NASHVILLE – Now that was a tough one.
The Titans let another winnable game slip away on Sunday, losing 27-24 to the Browns.
Things looked good early, but the Titans couldn't sustain it.
Now, the road gets tougher, as the Cincinnati Bengals are up next.
Let's dive into another mailbag.
Thanks to those who continue to write in…
Here's the link to ask questions: CLICK HERE.
Lucretia Casey from Lebanon, Tennessee
Question: Subject: Disheartening.
Dear Jim, I'm writing to you as a dedicated, die-hard Titans fan, but I have to admit, I'm feeling pretty disheartened right now.
While the first half of Sunday's game against the Browns was electrifying, the outcome was tough to swallow. What makes it even harder is our track record in person: my husband and I have attended every single home game, yet we have still not witnessed a victory live from the stands. In fact, the last home win against the Kansas City Chiefs happened to be the one game we couldn't attend. At this point, my husband genuinely feels like we might be cursed!
Things have gotten so dire that he recently confessed something to me that I honestly don't know what to make of: he is actually considering wearing his Seattle Seahawks jersey to our upcoming home game against the Commanders!
Jim, we love this team, but we're desperate for a win in Nashville. What advice do you have for two fans who feel like the ultimate bad luck charms, and how do I talk him out of wearing another team's jersey in our home stadium?
Titan Up,
Jim: I hear ya, Lucretia. It's been a long, frustrating stretch of football for the Titans, who just can't seem to be able to get over the hump. I've said this before: Titans fans deserve better than what they've had to endure since the middle of the 2022 season. The home failures have been especially maddening for those who spend their Sundays at Nissan Stadium. Since the start of the 2024 season, this franchise is now 2-19 in the last 21 home games, which is miserable. I give credit to the Titans fans who continue to show up, even when they're oftentimes surrounded by fans of the opposing team. These loyal fans should be commended. I know a lot of others are selling their tickets to fans of the other team, or just not showing up. Still, I wouldn't resort to wearing another team's jersey. And don't forget about the Jaguars game at home on November 15!
Giovanni Garcia from Los Angeles, California
Question: Hey Jim! Lifelong Titan fan from Los Angeles. Yes, they're Titan fans out here but I will say we're a rare breed. Been a fan since I was 11-years-old and now close to turning 40 and I can confidently say I have followed this team through highs and lows but this season so far has been frustrating in so many levels. Overall for me it's the offensive inconsistency that's killing me, I'm not jumping on the moving on from Ward boat like I've seen others. I keep supporting him but I'm also not going to look the other way. We had momentum this game, even after getting stuffed at the goal line, I was okay with those results especially since we're 1-5 and not much to lose! But for our defense to get that fumble recovery and then Cam to give it right back felt like it took the wind out of us. I'm still a believer in him but from the start he was thrown into the fire and I get other fans frustrations but they're also overlooking the conditions he's been asked to work with. But this season has got me thinking, to help him, maybe it's best he gets benched and learn from the sideline. I'm thinking more of a Bryce Young situation because look at him now! I'm a believer that young QB's in this era are not given the time to develop, they're expect to do well right away and if not, they're a bust but look at QB's (Brady, Mahomes, Rodgers, Brees) that had time to sit and learn, compared to now with so many QB's that don't work out. But some QB's (Mayfield, Donald) are showing with experience and a good system they can turn it around. The titans would clearly need to navigate that carefully as to not break Cam's confidence but as a way for him to learn and light a fire to be back out there. I worry at times it looks like Cam's developing bad habits, which I don't blame him after the rookie season he had and having so many sacks. But his mechanics need some work he converted on that 4th down late in the fourth quarter but the play before he missed a wide open Bellinger. For a QB that's 4-20, his laidback approach has to change. Not sure how much it's Daboll's play calling and learning the new system but averaging 166 passing yards per game in a league that is passer friendly worries me that our offense is still stuck in the past or Daboll doesn't have confidence in Cam. I love how you always try to keep it positive when there's so much negativity but I do give credit to this team, except the Texans game, we've been in competitive games but I wonder if Cam had played just a little better if we'd have a win or two more but looking at his play so far, in his own words "if we keep it a buck right now…" do you think I'm on to something or am I overreacting?
