2 Bad Decisions Titans' Robert Saleh Made vs. Giants — And How to Fix Them in the Future

It's a little too early to go blaming all of the Tennessee Titans' struggles on Robert Saleh. The first-year head coach inherited one of the worst ongoing rebuilds in the NFL, and he's only just now starting to hammer his own identity out of what was left behind by Brian Callahan.

That doesn't make him entirely immune to criticism, though. In the Titans' Week 3 loss to the New York Giants, Saleh made two coaching decisions in particular that puzzled fans and absolutely contributed to the disappointing final result.

First, we'll tear these calls down to the studs to diagnose exactly why they were incorrect. Then, we'll try and outline a plan for how Tennessee can avoid them moving forward. No coach comes without his decision-making gaffs, but they must be addressed after a pivotal loss.

Making the wrong call on fourth down... twice

The first of the two choices at hand came at the end of the first half, when the Titans were facing a fourth down on the Giants' 41-yard line. Down 6-0, the Titans needed points... but it wasn't yet dire. One stop and score in the third quarter could've seen Tennessee take the lead.

Instead of punting, Saleh sent Joey Slye out to try a 59-yard kick in the New York rain and wind. The result was a tight miss to the left, followed by a speedy drive from the Giants that saw them steal three more points before the half. Tennessee only lost by five.

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh reacts. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images — Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh reacts after a play against the New York Giants during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The second example is more controversial, but it doesn't take much digging to disagree with Saleh on this one. Needing five yards on a fourth down in the red zone, with just over one minute left in the third quarter, the still-scoreless Titans went for the first. Unsurprisingly, coverage leaked and saw Ward throw a ball to nowhere. Turnover on downs.

Saleh's defense holding up on the next drive was the only reason the Giants weren't able to push their 12-0 lead even further after Tennessee came up short. Again, in a game where five points and one last-second interception is the only difference between a win and a loss, you have to cringe at the Titans giving up three points in one scenario, and then declining to take three in another.

The fix for Tennessee moving forward

So what's the fix? Well, it won't do to suggest that Saleh play it safe on every possession and take the road more often traveled every time. There is a time and place to push for additional points. The kicker is that, against the Giants, consistently bad offense forced Saleh into two tight spots.

There's an argument here that the fix doesn't fall on Saleh at all. Even if you don't take things that far, it's fair to suggest that gutsier play-calling from Brian Daboll would mean that Saleh doesn't have to overextend when the Titans are put in a pinch.

Sure, you'd like to see Saleh make the cleaner choice, especially on the kick. But whether it's a chemistry issue with Ward or that he simply hasn't cracked the code yet, Daboll hasn't deliver in his new role as the OC. The issues were present prior to Week 3, but this Giants matchup was the peak.

Daboll and his offense scored on just one of their three red zone trips in the second half. Even considering Saleh's call on the first of those drives, two of the three ended in passes within just yards of the goal line. These are unforced errors that come down to Daboll's scheme.

It's a long season, and the rising questions around Ward have to play a part here too. But it's clear that more uniform, even aggressive play-calling from Daboll would mean that Saleh has less of that ground to make up himself.

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