rusher on a struggling team naturally draws attention, even if no deal has been confirmed. [Read more 🡒]