NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Houston Texans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
Can Cam and the Offense Find Consistency?
Quarterback Cam Ward has improved, but let's face it, he needs to play better. And, some of these lapses on offense need to stop because they're ultimately costing the team chances to win games. After ending the 2025 season with two passing touchdowns in four of his final five games, Ward does not have a game with multiple touchdowns so far this year – he has just three passing TDs in four games. For the most part, Ward has been careful with the football – in his last 12 starts, Ward has thrown 13 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. The 4.3 touchdown-to-interception ratio is tied with Houston's C.J. Stroud (also 13/3) for second best in the NFL since week 11 of last season. Ward and Stroud trail only Detroit's Jared Goff (4.6 – 23 TD, 5 INT) among quarterbacks with 150 or more pass attempts in that time. But the Titans aren't scoring enough points, partly because of stretches of non-production, like the five straight three-and-outs vs the Giants, and the three straight three-and-outs vs the Ravens. The Titans need to average more than 14 points per game, because as we've seen, that's not good enough.
Carnell Surging
Rookie receiver Carnell Tate is starting to become a playmaker. Can he sustain his momentum, and take it to another level? Tate hauled in nine receptions for 145 yards against the Ravens, joining Bill Groman (Week 12, 1960) as the only first-year players in Titans/Oilers history with at least nine catches and 145-plus receiving yards in a game. Now, the Titans need to find a way to get Tate into the end zone. Tate's 22 receptions in 2026 are the most by any NFL player without a receiving TD. Only Drake London (370) has more receiving yards than Tate (268) without a touchdown. The Titans, of course, need to be more productive as a receiving corps, too. Wan'Dale Robinson has touchdowns in back-to-back games, but others have been pretty quiet.
Pressure Stroud
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has been effective so far, despite Houston's record. He's one of three qualified quarterback with no interceptions in 2026 while passing for an average of 285.3 yards per game. The Texans have some playmakers, especially receiver Nico Collins, who had seven receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday. The Titans need to be disruptive on defense while putting some pressure on Stroud. Jeffery Simmons will be looking to make some noise after an unusually quiet game against the Ravens. Simmons has 44.5 sacks (5th) and 29 passes defensed (4th) in his career, ranking in the top five among defensive tackles in the NFL in both categories since he entered the league in 2019. With one more pass defensed, Simmons would become just the second DT with at least 30 of each since he made his NFL debut, joining Cameron Heyward (47 sacks, 44 PD).
Run Game
Neither one of these teams has had much success running the football this season, and that could be a key on Sunday, even as the forecast seems to be improving. The Titans (89.0) are ranked 26th in rushing offense, and Texans (79.0) are ranked 30th. The Titans have struggled running the football in the first half of games, averaging just 30.3 in the first 30 minutes so far this season – that's the third fewest in the league, ahead of the Broncos and Panthers. The Titans need to find a way to get Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears more room, and one of these games Nick Singleton is going to bust onto the scene. And, on defense, the Titans can't afford to let their guard down here. Through four games, the Titans are one of six teams that have yet to give up a 20-plus yard rush this season.
Can the Titans Eliminate the Mistakes?
Whether it's struggles in the red zone, or turnovers, the Titans are killing themselves. Against the Giants, Tennessee's hopes ended with an interception in the end zone. In last Sunday's loss to the Ravens, the Titans squandered a first-and-goal opportunity and came away with no points. And, let's not forget the two costly fumbles in last week's loss. Throw in lapses on defense, and penalties and mistakes on special teams, and each Sunday it seems like the Titans find different ways to beat themselves. If this team is going to start winning games, it's going to have to find a way to eliminate the mistakes.
Importance of Week 5
The Titans and Texans are two of five remaining winless teams in the NFL, and both will desperately be trying to get a win on Sunday. History has proven digging a deeper hole makes it nearly impossible to climb out. Since 1990, teams that started 1-4 made the playoffs 6.6% of the time, won the division 5.0% of the time, and won the Super Bowl, well, 0.0% of the time. The stats are really bleak for teams starting 0-5 – those teams made the playoffs just 0.0% of the time, won the division 0.0% of the time and won the Super Bowl, well, 0.0% of the time. The Texans, by the way, are seven-point favorites over the Titans, who are looking for the first win in the Robert Saleh era. Someone has to win this game, right?
