For the fifth straight week in a row now, we can say that the Tennessee Titans fell short of expectations. What was initially painted as a bounce-back campaign for Robert Saleh and the franchise has turned into a recurring question from fans in Nashville:
"How much longer will it take for this thing to change?"
The answer? I wish I could give it to you. Instead, the Tennessee Titans stand alongside the Miami Dolphins as one of the only two teams without a win this season. On the road against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6, it no longer appears to be about things changing in the present.
At this point, any sign of life on the way to a victory would do. In the split spirit of both optimism and reality, here's one reason the Titans will beat the Colts tomorrow, one reason they won't, as well as my own prediction to split the difference.
Will: Robert Saleh's defense bounces back
Facing off with CJ Stroud and the Texans last Sunday, Robert Saleh's defense looked the worst they have all season. Saleh was in a direct battle with fellow defensive mind DeMeco Ryans, and beyond any doubt, he lost.
Stroud threw for 261 yards and a score on 26 completions. The QB also found a touchdown on the ground as Houston ran away with a 26-3 victory. If Tennessee wins this week, it will be by slowing down a hot Colts offense with a massive recovery.
Shut down Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, and who knows how far this team can get. Positively, Tennessee has done a solid job stopping the run this year in large part. The Texans rushed for just 79 yards last week in total.
With star WR Alec Pierce on IR and reserve Ashton Dulin also set to miss time, QB Daniel Jones' options will be relatively limited. A Titans win would be about finding spurts of offensive momentum by way of defensive playmaking.
Won't: Cam Ward continues to decline
The lack of that offensive momentum, however, is the exact reason why Tennessee could come up short. Second-year QB Cam Ward has failed to generate any real momentum under center this season, and his shortcomings have the Titans punching up to begin with.
Against Houston, Ward took four sacks and threw an interception for the third straight game. He's thrown less than 200 yards in four of the Titans' five games (five losses) this season. His full total is now out to three scores and three interceptions. That simply won't cut it for Tennessee's needed franchise QB.
Promising weapons surrounding Ward, such as Wan'Dale Robinson and Carnell Tate in the WR room, haven't been able to elevate his underwhelming run. If the Titans fall short, you can safely bet it will be due to Ward once again falling short of the bar.
Prediction: Titans lose, 27-17
Much like the Titans' early-season loss to the Texans last season (in which Tennessee went scoreless), I expect a relative surge of momentum from the offense. However, I don't expect the Titans to find a road win as they did vs. the Cardinals in 2025.
Indy, while coming off a loss to the Steelers, has already collected two wins and consistently scored 20+ points. Their lone contest failing that margin came against Houston, in a 19-17 victory. Daniel Jones passes twice as much as Cam Ward (hardly hyperbole), and Taylor remains one of the NFL's premier backs.
I predict Tennessee will surpass their three-point showing from Week 5, and things may even appear interesting early on. Still, there's nothing of present about this Titans team to suggest that a breakthrough is on the horizon.
In an AFC South-bound duel tomorrow, I unfortunately anticipate the losing streak to continue. All we can hope for is a surprise from Saleh and a squad that, up to now, haven't done near enough to generate midseason hope.
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