Titans held to three points in 26-3 loss to Texans; offense falters in 0-5 start
NASHVILLE
By Jim Wyatt, Titans senior writer and editor.
The Texans limited the Titans to a field goal and forced a string of mistakes in a 26-3 loss Sunday at Nissan Stadium. The Titans failed to score a touchdown, allowed four sacks and produced more sacks than points as they fell to 0-5. After a nine-play, 53-yard drive that produced the opening field goal, the next eight drives resulted in a punt, a fumble, an interception, three punts and two turnovers on downs.
The defense held Houston to field goals early while missing starting safety Amani Hooker and with Kevin Winston Jr. sidelined by a quad injury. The Titans inserted Tony Adams, Terrell Burgess and Isaiah Oliver at safety, and those players played physically. The Texans wore down Tennessee in the second half as quarterback C.J. Stroud threw two second-half touchdowns and engineered a 17-play, 73-yard drive that broke the team’s resistance.
The Titans committed no penalties in the first 30 minutes but were flagged seven times for 83 yards in the second half. Several infractions wiped out big plays, including a holding call on center Austin Schlottmann that erased a 35-yard completion to running back Tyjae Spears and a penalty that nullified a 32-yard pass to receiver Carnell Tate. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. was whistled for three penalties
two holds and a false start
and acknowledged after the game that he did not play well.
Turnovers compounded the offensive problems and prevented the Titans from building momentum. On Sunday, Tyjae Spears lost a fumble on the team’s third possession and quarterback Cam Ward threw an interception on the fourth series. Ward had earlier thrown an end-zone interception against the New York Giants and committed two costly turnovers in Baltimore this season, and those mistakes have added to the team’s struggles. The miscues forced the defense to spend more time on the field and made it harder for the Titans to recover.
Protection issues left Ward exposed late in the game. He was sacked four times and hit seven times overall, with Texans defensive end Will Anderson recording three sacks and defensive end Danielle Hunter adding another. The team had allowed just six sacks through the first four games but gave up four Sunday as it became forced to drop back and try to throw from behind. Left tackle Dan Moore Jr. said after the game, “Just not my best day today. I know I have to be better.”
Jim Wyatt singled out a south end zone security guard for bouncing back quickly after a collision late in the second quarter, when the official was knocked to the ground as Titans safety Terrell Burgess slid under him while defending a deep ball. The official fell onto his rear as he left the field but stood up and continued working the game. The moment provided a brief, human note amid a frustrating afternoon for the Titans.
Quarterback Cam Ward said after the game, “We have to make plays.” Titans coach Robert Saleh said the team had a lot of work to do following the loss. Players offered similar postgame remarks about staying the course despite the 0-5 start.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Sunday’s loss exposed persistent problems: an offense that struggles to sustain drives or protect its quarterback, an increasing turnover issue and costly second-half breakdowns on both sides of the ball. Tennessee’s defense kept the team competitive early but it cannot absorb long, grinding drives created by offensive miscues on a weekly basis. The Titans must reduce turnovers and penalties, improve pass protection and find more consistent red-zone production if they hope to change the trajectory of the season.