NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Raiders on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
Can Cam Keep Momentum?
It was quite a finish for Cam Ward in Arizona, when the team scored more points in the fourth quarter (16) than it averaged in the first four games of the season (12.8). Can the Titans rookie quarterback pick up where he left off in Vegas? We're about to find out. Moving forward, the Titans want to see Ward getting the ball out sooner, and taking what the defense gives him. Ward had some luck throwing downfield to receiver Calvin Ridley (5 catches, 131 yards) against the Cardinals, but his completion percentage (30.8 on 10-plus air yards) on throws downfield isn't great. The more Ward plays, the team believes his overall game and field awareness will improve. It would be great to see another step in his development against the Raiders.
More From Tight Ends
Two players Ward could lean on more: Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm. We saw some of this during Tennessee's rally in the desert, as Ward looked to his play-making tight ends more. It paid off for him and the offense. Okonkwo had four catches for 48 yards in the second half, and Helm made three of his four catches in the game in the second half, when he made some big plays. The Titans need plays from the receivers, and the deep shots to Ridley add a different element to the offense. But the tight ends – and running backs – could be the quarterback's friends, too.
Keep in Going, O-Line
The Titans have shown improvement up front, and the starting five will be back to full strength with the return of right tackle JC Latham, who has missed the last four games. As a unit, the group has given Ward more time, and kept him from absorbing so many hits, in recent weeks. The group – and everyone on offense – needs to protect him from Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who can wreck a game. Crosby has two sacks and eight tackles for a loss in 2025. The bad news is he rarely leaves the field – Crosby's 98.0 playtime percentage in 2025 is the highest among defensive linemen.
Force Turnovers
The Titans were a turnover-forcing machine in Week One, but couldn't reap the benefits in a loss. The Raiders, like the Titans, are 1-4, and one of the big reasons is because other teams have used their turnovers to beat them. Raiders quarterback Geno Smith leads the NFL with nine interceptions, and the team's minus-6 turnover differential is 2nd worst in the NFL. Tennessee's defense, led by defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, wants to fluster Smith and force him into more mistakes. Simmons has been a beast this season, with 3.5 sacks, 9 QB hits, and 6 TFLs.
Stop the Run
The Titans are ranked 30th in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 146.8 yards per game. The Raiders would love to test them, and running back Ashton Jeanty has proven to be more than capable. Jeanty has 82 carries for 349 yards and four scrimmage touchdowns, and he has back-to-back games with 100-plus scrimmage yards. He has caused 29 missed tackles on runs (which is second in the NFL behind only Jonathan Taylor) and he has 12 runs of 10-plus yards in 2025. Linebacker Cedric Gray has been a tackling machine for the Titans, who will need to swarm on defense.
Importance of Week 5
Thanks to last week's win, we're still on life support in this category. How much do the Titans need a win this Sunday? Well, since 1990, teams starting 2-4 have made the playoffs 10.8% (25/232) of the time, won the division 4.7% (11/132) of the and won the Super Bowl, um, never. Teams starting 1-5 have made the playoffs just 2.3% (3/128) of the time, won the division 0.8% (1/128) of the time, and won the Super Bowl, well, again never. The Raiders are 5 ½ point favorites over the Titans, who are looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since November of 2022.
