Tennessee Titans coach Robert Saleh will have to watch the tape.
He wouldn’t analyze all of the offensive minutiae after Tennessee’s 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans at Nissan Stadium on Oct. 11 without a proper rewatch.
That's an understandable answer. Too much happening during a game for NFL coaches to properly contextualize all of it immediately. And Saleh is more of a defensive head. Better for everyone involved to let him give a proper answer 24 hours later.
But Saleh, a college tight end, has seen the tape from Tennessee offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and quarterback Cam Ward’s production through four previous games. Surely after the struggles against the Texans — a season-low 187 yards and one red-zone appearance — Saleh must have a keen
idea what the problems are with his 0-5 team.
He either doesn’t know or just isn’t saying, and the former is unlikely.
“Just consistency overall,” Saleh said when asked what the most glaring offensive issues are. “Every week is going to be something different. You turn it into a drop-back game, you're not converting third downs, it's not going to be good, and you put yourself behind the eight ball.”
Something different every week is right.
Saleh says he doesn’t believe in “throwing chairs” or being performatively angry after losses, and he holds himself to that with his responses. But with little evidence of improvement five games into his time in Nashville, you wonder what he’s thinking on the inside.
His defense isn’t perfect, but it’s holding up compared to the offensive problems. The Titans rank last in the league in points (11.6) and yards (246.4) per game.
This week had to have been especially tough for Saleh. His team was stuffed by Texans coach DeMeco Ryans, a former Saleh pupil who took over Houston’s defensive play-calling in frustration amid an 0-4 start.
That appeared to be the correct decision.
It also might not have mattered the way Tennessee moves the ball.
Cam Ward stats are going the wrong direction for Titans
Titans second-year quarterback Cam Ward’s progress has been only marginal since he came in as the No. 1 overall 2025 draft pick.
Compared to his first five games as a rookie, he has thrown for 17 more yards. He has one more interception (three to two) and is slightly more efficient, completing 63.3% of passes (compared to 50.6%).
Also concerning are the glaring holes showing up around Ward. The Titans' offensive line held up OK when right guard Fernando Carmona Jr. was sidelined in Week 4 with an ankle injury. But the front took a step backward against the Texans' defensive front, which ranked fourth in the league in sacks (14) coming in and finished with four against the Titans.
Once the Texans led by multiple scores and Ward started dropping back, it was trouble. He was hit hard on two consecutive plays on an 11-play fourth-quarter drive that netted just 22 yards.
Ward spoke as if he now has zero margin for error.
“Well, I think I just can't have a bad play,” he said when asked how he can provide a spark for the team. “That's what I think it’s going to come down to. And if I do have a bad play, it can't be a bad play to decide the game.”
Ward's seat will get hotter as the season goes on. The Titans are favorites now to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
There appear to be no answers for this season's low-scoring group.
Saleh said he's riding with Ward as the starter, and Saleh can't take over the offensive play-calling the way Ryans did with the defense for Houston.
Saleh has what he has.
And right now, that does not include a win with the Titans.
Tyler Palmateer covers the Tennessee Titans for The Tennessean. Have a story idea for Tyler? Reach him at tpalmateer@tennessean.com and on the X platform, @tpalmateer83.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans' offense has problems, but no answers so far in Robert Saleh’s tenure
