The Titans are walking into Baltimore on Sunday with a familiar problem and a very familiar face on the other sideline: Derrick Henry.
Tennessee, still looking for its first win at 0-3, will meet Henry for the first time since moving on from him after eight seasons following the 2023 campaign. He landed with the Ravens, where he has paired with Lamar Jackson to form one of the league’s most punishing rushing tandems. And if anyone expected Henry to fade after all those carries in Nashville, the numbers say otherwise.
Derrick Henry with Ravens:
2023 - 1,921 Yards, 5.9 Yards Per Carry, 16 TDs
2024 - 1,595 Yards, 5.2 Yards Per Carry, 16 TDs
2025 - 301 Yards, 4.6 Yards Per Carry, 6 TDs
Titans coach Robert Saleh knows exactly what his defense is up against, even if there’s no true way to duplicate it in practice.
“So, it’s impossible to mimic what Lamar [Jackson] does. We have our plaster rules.
We know what needs to get done when he leaves the pocket. We understand our rush rules with regards to Derrick Henry,” he said.
“He’s one-of-one. You really don’t know what it’s going to feel like to tackle him until that first moment you get to tackle him.”
Tennessee’s run defense has already shown two different versions of itself. The season opener against the Jets was rough, with the Titans giving up 152 rushing yards. But they tightened things up against the Eagles and Giants, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry over those two games.
Still, the blueprint against Henry is simple enough in theory: don’t let him get rolling. Tennessee knows the damage starts when he builds momentum, so Jeffery Simmons’ ability to get into the backfield and disrupt him early could be a major swing factor.
On the other side of the ball, the Titans need Cam Ward to take another step.
Cam Ward 2026 Stats:
55-88 (62.5%)
504 Yards
2 Touchdowns
1 Interception
5 Sacks
Ward had a chance to beat the Giants last Sunday at the Meadowlands, but his interception on first-and-goal helped seal a gut-punch loss. That play has only added to the criticism around his early-season development, footwork and decision-making. The noise around him has grown, and the simplest answer is the one Tennessee keeps coming back to: score points and win games.
Saleh has defended the young quarterback while making clear there’s still room to grow.
“He’s fully aware and he’s showing that he’s getting better,” Saleh said. “If you watch the totality of all three games, his footwork and his pocket presence and his awareness has gone longer and longer into the game.
And I think we’re going to eventually get to a point where he’s not even thinking twice and none of us are even talking about this anymore. But he is working relentlessly, I know [Brian] Daboll and his staff work relentlessly with him to make sure that he’s being shown where he can be better and where he’s been good.
And we’ll just keep getting better at it.”
There has been at least one encouraging sign for Tennessee: the offensive line has held up better than expected, giving Ward strong pass protection for much of the season. But that group will be short-handed on Sunday, with starting right guard Fernando Carmona and backup Jackson Slater both out after injuries against the Giants. The two were placed on Injured Reserve this week and will miss at least four games.
The Titans’ bigger problem remains the same one they’ve carried all season - slow starts. They’ve scored only 13 points in three games, and seven of those came after Amani Hooker’s interception return set Tennessee up at the Eagles’ 10-yard line. Baltimore has allowed at least 23 points in every game so far, and Tennessee will likely need to reach that mark to have any real shot at its first victory.
In Other News...
Titans Suddenly Have A Lineup Problem They Can't Afford In Baltimore
The Titans head into their Week 4 trip to Baltimore with more uncertainty than they probably wanted this early in the season, as injuries have put parts of the lineup in flux. Tyjae Spears and Garrett Dellinger are among the players listed as questionable, and Robert Saleh has already acknowledged that availability is still very much up in the air as the week moves on.
For a Tennessee team trying to stabilize its rotation and settle on the best mix up front, the timing is not ideal. Baltimore has a way of exposing any soft spots, so the Titans may have to adjust their starting group if the injury report breaks the wrong way, and the last thing they can afford is another last-minute scramble before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Keep Finding Painful New Ways To Waste Their Chances
The Titans are already in a familiar and uncomfortable place after four weeks, and the latest loss to Baltimore only added to the growing list of small failures that have turned into big problems. Tennessee had chances to keep itself in the game, but the afternoon kept tilting the wrong way, from special teams mistakes to a late interception that undercut any hope of a rally. Former Titan Derrick Henry also found the end zone, another painful reminder that even the good moments have a way of slipping out of reach.
What makes the slide harder to watch is how many different phases have taken turns letting Tennessee down. The offense faded badly in the second half, while Brian Dabolls decisions were part of the broader conversation around how the game unraveled. Even Carnell Tate, who turned in a notable performance, was part of the story in a way the Titans could not afford after a costly fumble, and the result left them still searching for their first win. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Suddenly Face A Real Tony Pollard Trade Decision
The Titans 0-3 start has already pushed them toward seller territory, and that means every veteran on the roster is suddenly part of the conversation. Tony Pollard is one of the most interesting names in that mix. With Tennessee expected to listen ahead of the NFL trade deadline and Pollard playing on the final year of his contract, ESPNs Adam Schefter has pointed to the running back as a likely candidate to move if the Titans decide to reshape the roster.
Pollards situation is especially notable because running back help can be hard to find for contenders this time of year, and a few teams could fit that description. The Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings are among the clubs that could be looking for help in the backfield, which gives Tennessee a potential market if it chooses to deal him. The bigger question is whether the Titans prefer to keep a proven contributor in place or turn an early losing streak into a chance to collect future value. [Read more 🡒]