Tennessee Titans Rally to Beat Indianapolis Professional Football Team 26-20
The Tennessee Titans earned their first victory of the season, rallying with special-teams plays and late kicking to beat the Indianapolis Professional Football Team 26-20 on Oct. 18, 2026, according to The Associated Press via ESPN. Joey Slye supplied multiple long field goals, including a 44-yarder with 43 seconds remaining, to secure the road win. Tennessee trailed 13-0 at halftime before mounting its comeback.
Cam Ward connected with Carnell Tate on an 8-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter to give the Titans their first lead. Oluwafemi Oladejo returned a blocked punt 14 yards for a touchdown later in the quarter to extend the advantage. Joey Slye converted four field goals for Tennessee, making attempts of 29, 56, 49 and 44 yards that accounted for the bulk of the non-touchdown scoring. The 29- and 56-yard kicks came in the third quarter while the 49- and 44-yard attempts were made late in the fourth.
The Indianapolis Professional Football Team built a 13-0 halftime lead on a 1-yard touchdown catch by Mo Alie-Cox from Daniel Jones and two Spencer Shrader field goals. Shrader made a 23-yard field goal at 2:06 of the second quarter and a 47-yarder at 0:11 to close the half. Jonathan Taylor scored on a 4-yard run in the fourth quarter as the host team tried to rally late. Those scores were not enough to overcome Tennessee’s special teams and kicking game.
The victory gave the Tennessee Titans their first win of the season. The game was decided by complementary phases, with a non-offensive touchdown and four Slye field goals determining the margin. Tennessee’s special teams and kicking game provided the decisive points after the team fell behind 13-0. The result underscored the importance of all three phases in close games.
NFL Sports Blog Take
Tennessee’s win illustrated the immediate impact that special teams and a reliable kicker can have in a close contest; Oladejo’s blocked-punt return and Slye’s four field goals accounted for the majority of the Titans’ points. Overcoming a 13-0 halftime deficit demonstrated resilience from the roster as the team rallied in the second half. The offense benefited from those momentum-shifting plays, but the game showed that maintaining balance across offense, defense and special teams will be key if Tennessee is to build on this victory.