NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
Cam Take 3
Titans quarterback Cam Ward produced a memorable play against the Rams, when he kept a play alive, and then hurled a beauty of a pass across the field to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor for his first career NFL touchdown. In two games, Ward has been mostly solid. He's the first No.1 overall pick ever with zero interceptions in his first two career starts, and he's also the fifth QB in the last 20 seasons with 60-plus pass attempts and zero interceptions in his first two games (C.J. Stroud, Mac Jones, Carson Wentz, Dak Prescott). Ward, and the Titans, would like to see more big plays, and touchdowns, of course. And to win games, they're going to need it. Just playing clean football, on a lot of Sundays, won't be good enough to win.
Be Better Around Cam
The Titans need to be better around their rookie quarterback, and a good start would be by protecting him better. Ward has been sacked 11 times in two games, and he's taken 23 hits – both lead the NFL. He's been pressured on 45.3 percent of his dropbacks, which is third highest in the NFL. Simply put, the Titans need to give Ward more time to work. The bad news is right tackle JC Latham has been ruled out for Sunday's game because of a hip injury, which puts his replacement/replacements on the spot once again. But it's not just the o-line. Ward's receivers need to be more consistent, the Titans need to run the ball well. The coaching staff needs to find the right formula for sustained success, too. Yes, it's on everyone.
Slow Down Indy
The Colts have been among the NFL's top offensive teams so far, with 62 points (4th in the NFL) and 891 yards (2nd) through two games. The Colts haven't yet punted, haven't turned the ball over, and they're averaging 53.5 yards per drive so far. Quarterback Daniel Jones has already thrown for 588 yards, which is the most by any Colts QB in Weeks 1-2 since HOF Peyton Manning in 2010. He's posted a passer rating of 100-plus in each of the first two games. And, let's not forget the Colts have a talented running back in Jonathan Taylor. It remains to be seen if Jones, and these Colts, can keep it up. The Titans need to find a way to stop it, and they'll be without nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat. Getting more of a pass rush – and creating turnovers – would help the cause. The Titans defense has five takeaways in 2025, which is 2nd most in the NFL.
Special Teams
The Titans are fun to watch again on special teams, with coordinator John Fassel, and return man Chimere Dike. An illegal block call wiped off a Dike return for a touchdown last week, but the design – and skill – was there to make a big play happen. The Titans need to continue finding ways to impact games in a positive manner. And while kicker Joey Slye (8-of-8) and punter Johnny Hekker (49.6 average) have proven to be real weapons, let's face it, I think most fans would like to see them a little less during games.
Can the Titans Clean up Mistakes?
At this point, I know Titans fans are tired of seeing, and hearing about, the mistakes and penalties. The Titans have had 23 penalties accepted against them – eight on offense, nine on defense, six on special teams – in 2025, which is the most in the NFL. The team has talked after games about needing to clean things up, and how they're hurting themselves with these mistakes. Is this the week the Titans actually do something about it?
Importance of Week 3
So far, the Titans have lost two games against opponents who were favored against them. Once again, the Titans are an underdogs, this time by 4½ vs the Colts on Sunday. The Titans need to avoid falling into a big hole at the start of the season. Since 1990, teams starting 1-2 have made the playoffs 24.9% (93/374) of the time, won the division 12.6% (47/374) of the time, and won the Super Bowl 1.1% (4/374) of the time. Teams starting 0-3 have made the playoffs just 2.4% (4/165) of the time, won the division 1.2% (2/165) of the time, and won the Super Bowl, well, 0.0% (0/165) of the time. The Titans need to win a football game.
