By MIKE ROBERTS
Last Sunday, the Tennessee Titans were smoked 26-3 by the Houston Texans, as Houston picked up its first win of the season. The Titans remain winless with a dreadful 0-5 record. They’ve experienced a 0-5 start several times in their history, notably in 2006 and 2009, and managed to rally and finish 8-8 both years.
Can this 2026 Titans squad finish with a .500 record? Well, if they continue to play like they have so far this season, that definitely won’t happen. But hey, nothing’s impossible.
Here’s a recap of Tennessee‘s loss to Houston as well as a preview of Week 6.
What Happened Against the Texans
The Texans have been criticized a lot for their defensive struggles this season, but the Titans couldn’t even score more than three measly points against them. Their lone points came during the first quarter when kicker Joey Slye made a 30-yard field goal to take a 3-0 lead. Over the second and third quarters, Houston outgained the Titans 225-49 and outscored them 16-0. The Texans also held Tennessee to a season-low 187 total yards. Houston put the game away in the third quarter on a 17-play drive, which Stroud finished with a two-yard keeper to take a 19-3 lead.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a score. Titans quarterback Cam Ward completed 23 of his 36 passes for 170 yards, with no touchdowns and an interception. He was also sacked four times. Meanwhile, safety Tony Adams led the Titans with nine tackles.
Ward is now 3-18 as a starter, which is the worst record through 21 starts in NFL history. Yeah, that’s not good at all. The previous worst 21-game start for a QB was a tie between Ryan Leaf and Dave Klingler, who both started their careers 4-17.
What’s Next?
In Week 6, the Titans will visit Indiana this Sunday to take on the Indianapolis Colts for their second straight contest against a fellow AFC South team. Last year was the epitome of a wacky season for the Colts, who started 8-2 before losing their final seven games and missing the playoffs. They’ve been up and down this season with a 2-3 record, good for second-best in the AFC South behind the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Colts lost 34-22 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Indy is led by Jonathan Taylor, who’s easily one of the best running backs in football. Meanwhile, Daniel Jones is a decent, but definitely not elite, quarterback.
It’s Tony Pollard Time!… Maybe
Titans running back Tony Pollard, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of the past four seasons, is due for a breakout performance this year. The former Dallas Cowboy reached the 100-yard mark three times last season, including a career-high 161 yards against the Cleveland Browns in December.
Fortunately for Pollard, the Colts possess one of the NFL’s worst defenses against the run, allowing 130.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 27th in the league. That gives Pollard a great opportunity to go wild. The Steelers’ Jaylen Warren ran all over Indy’s defense on Sunday, rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown. Here’s a video of his 50-yard touchdown run in that game:
JAYLEN WARREN JUST RAN STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ENTIRE COLTS DEFENSE 😱 @steelers https://t.co/WsM2nCdApZ
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 11, 2026
Maybe Pollard can take advantage of the Colts’ struggling defense and put together a huge game for Tennessee. We’ll see.
Prediction
It won’t be shocking at all if the Titans pick up their first victory of the season by beating the Colts. The Colts are definitely beatable and aren’t a Super Bowl contender like the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers or the 4-0 Kansas City Chiefs. However, look for the Colts to win this game. With guys like Taylor, Jones, and star tight end Tyler Warren, Indianapolis just has more talent than the Titans. Plus, it’s hard to see the Colts losing at home to a Titans squad that ranks dead last in the NFL in points scored per game (11.6).
The Titans have lost 11 straight in the AFC South and six straight going back to the end of last season. On Sunday, expect that to be 12 straight.