Jim: Hey Giovanni. You're talking to a L.A. Dodgers fan from Nashville. I get what you're saying about Cam, whether it's questions about his play, or whether to sit him or not. I'm watching all these games too, so I understand where the frustration is coming from. I'm not going to sit here and say Cam has been great, because he hasn't been. He's had good moments and bad ones, but there are just too many stretches in games when the team's offense seems stuck in the mud, just not able to get anything done. And, it's costing this team games, and, let's face it, fans. How much is it on Cam? How much is it play-calling? How much is it on the failures of guys around him? It's probably a combination of all of these things. But most games, the offense leaves everybody wanting more. I have said in here in the past, and I'll say it again: I think Cam needs to play. He needs to play to get better, and the franchise needs him to play to find out whether he can be the guy or not. I'm not a fan of kicking the can down the road in what is shaping up as another lost season. I want the franchise to be able to make a more definitive decision on whether Cam can be the guy or not at the end of the season. I don't want to be sitting here having to answer these same questions this time next year. Maybe that's an unrealistic timeline to know for sure, but I want as much information as we can get. Because you're right, if we're keeping it a buck right now, all this losing, and talking about better days ahead, is getting old. After four seasons of this, I know fans want to see better results on a more consistent basis.
Gregory Smith from Nashville, Tennessee
Question: I guess winning back to back will have to wait. We missed a opportunity to make it 21-7 but the Browns' defensive stand like some of the games, but why not throw it? Yes Tony Pollard was great out there but the conservative play it safe cost us. Cam's interception, Offensive line was good & bad,on & off,still Cam made some good throws, The defense with 1 sack,2 Turnovers, fumbled recovery that resulted a turnover, the Defense wasn't the same from last week, Deshaun Watson is back, he show us & thier running game as well. Mistakes, penalties and 2 Turnovers cost us but not calling a false start penalty probably wouldn't make a difference of the outcome but a stupid 5 yard penalty encroachment what was that about? It's sucks to lose at home,1-6,Brian Daboll dumb plays is still keeping The ball out of Cam's hands,now it's back on the road at Cincinnati against a tough Bengals team the dominate the Ravens 35-13,is it possible to play Complimentary Football in all 4 quarters before we can our bye Week? What needs to happen before, during & after the bye week. Thank you Jim for all that you do. TITAN UP 🏈
Jim: Hey Gregory. The team should be able to get it in from the 1. I would have tried to sneak it three times in a row. I actually think the offense wasted a play with the one play that was a designed run that Cam ultimately had to bail on because no one was coming open. I think you covered everything else.
Chris Allen from Houston, Texas
Question: Jim. This is just really bad. 4 chances to not get .5 of a yard. Just can't put a game away. I have been a fan since 1992 and been loyal but we make it so hard. I challenge you to find a time in our history when we have been worse. So many coaches hired in the last few years we didn't interview or keep in the building. McDonald Ben Johnson, kubiak even Monken, We cant do Anything right, it's brutal. As bad as things looked last year now cally and Denard are in first place with their new teams, I'm not suggesting they should still be here but I'm wondering if this organization overall is the problem. I guess if we look at a half decade sample we have our answer. 1-6 after back to back 3-14 along with 6-11 sprinkled on top of a 7 game losing streak in 2022 it's clear we are 32 out of 32. It's sad.
Jim: We all know it's been a bad stretch, Chris.
Payton Blair from Redding, California
Question: Ruff. I've been biting my tongue on sending stuff in to this mailbag, but i hate this team so so much. (I love this team) It genuinely hurts my heart to see Cam playing bad. I want this kid to succeed so bad. Im really not sure if its a Cam issue or a Daboll issue, but i absolutely hate the idea of benching him, especially this season. We gain nothing from playing Trubisky. I want to give cam till the end of next season before doing anything drastic, however if he continues to play like this i would like to see us bring in some decent vet Qb competition, but thats too far in the future. Also it's so excruciatingly frustrating when one part of the team is succeeding, while another is flailing. Sorry, excuse my yapping, but my question to you is what do you think The team's biggest issue is? Cam? Daboll? Overall inconsistency? And how do you think we go about fixing it? Thanks!
TITAN UP 🔥⚔️💙🥶🫳🫳
Jim: Thanks for weighing in, Payton. Wish I knew how to fix it. The offense needs to be better for sure, just too many wasted possessions and not enough points. But I'm putting Sunday's loss on the defense, which just turned in an uninspiring performance.
Anthony Anthamatten from Nashville, Tennessee
Question: Poor Jim. It would drive me crazy if I had to answer questions all week from disgruntled fans. But let me offer a gleam of hope. I really believe the Titans are getting better. I like Tony Pollard (we share the same first name) but let me get the biggest running back in the world to punch it in when we are on the six inch line and we cannot do that on four plays. But hey, it was a beautiful day in Nashville. Win or lose right now I see improvement and maturity with Cam and the rest of the team. Mistakes make us sharpen our sword. My question for Jim is are you going to get me a seat in the press box for the Super Bowl in Nashville when I predict the Titans will be there?
Jim: Hey Anthony. There's no doubt this team is getting better. This year's six losses have been by 13, 4, 5, 6, 23, and 3, an average of 9.0 per game, which really two duds. This time last year the team had the same record, but with losses of 8, 14, 21, 26, 10, and 18, an average of 16.2 per game, and five duds by my count. The problem is, the record is 1-6 and everyone wants wins, not close losses.
