It took six weeks, but the Tennessee Titans finally notched their first 2026 win in a 26-20 thriller over division rival Indianapolis Colts.
Once again, the Titans struggled to move the ball in the first half. Fortunately, Jeffery Simmons and the defense came alive, special teams made some splash plays, and Cam Ward and the offense did just enough to come back for the win.
Down 13-0 at halftime, the inspired Titans scored the next 20 points and held on at the end as Daniel Jones’ Hail Mary fell incomplete as time expired. It was a huge win for Tennessee and gave the team the first “Victory Monday” of the season.
Here are five takeaways from Sunday’s victory
The offense is still bad
The Titans’ offense did just enough to win, but it was far from productive. The rushing attack
sputtered, Cam Ward struggled with accuracy, and the game plan lacked flow and was rather one-dimensional. The unit was again better in the second half, but the first half was a disaster. The unit needs to be better, and Brian Daboll's playcalling needs to be better.
Jeffery Simmons is at a different level
Simmons had one of his most dominant performances against the Colts and is building another All-Pro resume for 2026. Simmons recorded six total tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, but his biggest impact may have been in the locker room at halftime, where his vocal inspiration got the team ready for their comeback.
Special teams were special
After a slow start to the season, Tennessee’s special teams unit came to life against the Colts. Chimere Dike flashed his All-Pro return skills from his rookie season with the best return of the season, James Williams blocked a punt that turned into a Femi Oladejo touchdown, and Joey Slye was perfect. A great performance when the Titans needed a spark.
Anyone can be inactive
In a surprise move, head coach Robert Saleh made starting cornerback Alontae Taylor inactive against the Colts, opting to start Joshua Williams opposite Cor’Dale Flott. From all the reporting, this Sunday morning move wasn't injury-related, showing Saleh doesn’t look at contract size when making decisions, which is a breath of fresh air, but the Taylor situation must be addressed during the week.
Carnell Tate is a playmaker
When the Titans selected Tate with the fourth overall selection, some pundits questioned his measurables and wondered aloud whether his skills would translate to the NFL. On Sunday, Tate again proved Tennessee made the right call and that the team finally has a true number one receiver. While his numbers weren't mind-boggling, he led Tennessee in targets, receptions, and yards, and scored his first NFL touchdown.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: What we learned from Tennessee Titans' 26-20 win over Indianapolis
