Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Titans Show Little Improvement After Bye Week

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Nov 16, 2025 4:34 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans, with nearly two weeks off from competitive football to regroup from their abysmal 1-8 start to the first half of the season, were hoped by many fans to show some semblance of improvement heading into the second leg of their schedule. To boot, their first matchup out of the time off, on top of being at home, was against a division opponent in the Houston Texans.

Seeking Divisional Vengeance

Not only were the Titans winless in the AFC South entering the match, but their lone duel against the Houston Texans on the road earlier this year yielded a 26-0 shutout that embarrassingly defined their team for the time and, shortly after, led to the firing of second-year head coach Brian Callahan.

Callahan's departure was more than a long time coming, but all the same, a runaway loss in such a fashion will do the worst to any team. Given the aforementioned circumstances after the bye and Tennessee's desperate need for a divisional win, redemption appeared solely in the franchise's line of sight for a potentially positive end to the rest of the season; that all would've started with a win here, but in painfully formal fashion, the Titans fell short once again.

Final #HOUvsTEN pic.twitter.com/LRYCvtSDSC
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) November 16, 2025

A By the Books Performance

Everything that the Titans did wrong against Houston this time around, despite the game being a much closer finish than last time, echoes the issues that they've dealt with up to this point; primarily, the team's scoring unit is almost nonexistent in comparison to their opponents.

To an excruciating final score of 16-13, Tennessee once again failed to eclipse its usual two-score quote, falling to a final-drive field goal against a Texans team led by backup QB Davis Mills on the day. Tennessee, as has been the case all year, wasn't at full health either; even so, especially given their being at home and with their own signal caller, Cam Ward, in tact, the Titans had a prime opportunity to secure their first divisional victory.

The result, while not unexpected, almost feels like the final seal on a Tennessee Titans season that had very little hope left to begin with. At this stage, in spite of plenty of games still left to play, the team (and undoubtedly tired fans) may be better off looking forward to next season and the hopeful positives that the next coaching regime brings in time.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: