The Tennessee Titans are starting to collect some frustrating one-score losses in 2026.
Tennessee scored once in three red-zone possessions, dooming the Titans to a 12-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sept. 27 at MetLife Stadium. It came a week after the Eagles beat the Titans 24-20.
Cam Ward's end-zone interception against the Giants with 17 seconds left sealed the defeat on an avoidable decision.
The Titans (0-3) also turned the ball over on downs in the third quarter at the Giants' 7-yard line.
Here are the Titans winners and losers from their Week 3 loss to the Giants (2-1).
Titans vs Giants winners and losers
Winner: Titans pass rush
Tennessee was credited with three sacks and five hits on Giants quarterback Jameis Winston,
but the former No. 1 overall pick was rarely comfortable in the pocket.
Jeffery Simmons was his usual dominant self in the middle of the field, sacking Winston once and routinely drawing a double-team. Simmons finished with a team-high 10 tackles and two tackles for a loss.
Rookie Keldric Faulk also picked up his first career sack, beating Andrew Thomas on a third-down play to end a drive in the second half.
And while it wasn't a direct pass rush, John Franklin-Myers had a key pass batted down at the line of scrimmage on the Giants' final offensive possession to get an important stop in the fourth quarter.
The performance against the Giants is more of what was expected by the Titans' pass rush in 2026.
Winner: Titans OL in pass protection
Tennessee's pass protection has held up well the last two weeks.
Against a pass-rushing group that included Brian Burns, Abdul Carter and Kayvon Thibodeaux, Ward wasn't sacked once. That includes working most of the game with Jackson Slater at right guard in the place of the injured Fernando Carmona Jr.
Yes, the Titans prioritized a quick passing game. But Ward was able to cleanly navigate the pocket for most of the day. That included the final offensive play of the game, but we'll talk about that later.
The Titans have had pass-protection issues for years now, really since the years of Taylor Lewan and Jack Conklin at offensive tackle. Even for a couple-week stretch, a clean pocket for Cam Ward is notable.
Loser: Cam Ward
Cam Ward failed in two red-zone possessions, and it cost his team the victory in Week 3.
It's never that simple in the course of a game. But his decisions cost his team points in a one-score loss.
The most high-profile moment was Ward's interception with 17 seconds as the Titans were driving to take the lead. Ward had at least two defenders between himself and intended receiver Elic Ayomanor, and Ward threw it right to the first in Giants safety Jevon Hollard.
"I think I should have thrown it higher," Ward said after the game.
Ward had a couple different options, including scrambling for a gain and a possible chance at the end zone or a simple throwaway. With two timeouts on first and goal, all options should have been on the table.
But just as impactful was a third-quarter sequence on the Titans' first drive of note in the game. After a Carnell Tate 20-yard catch and a couple Tony Pollard runs, Tennessee had a first down on the Giants' 12-yard line. A Pollard run for five yards was followed by a dropped interception on a busted wide receiver screen, a poorly-aimed incompletion targeting an open Carnell Tate and a fourth-down incompletion out of the end zone.
Without the explosive plays through the air (one play of 20 yards or more in Week 3), Ward has to be consistent in execution and decision making. He's not there yet through 20 NFL starts.
CAM WARD PICKED OFF IN THE ENDZONE 😳
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 27, 2026
GIANTS WIN
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/2dEmOq5fRY
Loser: Robert Saleh's late-half decision making
Another game marked another curious game-management decision for Titans coach Robert Saleh late in the first half.
Against the Eagles on Sept. 20, the Titans had a conservative approach inside the red zone in the final minute of the first half to settle for a short field goal.
This week, Saleh sent Joey Slye out for a 59-yard field goal attempt with 50 seconds left in the second quarter. In the mist and wind, Slye's attempt drifted wide left.
The Giants, with three timeouts, got the ball on their own 41-yard line and eased down the field for 30 yards over seven plays to end the half with a short field goal.
The margins matter a lot in the NFL, especially for a young team trying to figure out its best self on offense. The game-management mistakes do not help.
Loser: Chimere Dike
Dike is virtually the fifth receiver now with Carnell Tate, Wan'Dale Robinson, Calvin Ridley and Elic Ayomanor ahead of him in targets through three games.
The All-Pro returner as a rookie is now starting to have issues in ball security on special teams.
Dike fumbled on a kickoff return in Week 1, then fumbled the opening kickoff in the light rain and wind at MetLife Stadium.
"It's a point of emphasis that needs to be addressed," Robert Saleh said.
Dike's utility is as a quality returner and a speedy option on offense. He's done neither through three games in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans vs Giants winners, losers as Cam Ward red-zone failures lead to loss
