Cardinals Must Contain These Titans in Week 5

If the Arizona Cardinals win, it'll be thanks to keeping these names quiet at State Farm Stadium.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) maneuvers against the Indianapolis Colts during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Any given Sunday is the phrase that NFL fans have come to know. Preciously little is guaranteed when your team takes the field, and even the best teams can fall short against bad teams. That's why when the Arizona Cardinals charge onto their home field against the Tennessee Titans, they can't hold back.

The Titans are a bad football team, plain and simple. Still, they're as hungry as any team for a win -- their first of the year nonetheless. They'll be out for blood to avoid an 0-5 start with jobs likely on the line.

A win won't be easy, but it's attainable. To get that W, however, they need their guys to step up, and we're here to look at the Titans' players who could win them this game.

I try to avoid talking about the premier players on each team, so you won't find Jeffrey Simmons listed among the guys to watch. If you're unfamiliar with him, that's understandable considering the team he's on, so I'll just tell you he's one of the five best defensive tackles in football.

Considering the state of the Cardinals offensive line, he could wreck the game alone.

But as always, we will start with a brief look at the opposing team's quarterback. Tennessee is rolling with the number one overall pick, Cam Ward.

Cam Ward

Sep 28, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up before a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Returns have been bad on paper and decent on the field through four games for Ward. He's doing his best with what he's got around him, and we've seen him make terrific plays. He has a long way to go, but the potential has yet to dissipate.

Unfortunately, his team is awful and he won't find many easy plays in year one.

Elic Ayomanor

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) catches the ball over tight coverage from Los Angeles Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (1) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Titans snagged Ayomanor in the fourth-round to pair with Ward and the two are clicking thus far. The Stanford product is used to playing at a high-level above his circumstance, and Ward is the best quarterback he's played with in years. He's off to a strong start to the year with a team leading 12 receptions and 151-yards.

We know how beat up the Cardinals' secondary is right now, and even the young duo of Ward and Ayomanor could give the defense headaches. Ayomanor is a big play waiting to happen, so the Cardinals have to stay sharp and make sure #5 never gets behind them.

Peter Skoronski

Tennessee Titans offensive tackle Peter Skoronski (77) enters the field before the Titans play the Bengals at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Now in his third season, Skoronski looks every bit the part of the player the Titans hoped he'd become when they made him a first-round pick. The Northwestern product has started all 35 games that he's appeared in, and he's overdue for a Pro Bowl selection.

As dreadful as this Tennessee offensive line is, Skoronski stands out in the best way.

I don't foresee many scenarios where the Titans stonewall the Cardinals pass rush, and that has been one of Tennessee's greatest weaknesses. It places tons of pressure on Skoronski to continue playing high-level football. He will see some stout interior defenders, including Calais Campbell.

Should Skoronski stumble too much, the Titans could see any offensive potential against a beat up defense disappear.

Xavier Woods

Tennessee Titans safety Xavier Woods (25) smiles from the sidelines during the first quarter of an NFL pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Woods might be the best player the Titans have at this point in the season, and that's not a slight to him. No, Woods is playing elite football in his first season with the team. For a defense that has been torched weekly, opposing offenses have struggled when looking Woods's way through four games.

This could mean a lot on Sunday as Marvin Harrison Jr. continues working to return to form and make an impact in the passing game. His inconsistencies have struggled fans, and what sounds like an appealing matchup on paper isn't as much in reality.

Woods will be lurking all day to prevent the Cardinals from passing the ball, and Harrison could find his way into his territory often.