The Tennessee Titans fell to 0-5 with a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday at Nissan Stadium. They didn't score after the first quarter and finished with 187 total yards.
The Texans committed 11 penalties for 95 yards and still won by 23.
The Titans started well. Tony Pollard ran four times for 23 yards, and the Titans moved 58 yards for a field goal. After that, the offense went flat. Pollard had 29 yards on his last 10 carries, and the Titans didn't score again. Sophomore QB Cam Ward continues to receive little support from his teammates.
Texans' pass rush overwhelms Titans' offensive line in Week 5
Through four weeks, the Titans had one of the NFL's best pass-blocking grades at PFF. Against the Texans, it fell to 53.5, their worst of the season.
Cam Ward was pressured on 19 of 41 dropbacks and sacked four times for 40 yards. Will Anderson Jr. had three of those sacks. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. allowed seven pressures and was flagged three times.
Ward finished 23 of 36 for 170 yards with an interception. His process looked rushed, but his PFF passing grade of 67.8 was above his season average. Most of the damage came before he had a chance to throw.
The run game didn't help. The Titans ran just 18 times for 57 yards, and Pollard has gained only 93 of his 273 rushing yards this season before contact. Without a threat on the ground, the Texans could rush like every down was a passing down.
Titans' cap situation leaves few quick fixes around Cam Ward
The Titans believe they have their quarterback. The protection, run game and secondary around him still aren't where they need to be, and the contracts make that hard to fix quickly.
Moore carries a $22.1 million cap hit in 2027. Releasing him would save $9.4 million but leave $12.75 million in dead money. Taylor ($25.0 million) and Flott ($18.9 million) would both cost more to release than to keep. That's $43.9 million in 2027 cap space tied to two cornerbacks.
The Titans are also carrying $36.0 million in dead money this season, from players like Lloyd Cushenberry and L'Jarius Sneed. Firing more people won't fix this. The Titans need to build the line and secondary around Ward, and they'll have to do it with limited cap room.
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