The Titans walk into Week 3 with a lot hanging in the balance, and not just because they’re 0-2. Tennessee heads to MetLife Stadium for a must-win meeting with the Giants, who will be without starting QB Jaxson Dart after last week’s 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
There’s urgency on Tennessee’s side for another reason, too: the AFC South is still close enough to matter. The 0-2 Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts face each other this week, while the 1-1 Jacksonville Jaguars host the runner-up New England Patriots. So even with Robert Saleh still chasing his first win, the Titans are in a spot where one good Sunday can change the mood fast.
The biggest swing factor for Tennessee might be in the backfield. Tyjae Spears is listed as questionable with a sore ankle, and if he can’t go, the Titans would be looking at a real opportunity for Nick Singleton.
The rookie got his first NFL touches in Week 2, finishing with 10 yards on four carries before going back to the bench. Saleh has already said this week that he wants Singleton to get more carries, and if Spears is out, that chance gets a lot bigger.
That would also likely push more work toward Tony Pollard, who called Singleton a future NFL stud in our interview with him. Spears brings more to the passing game, so Tennessee could lean even harder on the run if Singleton is the next man up.
The ground game has already been a reliable piece for the Titans this season, and Cam Ward scored both of his touchdowns last week with his legs. Singleton’s physical style and rookie edge could fit right into that.
Another questionable name to watch is cornerback Cor'Dale Flott. The former Giant joined Tennessee this offseason as a major free-agent pickup, and he spurned his old team in the final minute to commit to Robert Saleh's defense. If he can’t play in his homecoming, the Titans would be missing a key starter in the secondary.
Even without Flott last week, Tennessee came away with two interceptions. But the unit also gave up 264 passing yards to Jalen Hurts, plus the fourth-quarter touchdown pass that finished the game.
Flott matters because he’s an anchor on the back end, and without him, Alontae Taylor would be left to handle WR Malik Nabers without as much help. That’s not a great setup.
Jameis Winston is still at quarterback for New York, which helps Tennessee no matter what. But with Flott healthy, the Titans would feel a lot better about keeping one of Winston’s occasional breakout games from taking over.
There’s also the possibility that Tennessee finally lets rookie Carnell Tate take some shots downfield. Brian Daboll has been discussed plenty as someone who could open things up more, and last week there were signs of it, especially late when Ward connected with Elic Ayomanor for 41 yards and nearly stole the game.
Tate was drafted in part for his ability to make big plays in contested situations, and he backed that up at Ohio State. In his final season with the Buckeyes, he caught 12 of 14 passes thrown into tight coverage, an 85.7% rate.
Tennessee has schemed for him, and Daboll has drawn up chances, but the rookie still hasn’t gotten a true downfield target from Ward. If that changes, and Tate wins one of those contested chances, it could be a real difference-maker.
Then there’s the one factor neither team can control: the weather. Heavy rain is expected, and that could tilt the game toward the Giants more than the Titans.
Tennessee should be ready to run, but the upside of facing Winston is that he may have to throw. If the rain turns this into a ground-bound mess, though, both teams could end up stuck in a trench fight featuring Cam Skattebo and Devin Singletary.
That kind of game would be ugly, and ugly is usually bad news for the team with the clearer edge on paper. It wouldn’t automatically doom Tennessee, but it would shrink the margin and take away one of its biggest advantages.
Saleh has tried to prepare for that possibility, including dunking footballs in water to simulate the conditions. Still, if the rain turns Winston into more of a scramble-and-handoff quarterback than a passer, the Titans lose some of the edge they’d like to have in Week 3.
In Other News...
Titans Secondary Suddenly Has A Week 3 Concern Fans Need To Watch
The Titans added cornerback Erick Hallett II to their active roster ahead of Sundays Week 3 matchup with the Giants, a move that reflects how quickly the secondary can change from one week to the next. Hallett had already been elevated for game days in each of the first two weeks and has been a steady presence on the practice squad, giving Tennessee a familiar option as it continues to sort through its defensive backfield.
The timing matters because CordDale Flott entered the week listed as questionable, leaving the Titans with an added layer of uncertainty at cornerback. Even with Hallett now secured on the roster, the bigger issue is how Tennessee will line up if Flott cannot go, and whether the team will need to lean on more depth than it expected just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Face A Jameis Winston Decision They Didn't Want
Jaxson Darts season-ending knee injury in Week 2 forced the Giants into a quick pivot at quarterback, and Jameis Winston is now the player holding up the position while the rest of the roster waits to see how it all settles. Its the kind of midseason turn that can push a team into looking beyond its own depth chart, especially when the backup plan comes with real uncertainty and the season is still young.
Jonathan Jones of The Athletic reported that New York has already been tied to possible trade targets for quarterback help, including Mitchell Trubisky of the Titans and Mason Rudolph of the Steelers. For Tennessee, Trubiskys name surfacing in that conversation is a reminder that quarterback-needy teams are watching the market closely, but everything still hinges on how Winston handles the job from here and whether the Giants decide they need a more established fallback. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Offensive Debate Is Heating Up After Two Uneven Games
Through two games, the Titans offense has already started to raise the kind of questions that tend to linger well beyond September. Elic Ayomanor has been one of the more efficient pieces on the field, yet his usage has lagged behind Calvin Ridleys, giving Tennessee a clear personnel puzzle as it tries to find a more reliable rhythm. The bigger issue is not just who is getting the ball, but how often the Titans are putting their most effective young options on the field in the first place.
Carnell Tates role is part of that conversation too, as the Titans weigh whether a reshuffled lineup could squeeze more production out of a unit that has looked uneven. There is also a growing argument for leaning into two tight ends, a setup that could better support the run game and create cleaner play-action looks. For a team still searching for an offensive identity, the debate is less about one matchup than about whether Tennessee is ready to make a real adjustment. [Read more 🡒]