Music City Miracles
The Tennessee Titans were defeated 16-13 by the Houston Texans in Sunday’s Week 11 game at Nissan Stadium. Cam Ward led a late game-tying drive, but the defense folded at the end, allowing the Texans to hit a game-winning field goal from close range. We’ve conjured up five observations following yet another defeat.
Many detractors criticize Cam Ward, but the first two offensive possessions offered a snapshot of his lackluster surroundings. The Titans had five procedural penalties, routinely asking their rookie quarterback to bail them out of 3rd-and-long. JC Latham was whistled for two false starts, Gunnar Helm and Lloyd Cushenberry had one apiece, and Kevin Zeitler was flagged for holding.
Ward missed 3-4 throws, and a strip-sack occurred at a less-than-ideal time, but the offense is a collectively sloppy unit. Ward then led the offense to a game-tying drive that included a 3rd-and-16 deep pass to Chig Okonkwo, and a follow-up TD to Van Jefferson. The Titans defense couldn’t hold, but the late-game flashes in gotta-have-it moments were important.
Calvin Ridley made his long-awaited return. After catching a 13-yard pass on an opening-play RPO, Ridley went down clutching his ankle, needing assistance from the cart to the locker room. The veteran wideout appears primed for another stint on the sidelines, and has possibly played his final game with the Titans.
Latham’s consecutive penalties were covered earlier, but his struggles deserve their own section. The sophomore right tackle was expected to take a sizable leap this season. Instead, he’s struggled mightily with injuries and inconsistencies. Latham’s 2026 campaign will be decisive to determining his long-term future.
The Titans received the second-half kickoff. Facing a 3rd-and-3 from the Texans’ 29-yard line, Tyjae Spears ran for one yard. Unsurprisingly, Mike McCoy opted to kick a 47-yard field goal instead of attempting to convert a 4th-and-2. The Titans took a 6-0 lead, but the Texans promptly took a 7-6 advantage on the ensuing possession. McCoy is an incredibly conservative coach.
For all the mistakes Ward and the offensive line made, they received no assistance from the rushing attack. Tony Pollard rushed for 22 yards via 10 carries, averaging 2.2 yards per carry. Tyjae Spears was effective as a pass-catcher, but also gained three rushing yards via four carries.
