The Tennessee Titans struggled in the red zone again, and a failed fourth-down call on a suspect wildcat formation by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll helped shift the momentum.
The Titans and Cam Ward looked good early and moved the ball well until they got inside the 10-yard line, where Daboll and head coach Robert Saleh took Ward and his receivers out of the equation, running the ball seven straight plays in two trips. While the Titans did score one touchdown, the second drive was disastrous.
When asked about the conservative approach, Saleh downplayed the play-calling issues and defended the decisions.
Robert Saleh on the #Titans running the ball 7 times on 7 plays in low red zone pic.twitter.com/ZABrq94AHB
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) October 4, 2026
"Felt like we were running the ball
pretty well," Saleh said. "You know, something I'll definitely have a conversation with Dabes about. I do know that in those situations, the guys work their tails off to make sure we're calling the best plays for those situations based on what we've seen on tape. I'm pleased with the preparation that goes into it, and we'll watch the tape and figure out what could've gone better, if anything at all."
This is not the first time in 2026 that the play calling inside the low red zone has been questionable, and Daboll and the offensive staff have made some head-scratching decisions. Last week, he abandoned the running game in that situation, and this week, he leaned on it.
If the Titans’ offense is ever going to hit its stride, it will have to become unpredictable and balanced, and over four weeks, it hasn't.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Titans' Robert Saleh defends conservative red zone play calling
