The Tennessee Titans don’t need a full defensive overhaul after Week 1, but they do need their front to look a lot more like itself on Sunday.
Against the New York Jets at home, the Titans were beaten on both sides of the ball, and the most glaring issue was up front on defense. Tennessee failed to record a sack for the first time since Week 3 of last season, a 41-20 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The lack of pressure showed up everywhere, and the Jets turned it into 152 rushing yards.
New York won 23-10, and a big part of that came on the ground. Breece Hall ran for 102 yards and scored a touchdown, helping power the Jets’ offense when Tennessee couldn’t disrupt it.
That’s the backdrop for a Week 2 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, and it gives the Titans at least one clear path to improvement. Philadelphia’s offensive line is usually one of the league’s toughest groups, but it allowed three sacks in Week 1. The Eagles still managed 136 rushing yards, yet the protection wasn’t clean, and Jalen Hurts was taken down three times.
Landon Dickerson had a rough day in particular. The veteran, Super-Bowl-winning guard gave up four pressures and one QB hit, a reminder that even a respected unit can be attacked when it gets loose in pass protection.
For Tennessee, that matters. If the Titans are going to hang around in a long-shot game, their defensive line has to make the Eagles work for everything. Jeffery Simmons said Tennessee needs to "make Jalen Hurts be a QB," and he added that the key to stopping Saquon Barkley is to slow him down behind the line.
That’s the assignment, plain and simple. If the Titans’ front can win there, the rest of the defense has a chance to breathe. Cedric Gray could also help if he returns, but the bigger expectation sits with a defensive line Tennessee invested heavily in this offseason.
Week 2 should tell us plenty. It will either look like Week 1 was a bad one-off or the start of a bigger problem. For Tennessee, the hope has to be that the opener was the exception.
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Cam Wards Early Titans Debate Isnt As One-Sided As It Looks
Cam Wards first outing for the Titans was not the smooth debut anyone in Nashville was hoping for, but it also did not come with the kind of damaging mistakes that can define an opener. He finished 19-for-32 for 140 yards without a turnover, a line that left room for concern without turning into a disaster, and it immediately fed the kind of early debate that follows any young quarterback taking over a new offense.
What makes the discussion more interesting is how familiar this stage can look when measured against other quarterbacks who later grew into franchise answers. Wards early career numbers in completion percentage and touchdown-to-interception ratio sit in the same neighborhood as Bryce Young, Trevor Lawrence, Sam Darnold and Josh Allen at similar points, which is why the Titans have reason to stay patient even after a rough start. The performance in Week 1 was below expectations, but the broader arc still feels unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Offense Already Has A Disturbing Week 2 Warning
After a Week 1 showing that offered little reason for optimism, the Titans are already staring at a harsh early-season test against the Eagles. ESPNs Ben Solak went so far as to predict Tennessee could be held without a point in Week 2, pointing to how little the offense did against the Jets and how difficult Philadelphias defensive front is likely to make life on Sunday.
For a unit trying to find its footing, the concern is not just one bad afternoon but the possibility of a pattern. The Titans were shut out in a game last season, and the offenses broader issues have only sharpened the scrutiny around coordinator Brian Daboll, whose background with the Giants has already become part of the conversation when people look for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Have An Early Roster Problem They Can't Ignore
After a rough Week 1, the Chargers are already being pushed toward a roster fix, and the focus has quickly turned to their defensive line. With draft capital and cap room available, Los Angeles could look to the trade market for help, and analyst Kristopher Knox pointed to Solomon Thomas as the kind of depth addition that would make sense for a group that looked thin and unsettled right away.
For the Titans, that creates a watch point worth tracking as the early-season market takes shape. Tennessee has seen how quickly one injury concern can expose a units depth, and the Chargers now look like a team that may not be able to wait long to address the problem. If Los Angeles decides it has to act, players like Thomas become the sort of name that can move from speculative fit to real possibility in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]