Titans WR Has Best Game Yet vs. Cardinals

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Oct 6, 2025 3:00 PM ET

With less than thirty seconds to go in this past weekend's road game in Arizona, the Tennessee Titans trailed the Cardinals 21-19. The Titans, at 0-4, have been in must-now territory for nearly a month. Cam Ward, dropping back behind the 50-yard line, sends a lifeline to Calvin Ridley well beyond the logo and down around the Cardinals' red zone.

If you're a Titans fan, this scene looks all too familiar. A drop, interception or some sort of similar disheveled mishap dominates the odds as, somehow, the rock drops squarely into the veteran wide receiver's hands for what would become the game-winning completion. Joey Slye comes on for the chip-shot kick and Tennessee goes home with their first notch in the win column this season, 22-21.

19 unanswered Titans points bookended by the team's long-intended, recently disappointing wideout feels like a dream for Titans fans yet, after a month-long wait, things may be finally coming together for a team that has had the pieces all along.

For Calvin Ridley specifically, his week 5 performance elicited a massive sigh of relief for all involved and looking on.

After grabbing just 10 receptions through the first four games of the season for just over 140 yards and no scores, Ridley, in just four quarters versus the Cardinals, caught five passes for a heaping 131 yard total. Despite still falling short of a touchdown, Ridley nearly doubled his season-yardage in just one contest, leading the team's pass-catchers by a long shot and living up to his desired role (and contract) for the first time in a long time for the Titans.

"There's nobody that works harder than Calvin, there's nobody that puts forth more effort into it," said HC Brian Callahan after the Titans' week 3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. "It's just hard when a guy puts that kind of work into it, and doesn't get the performance as a result on Sundays," he finished, after Ridley managed only one reception for 27 yards on seven targets in the blowout defeat.

Looking back, Callahan's faith in his nearly $100 million receiver reflects a sense of optimism that the coach has consistently been criticized for. Sure, it doesn't always pay off, but in the case of Calvin Ridley, it appears that holding out may have been worth the wait.

As the Titans gear up to take on the Las Vegas Raiders next week to finish off their three-game road stretch, Ridley will certainly look to continue to build on his newfound rapport with rookie quarterback Cam Ward. If the lead WR can continue to stack up stats like he did in week 5, the Titans' avenues to stacking victories become much more accessible.

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

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