In a battle of 0-4 teams, the Tennessee Titans stayed true to their record.
The Titans offense struggled for most of the game in a 26-3 loss to the Houston Texans on Oct. 11 at Nissan Stadium.
After a 58-yard opening drive that led to a field goal, Tennessee (0-5) gained 129 total yards over the final eight drives.
Houston kicked four field goals in the first half as the Titans defense attempted to keep the game in doubt. But the Texans' 17-play touchdown drive to open the third quarter all but settled the decision.
Here are the Titans' winners and losers from their Week 5 loss to the Texans (1-4).
Titans vs Texans winners and losers
Winner: Those looking forward to the 2027 NFL draft
Three teams are at 0-5 through five weeks, including the Titans, Miami Dolphins
and the Los Angeles Chargers.
As of today, the Titans would have the No. 1 overall pick.
It's way too early to talk strength of schedule tiebreakers and 2027 draft order, but the Titans haven't made it easy so far. It's mid-October, after all.
The 2027 draft class, in theory, should be stronger at the top than the last couple seasons. Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore and Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith will be top prospects at marquee positions, as will Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons.
For now, the quarterback class is fluid. We'll see if Texas' Arch Manning, Miami's Darian Mensah, Notre Dame's CJ Carr or Oregon's Dante Moore factor into the top-pick discussion next spring.
Robert Saleh, in answering why Cam Ward will remain at QB at present, said the Titans will give No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft "every opportunity to be successful this year."
This year.
Those two words speak loudly.
The way things are trending on the field, the 2027 draft, along with a shiny new stadium, may be the only big-picture positive for fans to look forward to this fall and winter.
Loser: Nissan Stadium crowd
The announced attendance was 52,097, the lowest non-COVID impacted announced attendance number at Nissan Stadium in years. It came on the first comfortable home game of the year after extremely hot gamedays against the Jets and Eagles. And it was against an AFC South foe that also was winless.
Loser: Titans' first-half offense
Tennessee's full-game offense has some bad numbers, starting with scoring 11.6 points per game through five weeks. Whether first quarter or fourth, the production has fallen well short.
But the first-half offense has virtually robbed the team of any chance to reasonably stay in games in four of five games so far.
Houston's 12-3 halftime lead was a generous way to describe how the Titans played through two quarters, given that the Texans kicked four field goals by virtue of some Titans defensive stops and some timely penalties.
But after a 58-yard drive ending in a field goal to open the game, the Titans had a combined 38 yards (with two first downs) over the next five possessions before halftime. The Titans had back-to-back turnovers, a Tyjae Spears fumble and a Cam Ward interception when he was hit as he threw, mixed in there too.
Tennessee has scored 23 points in five first halves this season, with two touchdowns and three field goals.
Loser: No pass rush
C.J. Stroud had a comfortable game for the Texans. He was sacked just twice (including on his final dropback of the game when the score was 26-3 in the fourth quarter) and hit just once, per the NFL's game book.
And while he was forced to scramble a few times, he was able to move outside the pocket and make plays, like on third-and-11 on the Texans' first drive of the second half when he completed a dart to Kayshon Boutte for 23 yards.
This season, Jeffery Simmons continues to draw attention and make plays. Jacob Martin has a team-high 2.5 sacks after recording one against Houston.
But Jermaine Johnson II and John Franklin-Myers have one sack apiece and generally have been anonymous through five weeks. Keldric Faulk is a rookie who has flashed some, but 2025 second-rounder Femi Oladejo has become a bit-part depth player on the edge.
It's unfair to compare the Titans' defensive line to Houston's front, possibly the best in football. But the Titans need their defensive line to cause more havoc and change games.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Titans vs Texans winners, losers as offense sputters again
