Grading Every Titans Position Group After Week 3 Loss vs. Giants

The Tennessee Titans lost a 12-7 heartbreaker to the New York Giants in Week 3. It should go without saying, but this wasn’t the prettiest game by any means. The weather was atrocious, which led to a lot of sloppy football on both sides. But in the end, it was a game that was there for the taking. Unfortunately, Tennessee wasn’t able to get it done.

Despite the loss, there were some bright spots in Sunday’s performance that deserve to be recognized. On the flip side, there are plenty of position groups that are leaving a lot to be desired.

With that said, let’s dive right into this week’s positional grades following another Titans loss.

Quarterback: D

I won’t sugarcoat it, things are bad right now. After another dreadful first half performance, QB Cam Ward actually found a rhythm throughout the second half. He led the team to the red zone three times, but that’s where things fell apart more often than not.

Tennessee scored just seven points over those three possessions. The first ended in a turnover on downs following a horrendous three-play sequence, most notably being a simply unacceptable third down throw to Carnell Tate that easily would’ve scored a touchdown.

Ward followed it up with a nice 13-play drive in the fourth to put the team within one possession. Then, following another defensive stand, the Miami product got the ball back with a chance to produce a game winning drive. The type of drive that would’ve given the fanbase hope again, especially with how well Ward played in the fourth quarter.

Instead, he eliminated all the good he did that quarter when he decided to unnecessarily force the ball into tight coverage, ultimately allowing Giants S Jevon Holland to pick it off to secure the win. This was supposed to be Ward’s moment to prove that he’s worth the patience. It was not.

In fact, all it did was create more division within the fanbase, while subsequently creating more questions about the long-term answer at quarterback.

With all things considered, I’ll give him a D for his performance since he did have moments of promise, but it was all for naught. Ward finished the game completing 23/36 for 181 yards, one interception and one touchdown.

Running Backs: C

With the muggy weather at play, everybody knew the ground game needed to be a focal point on Sunday. And while they certainly had their moments, it wasn’t nearly consistent enough.

Tyjae Spears entered the game hobbled up and it showed. He only ran the ball three times for five yards. Tony Pollard had a much more impactful day, totaling 74 yards on 17 carries (4.4 YPC). Certainly nothing to write home about, but they at least did enough to give the offense some kind of rushing attack to work with. Therefore, this group ends up with a middling grade.

Wide Receivers: C-

Rookie receiver Carnell Tate continues to show a lot of promise. He once again led the team in receiving yards, catching six passes for 58 yards (9.7 YPC). However, it was the missed opportunities that really got us excited about the former Buckeye.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) runs with the ball during a game against the New York Giants. — Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) runs with the ball during a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, Sep 27, 2026, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

With better QB play, Tate easily has a touchdown in this game along with a few more catches on his stat line.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the reality of the situation. Aside from him Wan’Dale Robinson produced his first touchdown grab as a Titan, totaling seven catches for 57 yards and one touchdown. In total, the receivers combined for just 129 yards and 15 catches. And while Tate is promising, I can’t give this group anything more than a C for this performance.

Tight Ends: D

Overall, the Titans’ tight ends continue to be a letdown. The tandem of Gunnar Helm & Daniel Bellinger combined for just 30 yards on four catches (two each) during Sunday’s loss. Some of this blame could be placed on their QB play, but these two must find a way to make their presence felt for this offense to start reaching its full potential.

Sunday’s performance wasn’t what this team had in mind when they created this tandem, and until we start seeing on-field results from them, these are the type of grades they’re going to get.

Offensive Line: B+

The offensive line continues to be a bright spot for the offense. Many pegged them as a weakness heading into the season, but to say they’ve been a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. They’ve allowed just one sack on the year, and are amongst the most efficient groups in terms of pass protection.

According to Zach Lyons of ‘The Zone’, the Titans O-Line scored a 95.8 in their pass block efficiency rating for the season, allowing just three total pressures and no sacks.

A stronger performance in the run game and I’d give them an A, but I think a B+ is more than fair.

Defensive Line: B- | Jeffery Simmons: A+

Normally, I’d just group them together, but Jeffery Simmons deserves his own section and grade. What he’s doing right now is absolutely ridiculous. Earlier in his career, consistency was Simmons’ biggest issue. He would dominate one week and then have a mediocre performance (by his standards) the following week. That is no longer an issue.

The All-Pro defensive tackle could very well be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation if he continues to play at this level.

Obviously, the overall team success will impact that, but he's certainly going to do his part. Last week alone, he recorded an absurd 10 tackles, two TFL’s, and one sack — all of which either led or were tied for the team lead in Week 3. Coach Saleh put this insanity well:

"I've never seen a defensive tackles have 10+ tackles, a sack...his stats look like something out of Madden"

HC Robert Saleh on @GrindSimmons94 pic.twitter.com/EP7s7cujY6
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 28, 2026

As for the rest of the unit, they had a solid game. Rookie Keldric Faulk recorded the first sack of his career. John Franklin-Myers made a couple of plays, including a terrific pass breakup on a key third down to get the ball back to the offense. All in all, they certainly did their part to help secure a win that never came.

Titans Linebackers: C+

The trio of Anthony Hill Jr., Cedric Gray & Cody Barton combined for 21 tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Giants. But neither of the three made a single play in the backfield, failing to record a single sack or tackle for loss between the three of them.

Therefore, I can’t give them anything more than a C+ for their slightly above average performance.

Titans Cornerbacks: B

Context is important, so when you combine the horrendous weather, along with the fact that the Giants didn’t have their starting QB, it immediately makes this performance less impressive.

Nonetheless, it was nice to see Cor’Dale Flottt, Alontae Taylor & Marcus Harris holding the Giants’ trio of receivers (Malik Nabers, Darnell Mooney & Malachi Fields) to just 65 yards on nine catches.

More importantly, there were no real egregious errors made by the group, and it's partially why Tennessee held New York to 12 points off four field goals. Only time will tell whether this was a fluke given the situation, or a sign of what’s to come. For the Titans’ sake, let’s hope for the latter.

Titans Safeties: C

Safety Amani Hooker had the chance to make another electric interception for the second consecutive week, but he wasn’t able to reel it in. That play alone would've undoubtedly impacted this grade, but it wasn't meant to be.

Aside from that, Kevin Winston Jr. and Tony Adams combined for five total tackles, while Hooker added six of his own along with one pass breakup. Definitely not the type of performances that's going to make any highlight reels, but a solid showing, nonetheless.

Titans Returner: F

Chimere Dike was an electric addition to the Titans last season. The Florida alum immediately established himself as one of the best returners in the NFL, ultimately earning All-Pro First Team honors as a rookie.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) returns a kick. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images — Sep 27, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) returns a kick off during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, things have gone in the wrong direction through three weeks of his sophomore campaign. Dike fumbled once again on Sunday, already his second of the season. To make matters worse, he continues to look average at best when he does hold onto the ball.

Needless to say, but in a game where points were at a premium, giving your opponents a short field was a detrimental mistake, and his grade for the week reflects that.

Titans Specialists: C

Kicker Joey Slye narrowly missed his lone Field Goal attempt on the day, a 59-Yard field goal towards the end of the first half. It certainly wasn’t the easiest kick to make given the distance combined with the weather, so I won’t knock him too bad for it, but it’s a kick he’s more than capable of making.

Meanwhile, punter Tommy Townsend and long snapper Morgan Cox performed up to expectation. But given the fact that this group missed their lone kick of the day, I can’t give them anything more than yet another average grade.

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