Tennessee Titans rookie Carnell Tate was incredible in Week 4, and even when the Baltimore Ravens knew that Cam Ward would be targeting him, they could rarely stop him. Tate enjoyed his breakout rookie game by recording nine catches for 145 yards.
After weeks of getting open, but only having limited chances to make plays, the passing offense finally flowed through Tate and showed why he was worthy of a top-five selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
What most fans might not have noticed is that the Titans aren't just lining Tate up on the boundary and asking him to win one-on-ones outside. They are moving him around the formation, and he has actually played 26% of his snaps in the slot, including his first catch versus the Ravens, which gained 22 yards.
Titans need to keep evolving Carnell Tate's usage in Week 5 after breakout game
That versatility is important because there are several teams in the NFL with top-tier boundary cornerbacks, but those corners rarely follow receivers into the slot. That includes the Titans' Week 5 opponent, the Houston Texans.
Their star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. doesn't travel in the slot; in fact, he has as many snaps in the slot (one) this season as he has snaps on the defensive line. If you are wondering if that has been working for the Texans, note that Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb had 17 receptions for 189 yards and a touchdown against the Texans last week. So...no, it has not been working.
While all of Lamb's receptions didn't come from the slot, moving him around meant that PFF only credited Stingley with covering him on 5 of his 20 targets.
Titans need Carnell Tate to follow the CeeDee Lamb blueprint vs. Texans in Week 5
The Titans don't need to turn Tate into a permanent slot receiver this week. They paid a lot of money to have Wan'Dale Robinson fill that role, and he currently leads the team in receiving touchdowns. However, moving Tate into the slot with pre-snap motion or lining him up there sporadically is a great way to create a mismatch for the dynamic rookie.
This Titans offensive line is playing great ball right now, and Ward is improving each week, especially when he targets Tate. On defense, the run-stopping unit has been outstanding, and the pass defense is getting better, though they certainly need to figure out how to get off the field on third down.
If all of that continues to progress the way it has so far, this team is going to get better as the season goes along. The improvement is clear and obvious to everyone who is paying attention, but little wrinkles like moving Tate around against a team that struggles to cover in the slot might be the difference between a close loss and a close win.
Titans fans (and owner Amy Adams Strunk) would be extremely excited to send the Texans back to Texas with an 0-5 record.
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