The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans will meet in Week 5 with both teams searching for their first win of the 2026 NFL season. Tennessee fell to 0-4 after a 24-18 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4, while Houston also dropped to 0-4 after suffering a last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
While both teams have been competitive despite their records, their Week 5 matchup has plenty at stake. Here are six things to know about the Titans' matchup against the Texans.
Both teams are 0-4
The Titans and Texans have followed similar paths to begin the season. Neither team has been able to get into the win column, entering Week 5 at 0-4, but both teams have had several opportunities to win games late.
That makes Week 5 an intriguing opportunity for one of these teams
to finally break through.
Both teams have been better than their records suggest
The saying goes that you are what your record says you are. While that is true, both of these teams are a couple of plays away from this matchup being a potential battle for first place in the AFC South.
Instead, the Titans and Texans are trying to avoid being in sole possession of last place in their division. With both teams' inability to make critical plays late to win games, this matchup will likely come down to which team finally makes the play they have been unable to make thus far.
Titans and Texans were both 0-3 when they first met last season
This isn't the first time these teams have met winless, as the Titans and Texans faced each other in Week 4 of the 2025 season with both teams at 0-3. The matchup was in Houston, and the Texans won 26-0 to keep their season alive and eventually make the playoffs.
One year later, they're again entering their first matchup without a win. It's real life deja vu moment between the two AFC South rivals that have both struggled to get their seasons moving in the right direction.
This could be a turning point for an AFC South title run
Following their Week 4 matchup last season, the Texans used that fuel to finish 12-2 in the regular season and fell just one game short of winning the AFC South division. The Titans avoided a 0-5 start with a win the following week but finished the season with a 3-14 record.
Falling to 0-5 this season would make for an even steeper climb for one of these teams, so expect the best effort in this matchup from both sides.
Titans face another team coming off a close loss to Dallas
The Titans face a second consecutive opponent who played a down-to-the-wire game against the Dallas Cowboys the week before playing the Titans. Tennessee just lost to Baltimore, but the Ravens had previously defeated the Cowboys in a last-second thriller in Week 3.
Now the Titans face the Texans, who are coming off a last-second loss to those same Cowboys. While the circumstances are different, it gives Tennessee another matchup against a team that has recently been tested in a close game.
Cam Ward's continued improvement
Despite the Titans' winless start, second-year quarterback Cam Ward continues to show game-by-game improvement. Ward showed encouraging flashes against Baltimore, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown while leading a late comeback attempt. He also connected with rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate nine times for 145 yards.
Tennessee's late offensive surge over the last three weeks has shown what the offense can look like when Ward and the passing game find a rhythm. The Texans provide another opportunity for Ward to build on that progress.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans: 6 things to know about Week 5
