The Tennessee Titans are heading into their bye week at 1-7, and the first half of the season has been a mixed bag that leans far more frustrating than encouraging. There has been growth in spots, sure, but the kind of week-to-week inconsistency that has dogged this team keeps showing up on both sides of the ball.
If you’re looking for the clearest sign of progress, start with the offense. It earns a C- here, and that feels fair for a unit that has been uneven but is at least moving in the right direction.
Cam Ward comes out of the bye after the best game of his career, and he’s begun to put together quality starts. The passing game hasn’t been clean or polished, but Ward is developing.
The ground game has helped, with Tony Pollard sparking the rushing attack and giving Ward some needed support.
The offensive line has been one of the season’s biggest surprises. JC Latham has grown into an outstanding tackle, and the group as a whole has held together through early injuries while still functioning as a cohesive unit. That doesn’t make the offense finished product - the playcalling has still raised eyebrows at times - but it does explain why the unit has at least shown measurable improvement.
The defense, though, has been a different story. It gets a D, and that reflects a group that has underwhelmed even before the surprise trade of Jeffery Simmons.
The new scheme has brought growing pains, and the disconnect between the front and the secondary keeps showing up. There have been flashes from Simmons, Amani Hooker, Anthony Hill Jr., and Jacob Martin, but not enough consistency to carry the unit.
The cornerback group - Alontae Taylor, Cor’Dale Flott, and Joshua Williams - has had a rough time holding up, and that’s been a major problem.
What makes it sting more is that the Titans have been in position to win three games, and the defense couldn’t finish the job. For a unit that was supposed to be the team’s strength, that’s a tough look.
Special teams lands at C+, which feels about right for a group that has mostly been ordinary. Chimere Dike has provided a couple of big returns, and the blocked punt against the Indianapolis Colts was a game-changer, but there hasn’t been much else to separate this phase from the pack.
Joey Slye has been reliable on field goals, though not as steady on kickoffs, and Tommy Townsend is entering the bye injured. Penalties have also been an issue.
The coaching staff gets a D overall. Some of the position coaches deserve credit for developing their groups, but the bigger picture hasn’t been good enough.
Brian Daboll’s offense has lacked identity, and the playcalling in key moments has been hard to defend. Those decisions have cost Tennessee points in multiple games, and those points might have changed outcomes.
The offense has improved lately, but it needs to keep trending up. Defensively, the Titans still haven’t gotten the stop they needed when it mattered most.
There’s been progress in pockets. There’s also been plenty of evidence that the Titans still have a long way to go.
In Other News...
Brian Daboll May Have Finally Found What Titans Offense Needed
Brian Dabolls latest tweak in Week 8 gave the Titans offense a different look, and for one afternoon against the Bengals, it looked a lot more like the kind of unit Tennessee has been trying to build. By leaning harder into play-action passes from under-center formations, the offense found a rhythm it had been missing, turning in its most efficient showing of the season.
The shift mattered because Tennessee had become too easy to read before that, with defenses keying on under-center runs and taking away the element of surprise. Whether this is the start of a more permanent adjustment or just a one-game answer is still the question, but it was enough to suggest the Titans may have uncovered something worth keeping. [Read more 🡒]
Former Titans GM Just Added Fuel To Tennessee's Jaguars Showdown
Former Titans general manager Ran Carthon had plenty to say after Jacksonvilles 33-10 win over the Ravens, and his praise only sharpened the edge on whats next for Tennessee. Carthon called the Jaguars the most complete roster in the league, pointing to the way Liam Coen and Trevor Lawrence have meshed and noting how the team has stacked up dominant wins while building the NFLs best point differential.
For the Titans, it adds another layer to a matchup already carrying plenty of attention. Jacksonville is sitting at 6-2 and rolling into its next game with real momentum, while Tennessee now has to deal with a division rival that is being talked about in the league in a very different way than it was a year ago. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Backfield Could Change Fast If Nick Singleton Gets His Shot
The Titans backfield could look a lot different in a hurry if the team decides to move Tony Pollard for a fourth-round pick. Any deal would not just trim a veteran from the rotation, it would also open the door for a reshuffle behind him, with rookie Nick Singleton positioned to see a larger role if the depth chart changes.
Singleton has already been the name to watch in a backfield that has been waiting for clarity, and a Pollard trade would force the Titans to sort out how the touches are divided. For a team still trying to define its identity on offense, the ripple effect could reach beyond one player and change the way the entire running game is managed. [Read more 🡒]