Doug Goldstein from Las Vegas, Nevada
Question: Jim, what an exciting game... until it wasn't. I think most of us 26+ year supporters collectively felt that sinking feeling in our guts as Pollard was ruled short of making it a 21-7 lead. Unfortunately our gut feeling was correct in somehow sensing that the team would come up with 0 points. I understand going for it on 4th down, but this might've been the only actual time in recent history that kicking the field goal could change the outcome of the game.
As I said, I've been supportive for a long time and understand that new QB's need time to develop under new coaches and systems, Cam included. Lord knows we've seen it so many times with this team. But honestly, I'm at the point that I think it's time to move on from Cam. How can you justify giving someone time to learn a new system when they consistently keep missing wide open targets and throwing wildly bad picks? Not putting all the blame on him, but this team could easily be 4-3 if it wasn't for these bonehead blunders.
Jim: Hey Doug. I understand the frustration. I don't agree with your take on the team should have kicked a field goal. I think that would have been just as demoralizing, well almost. The team should have been able to find a way to score a touchdown from the six-inch line, no excuses. And that's twice the team has come up with nothing in first and goal situations. This helps explain why the team is 1-6.
As for Cam, I'm going to let fans voice their opinions, and I know they're coming from both sides. I'm not going to defend him in every situation because he clearly needs to be better, or make any promises, because I can't say definitively how things are going to play out. Cam is going to have to prove it himself. He's getting chances to make a case either for or against himself. Yes, the team could be 4-3, but I'm not putting everything on Cam. The defense had a chance to influence two of the games late (Eagles and Browns), and it didn't.
Brian Butler from Orange, Texas
Question: Hi Jim thanks for listening to us fans and answering our questions I know it's not easy given the situation the team is in and the way the Titans offense is playing I just want to say that I think it's time to stop giving Cam Ward time MOST franchise QBs don't this long to show if their the guy for the future and he doesn't look like it at all in any of the games this season Brian Dabol play calling hasn't been good but I think it's because he doesn't trust him and after what we all saw this week vers the browns why should he even Fitzpatrick looked like the guy in some games and we know how that turned out it's time to move on I like Cam but he's not it time to Titan Up and pull him from the starting lineup I know the losses aren't all on him but he hasn't had a game where he didn't contribute to the loss that's not franchise QB pedigree he looks like a backup every time he plays I would feel much better if I could watch us loose with an actual backup in the game not a number one pick.
Jim: Hey Brian. Appreciate the email. Don't be afraid to drop a period or comma in every once in a while.
Michael Miles. Sr. From LaVergne, Tennessee
Question: Jim hope you are doing good. The Browns beat the Titans is what the Browns fan will say but the Titans beat the Titans. I know it WAS a false start that the end of the game by the Browns but that did not beat us. The OC play calling hurt bad. Why from the one yard line did we NOT run Pollard four times? He was running great but we only ran him once from the one. Our defense played bad most of the game. We don't have a pass defense at all. If you want to beat us pass the ball for ten plus yards. Our ability to tackle sucked. They were able to run over us when they needed to. It hurt to watch this week after week. I know, we have heard it week after week, year after year, we are a rebuilding team. When does the building stop and we get players and COACHES that win. I have paid to watch to many games at our home field and have already got psl and ticket to watch in the new place, will we still be BUILDING A TEAM? Hell I am 76 years old and want to see a winner for our team. Sorry for not feeling good about getting beat but IT HAS GOT TO STOP so I can stop being wondering WHEN
Jim: Hey Michael. The Browns and the Titans beat the Titans. And no one should feel good about what has transpired. This is a bottom-line business, and it's about winning and losing. There has been too much losing.
Finnegan Snyder from Overland Park, Kansas
Question: Subject: Why did the Titans stop doing what was working?
Hey Jim, How do the Titans keep blowing games like this? We were up 14–0 against Cleveland, Tony Pollard had 129 yards and three touchdowns, and we still lost 27–24. Why did Brian Daboll not stick with the run more when Pollard was having such a good game? Was there a reason for moving away from it, or was that a mistake?
I'm also worried about Cam Ward's development. How much do losses like this, along with the play-calling and the offense's lack of consistency, hurt his progress? How can we tell how good Cam really is if the offense keeps struggling around him?
And what about Carnell Tate's fumbling? He fumbled against Baltimore and now against the Browns. Is this just a couple of rookie mistakes, or is ball security becoming a real concern?
I want to know what the Titans are actually going to change, because it's frustrating to keep watching games slip away. What needs fixing first? Thanks, Titan Up!
