Tales of the Titans: Tennessee Drops a Divisional Game, Get Blown Out by Indy.
- Om Brown
- Sep 24
- 4 min read
The Tennessee Titans kicked off their 2025 divisional slate this week against Indianapolis Colts at home in Nashville. After showing promise in Week 2, the offense fell flat on their face, the defense wilted, and the coaching and playcalling from head man Brian Callahan didn’t improve. It was a rough one, to say the least, with the Colts running all over the Titans en route to a 40-21 victory. Let’s break down what happened.
Game Recap
The game started out as bad as it could for the Titans, with rookie QB Cam Ward throwing his first career pick to Kenny Moore II, who brought it back for a touchdown to give Indy a quick 7-0 lead. Joey Slye answered back for Tennessee, booting a 57-yarder through the uprights. Spencer Schrader got those 3 points back for the Colts with a 24-yard kick of his own to make it 10-3 Colts. Indy added on after a Titans punt by way of a Johnathan Taylor 1-yard rush to boost the lead to 17-3. Slye kicked another field goal, this one a 42-yarder, making it 17-6. After a Colts punt and a Slye miss on a 64-yarder, Schrader missed one of his own. Tennessee attempted a 62-yard field goal, but Slye’s kick was blocked at the line. The Colts added a 36-yard field goal to go up 20-6 at halftime.
The 3rd quarter saw three total drives and three total touchdowns, a pair from Indianapolis and one from the Titans. The Colts started out with a nice drive that ended in QB Daniel Jones slinging a 20-yard TD to WR Michael Pittman Jr. Ward led the Titans offense down the field, and RB Tony Pollard punched in his first TD of the season on a 1-yard rush. Taylor answered right back with an impressive 46-yard run to extend the Indy lead to 34-13. Starting off the 4th quarter, Ward had his second career score, finding fellow rookie WR Elic Ayomanor for six, cutting the lead to 14 at 34-20. However, the Titans couldn’t capitalize on the momentum, as Taylor scored his third TD of the game, another 1-yard run, effectively ending the game with a final score of 41-20.
Game Observations
1. Callahan will get fired this season.
I said after Week 1 that Cally may not make it out of November. Hell, now he may not make it past Halloween. His lack of aggressiveness while running the offense, the penalties and sloppiness on the whole team, and having no creativity with Cam Ward is why he will lose his job. He also had a brutal sequence at the end of the first half with his time management. I hate saying it because I loved the hire, and I’ve stood with Callahan all this time, but it’s time for a change. That truly sucks, because the last thing this team needs is more turnover, especially with Ward under center now. However, Callahan is the man holding the offense back, and in turn, holding the team back. Ward thrives off play-action and creative plays and Callahan has yet to draw much of those up. I hope he can turn it around, but I doubt it.
2. The special teams is not an issue for the first time in years.
In the offseason GM Mike Borgonzi brought in ST coordinator John “Bones” Fassel, and traded with the Patriots for Slye. Fassel has produced a unit that has not been a liability since 2019, and Slye has been a beast in the kicking game. If there is a positive for the team, it is this.
3. At least we have Cam Ward.
Despite the awful coaching from Callahan, Ward has continued to make plays and shine when given a clean pocket (which is not often). He has developed chemistry with Ayomanor and improves each game. Hopefully it turns into his first career win soon.
Stats and Fantasy
Scores via NFL Fantasy (PPR)
Cam Ward: 23/38, 219 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 3 carries, 12 rushing yards, 12.96 Fantasy Pts
Tony Pollard: 16 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD, long of 10, 13.90 Fantasy Pts
Chig Okonkwo: 5 catches, 66 yards, long of 22, 11.60 Fantasy Pts
Elic Ayomanor: 4 catches, 38 yards, 1 TD, long of 11, 13.80 Fantasy Pts
Joey Slye: 2/2 Extra Points, 2/4 Field Goals, long of 57, 10.00 Fantasy Pts
Final Thoughts
It's unfortunate that the season has started off like this. However, Ward has gotten better each game, and typically, the offense comes alive in the second half. The only issue is that it's always been too late when they do start to score points. Callahan needs a big bounce back from the boys in Two-Tone Blue, otherwise he may be looking for jobs very soon. Next week, Tennessee travels down to Houston to face another division foe, the Texans. Last year in Houston, Tennessee played their best game. Will the Titans replicate their magic in ‘25? Until next time, #TitanUp!
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