NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Texans on Sunday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
New Play-Caller
Titans head coach Brian Callahan surrendered play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree this week, and we're about to find out what that means for quarterback Cam Ward and the offense. Callahan called the offensive plays in his first 20 games with the franchise, including the first three games this season. Hardegree has some play-calling experience – he served as interim offensive coordinator with the Raiders for the final nine games of the 2023 season, when he called plays. During that time, Raiders rookie QB Aidan O'Connell started all nine games and went 5-4, and his 1,905 passing yards during that stretch ranked second among all rookie quarterbacks, as did his 11 touchdown passes. The 2023 Raiders offense also improved in most major offensive categories with Hardegree as the OC, including the following: yards per game (268.3 in Games 1-8 to 308.4 in Games 9-17), yards per play (4.6 to 5.1), passing yards per game (198.3 to 199.3), rushing yards per game (70.0 to 109.1), third-down percentage (32.6 to 37.8), red-zone percentage (44.0 to 54). We'll start to see on Sunday what things will look like with Hardegree at the controls with the Titans.
Cam Take 4
In three games with the Titans, Ward has completed 54-of-99 passes for 506 yards with two touchdowns, an interception, and a 71.4 rating. But the offense has lacked big plays, and touchdowns. Ward has averaged just 5.1 pass yards in his first three starts, and the Titans have averaged just 3.6 yards per play, which is last in the NFL. If the Titans are going to be more successful, they're going to need to put Ward in shorter down-and-distance situations on second and third downs. A bad sign: Rookie quarterbacks are just 2-7 as a starter against DeMeco Ryans as a head coach or defensive coordinator, with 6 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and 35 sacks (4.4 per game). So, the challenge on Sunday is a big one against a good Texans defense.
Be Better Around Cam
A new play-caller can't fix everything, of course, and it remains to be seen if Hardegree's presence will improve things for Ward, and the offense. This much is certain: Hardegree can't block, or catch passes, and he won't solve the penalty issues. As a team, the Titans are going to have to improve all of these areas on their own, and it won't be easy in Houston. Running back Tony Pollard has performed well, and the Titans need him to have success, to help out the passing offense. But with right tackle JC Latham ruled out for Sunday, the o-line is once again on the spot to do a better job of giving Ward time. Oli Udoh will start in place of Latham at right tackle, and on Friday the team promoted tackle Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson to the 53-man roster, and he'll be the swing tackle on Sunday. Across the board the Titans are going to need to protect better – Ward has been sacked 15 times in his first three starts, which is the most in the NFL.
C'mon Defense
The Titans surrendered 34 points against the Colts (I'm not putting the early pick-6 on the defense) in a game when they didn't put much pressure on the quarterback, and defenders didn't tackle well. DC Dennard Wilson counted seven missed tackles in the contest. The Texans have struggled offensively this season, as quarterback C.J. Stroud has just two touchdowns vs three interceptions. The Texans rank in the bottom five in points per game, total yards per game, 3rd down percentage, and 1st downs per game. But let's face it, the Texans are probably looking at the Titans as a get-well game. The Titans need to change this mindset by sacking the quarterback, tackling better, and creating turnovers.
Sneed vs Collins
Titans cornerback L'Jarius Sneed made this a storyline this week when he twice responded "Who?" when asked about Texans receiver Nico Collins. Sneed has had a great career, and his feistiness and competitiveness have been on display on recent weeks as he's returned to the field. But Collins has proven to be a really good player himself, with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Collins has the only two receiving touchdowns for the Texans in 2025, and he leads the team with 14 catches for 181 receiving yards. Stroud has a 105.6 passer rating when targeting Collins in 2025, compared to a 65.8 rating when targeting anyone other than Collins. This battle will be fun to watch.
Importance of Week 4
Hate to say it, but this category is already getting pretty bleak. Once again, the Titans are an underdogs, this time by 7½-points vs the Texans. The Titans are hoping to avoid a 0-4 start, and they desperately need a win. Since 1990, teams starting 1-3 have made the playoffs 13.9% (35/252) of the time, won the division 7.5% (19/252) of the time, and won the Super Bowl 0.4% (1/252) of the time. Teams starting 0-4 have made the playoffs just 0.09% (1/106) of the time, won the division 0.9% (1/106) of the time, and won the Super Bowl, well, 0.0% (0/106) of the time. Yes, the Titans need to win a football game. Nine of the last 10 meetings between the Titans and Texans have been decided by fewer than 10 points.
