3 Biggest Winners and Losers From Titans Preseason Victory Over 49ers

After waiting through the entirety of what may have been the most eventful Tennessee Titans offseason of the last decade, fans would've likely taken any respectable level of football in the preseason opener. Brian Callahan not calling the shots goes a long way already.

However, it helps that Robert Saleh picked up a win in his sideline debut as Tennessee topped the San Francisco 49ers, 19-13. That's technically a 1-0 start.

With a full game with the new-look Titans on the books, we've compiled the three biggest winners and losers from the opening matchup. There's plenty for fans to celebrate here in spite a handful of big names dropping the ball.

Winner: Titans' Running Backs

The Titans have a running back room full of studs, and the group proved it together against San Francisco.

Combining for 167 yards on the ground (compared to the 49ers' 84 yards), Tennessee's backfield was one of the only clear bright spots on offense. Tony Pollard punched in a red zone touchdown in the first quarter, although Julius Chestnut actually led the battalion with 47 yards on just six carries.

Rookie Nick Singleton also had a notable night, adding 31 yards of his own on eight attempts, alongside Tyjae Spears' 35 yards on four rushes. The whole crew went to work.

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Gracen Halton (93) tackles Tennessee Titans running back Tyjae Spears (2) during the second quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Loser: Cam Ward

Even in limited minutes (three drives), Tennessee's starting quarterback appeared out of rhythm. Finishing 5/12 passing with just 57 yards, Ward simply couldn't get to his spots.

No turnovers from Ward avoided his showing being outright disastrous, but it'd have been difficult to drum up a more underwhelming sophomore debut from the Titans' franchise player, even in the preseason. He missed a number of open throws and was tagged with an intentional grounding penalty.

Winner: JC Latham

JC Latham, for as much heat as he's taken this offseason as a questionable piece of staying power as the Titans rebuilt, had himself a strong night to kick things off this preseason.

Like every great offensive tackle, his efficiency is proven by the "0" in Ward's sack statline. Scattered pressure aside, Latham stood his ground and kept the 49ers at bay on Pollard's scoring drive. The OT appears to be stepping up right when the Titans need him most.

Loser: Tennessee's Secondary

After struggling to contain the 49ers' offense in joint practice earlier this week, Tennessee's secondary continued to struggle in live action. On the night, the Titans' pass defense stood out in all the wrong ways.

San Francisco's Kurtis Rourke threw a near-perfect 12/14 for 101 yards as the starter, dicing up the Titans every chance he got. De'Zhaun Stribling went for 63 yards receiving, making him one of three Niners to eclipse 20 receiving yards. No Titan achieved the same metric.

It was death by a thousand cuts for the secondary specifically, even if the unit managed to avoid allowing any scores through the air. San Francisco ended up with 238 passing yards.

Winner: Joey Slye

Hey, a win is a win. By all means, Joey Slye showed up and played his part to a tee in the Titans' preseason opener.

Slye went a perfect 4/4 (1/1) kicking for Tennessee, including a long shot from 58 yards out that went down as the final nail in the match. Did we want to see more from Brian Daboll's offense? Yes.

Is this just the first preseason game, and Slye was made all the better by picking up the slack? Also yes.

Loser: Carnell Tate

Carnell Tate's struggles can be partially lumped with Ward's, although not entirely. Tennessee's rookie receiver was both outplayed by the aforementioned Stribling, the 49ers' own rookie, and his fellow pass-catchers.

Ending up with zero catches on three targets, Titans fans expected more of Tate given all the noise he's been making in training camp. He's got the most room (and time) to improve of anyone on this list, but Tate going totally quiet was something nobody could've expected.

Tennessee will head back home to regroup before hosting the Seattle Seahawks in 10 days. Ward, Tate, and the Titans' secondary will look to recover, whereas the game-one winners can continue to build on their early momentum.

Add us as a preferred source on Google