The struggling Tennessee Titans (0-4) are traveling to Arizona to face the Cardinals (2-2) on Sunday, still in search of both their first win of the season and the initial victory of Cam Ward’s tenure. 

The Titans have endured ten consecutive losses dating back to last season, and the worry is that they are drifting further from success. Their losing margins are growing weekly, increasing from 8 to 14 to 21, and finally 26 points last Sunday against Houston. Fans are demanding a change in coaching, and Ward himself expressed his frustrations following their most recent loss. Head coach Brian Callahan addressed the importance of handling the external noise.

“Each person handles these situations in their way. Some are more affected than others, but you can use this as a source of motivation if you choose. In various forms, it can be an inspiration. Personally, I view most things on social media and Twitter as toxic, so I avoid them as much as I can. However, our players belong to a generation that grew up with technology and social media. They are aware that criticism, whether good or bad, is part of this job, and they must learn to handle both praise and criticism equally. Both can be equally detrimental. Thus, my strongest advice, which I also practice, is to limit engagement,” Callahan stated.

The Titans desperately need to make an impact on the scoreboard. Tennessee currently ranks last in both scoring and passing offense, and is near the bottom in total offense this season. During the game in Houston, Ward completed less than 40% of his passes despite only being sacked twice, complicating the team’s ability to sustain drives.

NFL Ranks

• Scoring – Titans 12.8 (32)
• Offense –  Titans 210 YPG (31)
• Passing – Titans 123 YPG (32)
• Rushing – Titans 87 YPG (28)

This weekend, they’ll face a Cardinals team that has made notable improvements in defense, particularly against the run. Arizona is allowing just 18.5 points per game and only 97 rushing yards per game, led by the formidable defensive lineman Calais Campbell.

“They have young players performing well,” Callahan remarked. “Additionally, they have veterans stepping up in key roles. Calais Campbell continues to excel at a high level, which is impressive. To succeed, we need to travel and bring our best football games if we hope to win against such a capable team.”

The good news for the Titans is that once again, they are facing another offense that is struggling to get off the ground. The Cardinals are averaging only 270 yards and 20 points per game. Arizona has lost its top two running backs, James Conner and Trey Benson, to injury. Their most consistent weapon, though, is probably young tight end Tre McBride, who leads the team with 24 receptions for 234 yards this season.

The wildcard is quarterback Kyler Murray, who still has lightning-quick feet outside of the pocket. Murray has at least five carries in all four games this season and is averaging almost six yards per carry. The Titans were very effective in week one, caging in Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. They will likely utilize a similar strategy against Murray, trying to close off the edges while collapsing the middle of the pocket behind star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons.

The Titans have to figure out a way to play four quarters on Sunday. In three of their four losses, they have been in one-score games headed into the fourth quarter, but let things slip away. The Titans have been outscored 47-10 in the final quarter this season. The biggest key to that could take us right back to the top: Ward completing more passes, keeping the offense on the field, and not leaving the defense gassed to finish the game.