Like the Tennessee Titans before them, the Nashville Predators arrived at training camp eager for a new season that’s much better than their last.
It sure hasn’t worked out for the Titans to this point. But there’s one major difference: The Preds have dudes. Roman Josi. Steven Stamkos. Filip Forsberg. Proven, highly respected, highly decorated, veteran hockey talents. They bring hope in a hopeless time.
The Titans? No dudes.
The NFL’s Top 100 players poll, released this year by the league, featured zero Titans. Only one Titans player, you’d argue, should’ve been considered for that list.
Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is “the best player on their team,” Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans told reporters this week. “He’s been the best player on their team for a long time.”
And as the Titans, at 0-3, stumble into another Sunday in which they are expected to lose – this time to the 0-3 Texans – they’d do well to listen to Simmons, who’s preaching internally a message that he repeated publicly on Sept. 24: “Our best players need to play better.”
“When you look around the league, teams winning football games, their best players are playing good football,” Simmons said. “… We talk about winning each and every day. But so much, it just comes down to – and I’m going to keep saying it – our best players have to play better. Including myself.
“Some snaps I wish I could have back. It just comes down to our best players are going to have to play better than their best players.”
Means more coming from Simmons (especially since he pointed at himself, too.)
And he’s right. While Simmons didn’t publicly name names (other than his own), but it’s not difficult to see what he’s talking about and who he’s talking about.
It has become painfully obvious these past couple of years that the Titans’ roster needs significantly more talent to start contending again for divisional titles and postseason spots.
But a narrative has developed of the Titans being devoid of talent, and that’s not true. The Titans have well-paid players. What they don’t have are enough well-paid players making impacts in games that’d justify those salaries.
NFL games often get decided by a few key players making a few key plays. See Colts running back Jonathan Taylor breaking tackles and running through the Titans (again). See Rams receiver Puka Nacua dodging a tackle on fourth-and-short and turning it into a long TD against the Titans. See Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton coming down with a TD catch late in the first half against the Titans.
Who on the Titans makes those game-changing plays?
Simmons made one in Denver when he forced a fumble. The Titans haven’t forced a fumble since.
Receiver Calvin Ridley (team-high $28 million salary-cap hit, per Spotrac) has been targeted 21 times. He has eight receptions, which ranks third on the team. The Titans’ leading receiver is tight end Chig Okonkwo, and the longest reception thus far the season went to running back Tony Pollard (for 29 yards).
Cornerback L’Jarius Sneed ($22.5 million) has had a relatively encouraging start to this season, but in eight total games with the Titans, he’s listed as contributing three passes defended and no interceptions.
The Titans’ defense has two sacks in three games. One was Simmons. Another was safety Amani Hooker on a designed blitz. That’s it. Where’s Arden Key ($9.3 million) and Dre’Mont Jones ($8.5 million)? Only one Titans player had more than one TFL through these first three games, and they just traded cornerback Jarvis Brownlee to the New York Jets.
Meanwhile, the Titans’ offense leads the NFL in sacks allowed, despite three of their 10 highest cap hits (per Spotrac) being on the offensive line (Lloyd Cushenberry, Dan Moore Jr., and Kevin Zeitler).
And Pollard ($8.4 million) is averaging 3.6 yards per carry and has a season-long run of 10 yards.
If we are talking about the Titans’ best players, quarterback Cam Ward is on that list, too. A rookie deserves patience, sure, but who cares about fairness when the boat is sinking fast into another miserable slog of a season? They’ll need more from the QB, too.
“The only way for us right now,” said Ward, “is up.”
No doubt. No time like the present, either. Overmatched as the Titans have appeared to be through three games, any chance at a respectable season will require them to stop minimizing the talent on the roster and start maximizing it.
You still suspect that there might be some capable difference-makers on this team.
But let’s see it to believe it.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
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