Jim: Hey Finnegan. There was a difference in the success running the football from the first half to the second half. Pollard had 16 carries for 92 in the first half, and nine for 37 in the second half. All of the questions you raise are valid, and all of it needs to be better. All of them needed to have been fixed by yesterday.
Michael Mattingly from Summerville, South Carolina
Question: We hear so much bad press about Cam and we could look at the early failures of so many qb's but I'd rather look at some other thoughts. Specifically Cam got Titans lead late vs Philadelphia had a great drive against Giants until one play I hold against him. He brought Titans back late to win Colts game and brought Titans back twice against Browns. This guy has guts and performs when it counts. When will we look at his potential and stop beating him up. A little support might go a long way
Jim: Hey Michael. If the defense gets a stop on Sunday, Cam would have earned more praise because of that clutch drive at the end. I do think he's getting better. But, like I said earlier, this is a bottom-line business and the team is 1-6 this season, and he's 4-20 as a starter. What he needs is more consistency. And, the team needs wins. I know Cam has a lot of supporters out there, but he also has skeptics. I hear from them on here, and on social media. But so have others QBs in the past that ultimately turned things around. Time will tell if Cam is able to do that.
Hector Hernandez Rojas from Teziutlan, Puebla, Mexico
Question: Que tal Jim buena tarde como estas? Espero estes muy bien. Jim te escribo faltando 3 min para que se acabe el tercer cuarto del partido contra los browns y la verdad me siento super frustrado, enojado no hay palabras que expresen mi sentir al estar viendo el juego, con las pesimas calls a la ofensiva, y ver a nuestros coaches sin hacer nada para cambiar el rumbo del partido. Creo que ya es tiempo de sentar a Cam Ward decirle que no es y no sera nuestro QB franquicia y que solo esta desprestigiando el n�mero de Warren Moon. No hay juego aereo, es inexistente con este QB y si a eso le sumamos las pesimas llamadas no hay imaginaci�n en la calls ofensivas y la defensiva no para ni al transporte publico. Tenemos al menos en papel a un excelente TE en Gunnar Helm que no le lanzan en lo absoluto pareciera que no existe. En otro comentario te expresaba que jugadores que llegan a Nashville como las grandes estrellas para levantar el equipo resulta que solo vienen a cobrar y sigo con ejemplos de esta temporada Johnson JR, Alonte Taylor, Calvin Ridley por mencionar algunos y puedo seguir. Reconozco que la l�nea ofensiva a ido mejorando. Yo la soluci�n que tengo para el equipo es que Big Jeff juegue de RB de QB y de todas las posiciones posibles (lo digo con sarcasmo)porque es el �nico que cada semana juega a un nivel de s�per estrella, no me cabe en la cabeza como es posible que los demas jugadores defensivos no se puedan motivar teniendo al mejor DT de la liga. Pido ruego que ya sienten a Cam Ward y que la directiva del equipo le exijo que nos de un equipo digno de acuerdo a la calidad de aficionados que tiene.
Jim: Hola, Héctor. A este equipo todavía le falta trabajo y tiene aspectos que debe mejorar. Esto se hace cada vez más evidente semana tras semana. Reitero que yo no sentaría a Cam Ward en el banquillo. Quiero verlo jugar, porque necesito que el equipo pueda tomar una decisión sobre él, en un sentido o en otro. Entiendo tu frustración; creo que todos estamos frustrados, yo incluido. ¡Ánimo, Héctor!
Tommy Meyer from San Antonio, Texas
Question: Howdy Jim. WOW! I started out watching the game and I thought who is this team! Finally the Titans looked liked i had hoped. Then the goal line stop and the air went out of the team, The defense disappeared, Cam returned to his previous self. I saw a really poor performance by the officials also. I just need an answer to why Saleh's defensive scheme has linebackers covering fast wide receivers? This scheme doesn't work. We saw the same type of coverage in the Ravens game. They played a different coverage scheme in the Colt's game and won. I am just really confused by the coaching. I have high hopes that Cam will fix his weaknesses, but he has always had poor accuracy issues. He throws behind his receivers leading to interceptions or incompletions. The other issue was on the goal line why did the coaching call for three runs into the middle again just like they did in another game with the same results. Watson showed how is was to be done, he scooted around the left side and scored. The game was lost when the Titans were stuffed at the goal line, they never recovered. I believe this team can win if they quit beating themselves The Titans should be 5&1 or at least 4&2 except for bad coaching and ,poor Quarterback play and a weak secondary, Changes need to be nade and soon or they will continue to lose . The bright side the titans are better than the Chargers.
Jim: Hey Tommy. The most disappointing part of Sunday's game, to me, was the defense. The Titans hardly pressured Deshaun Watson, and the coverage and tackling were both abysmal. And, I don't know if there is any bright side when you're 1-6. This team will try again on Sunday in Cincinnati.
Have a great week everyone!
