For a second straight week, the Tennessee Titans had a chance to pull off a victory against an NFC East opponent but fell short.
The Titans had chances, but the New York Giants made the big plays when they needed them and executed their game plan better than the Titans. Yes, the weather was a factor, but the Titans appeared listless early, and the Giants proved to be the better team.
While many things still need to be cleaned up, the defense led by Jeffery Simmons took another step forward for the young Titans franchise. Unfortunately, the offense couldn’t follow its lead and struggled behind another uneven performance by Cam Ward.
Here are four things we learned from the heartbreaking loss to the Giants.
Cam Ward isn’t ready for primetime
Ward had a chance to bring the Titans back
and lead them to an improbable victory, but poor execution and questionable decision-making in the waning seconds did Tennessee in. After a rough first half, Ward did get going in the second half and did throw a touchdown pass to Wan’Dale Robinson. But failing to score in two of three red-zone trips in the second half, and the last-second interception to seal the game, are not plays ascending franchise quarterbacks make.
Too many slow starts
Once again, the Titans’ offense could not get rolling until the second half, and by then, it was too late. Ward and the offense must start faster, and the playcalling must be better in the first half. Against the Giants, nothing worked in the first half, and the team managed only one total first down and left the defense on the field for too long. This trend must change moving forward.
What’s wrong with the special teams?
The Titans’ special teams went from being a strength in 2025 to an issue in 2026. Chimere Dike fumbled on the opening kickoff, which set the tone for the entire afternoon. On top of that, multiple penalties on both the return and coverage units significantly affected field position in a game where it truly mattered because of the inclement weather.
Jeffery Simmons is dominant
Simmons is off to an incredible start in 2026 and had one of his best games against the Giants with 10 tackles and a sack. It’s clear that Simmons has taken his game to another level in Robert Saleh’s defense, and it is a shame that the offense is wasting his incredible performance.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: What we learned from Tennessee Titans' 12-7 loss to New York Giants
