Tales of the Titans: Tennessee Shows Improvement, but Still Falls in Home Opener
- Om Brown
- Sep 16
- 4 min read
The Tennessee Titans had their home opener at Nissan Stadium vs. the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. All eyes in Nashville were on 2025 #1 draft pick, QB Cam Ward, as he made his home debut in the new light blue home uniforms. Ward threw for his first NFL touchdown, and the offense overall showed signs of improvement. However, the explosive Sean McVay offense proved to be too much for Tennessee, and they fell at home 33-19. Let’s see what happened in a game in which the Titans actually led at halftime.
Game Recap
The first quarter started off slow for the Titans, as they went 3-and-out and punted. The Rams then lined up star WR Puka Nacua in the backfield, and he broke tackles on his way to a 45-yard rushing score to make it 7-0 L.A. After both squads traded punts, the Titans marched down the field and trotted Joey Syle out to attempt a 55-yard field goal, which he banged through the uprights to cut the lead to 7-3 Rams. L.A. answered right back on a 21-yard chip shot field goal to put the lead back at a touchdown. Ward and the offense were then able to score the team's first TD of the season, which was him finding fellow rookie WR Elic Ayomanor on a beautiful play from the duo, tying the game up at 10. With 32 seconds left in the half, veteran QB Matthew Stafford threw an interception to new Titans LB Cody Barton. This allowed Slye to make a 37-yard field goal and send the Titans into the locker room with a 13-10 lead.
To start the 3rd quarter, each team made a field goal, as the Rams hit another 21-yarder, followed by Tennessee with a 57-yard kick to make it 16-13 Titans. However, that's where the juice ran out for the Boys in the Two-Tone Blue. Stafford connected with Nacua on back-to-back plays, setting up a L.A. touchdown to put them ahead 20-16. After both teams traded punts, Ward committed his first turnover as a pro, getting strip-sacked by LB Byron Young. Stafford immediately cashed in on the mistake for points, hitting veteran star WR Davante Adams for a score, his first in a Rams uniform. The touchdown made it 27-16. After a Titans punt, McVay’s offense scored another TD, this one a 1-yard rush from RB Blake Corum, sealing the deal at 33-16. Slye did make another field goal, this one a 35-yarder, but it didn’t mean much to the game. McVay and the Rams made good adjustments at halftime, and coach Brian Callahan and the Tennessee staff struggled to counter.
Game Observations
Cam Ward and Elic Ayomanor have the chance to be special.
Ward and Ayo connected for 4 passes, 56 yards and their first career TD together. I had a 2nd round grade Ayomanor coming out of college, and the Titans grabbed him in the 4th. I have a feeling that we will see their chemistry grow in the coming weeks.
Tony Pollard looked better today, but the front office botched the RB room.
Pollard had 20 carries for 92 yards in this game, with a 4.6 average. The only issue is that Tyjae Spears started the season on IR, which means he misses at least the first 4 games. The other two players to have a carry were Ward and rookie WR Chimere Dike. GM Mike Borgonzi failed to find a reliable second option in the offseason, which is unfortunate, since Spears played in just 12 games in 2024. When Pollard is on the sideline, it forces Callahan to be one-dimensional and makes the opposition’s job so much easier.
The growing pains are evident, but the improvements are too.
The roster isn’t a great one, but the first half was a very good one. They fought hard and scrapped their way to a lead against a top team in the league. It is now up to the coaches, especially Callahan, to make the correct adjustments to not sputter out in the second half.
Stats and Fantasy
Scores via NFL Fantasy (PPR)
Cam Ward: 19/33, 175 yards, 1 TD, 4 carries, 8 rushing yards, 9.80 Fantasy Pts
Tony Pollard: 20 carries, 92 yards, long of 10, 9.20 Fantasy Pts
Calvin Ridley: 3 catches, 57 yards, long of 26, 8.70 Fantasy Pts
Elic Ayomanor: 4 catches, 56 yards, 1 TD, long of 23, 15.60 Fantasy Pts
Joey Slye: 1/1 Extra Points, 4/4 Field Goals, long of 57, 17.00 Fantasy Pts
Final Thoughts
It wasn’t a good ending, but the team was better than last week. The offense will have to start to put up more points, and it starts with Coach Cally. While his playcalling was better than against Denver, there is still a lot more to be desired. I came into this season with one goal in mind for the squad, which was to just compete and show growth week-to-week. That is what they did today. It may not be a pretty season in Nashville, but a season of taking bumps and bruises with a young offensive core, led by Ward, is a necessary step in the rebuild for the Titans. In Week 3, the Titans start divisional play by welcoming in their archrivals, the Colts, to Nissan Stadium. Hopefully, that is the game that Ward gets his first professional W. Until next time, #TitanUp!
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