Titans Sink in Power Rankings Ahead of Week 3

With the NFL season officially in full swing, the On SI power rankings have started to make their rounds on a weekly basis, situating teams based on their performance, expectations and the statistics that in-between that shape such things.

After a wave of newfound optimism related to the Titans' various offseason moves carried them through the first two weeks of placement, yet another loss has forced the fog of positivity to wear off. Left in the wake is a Tennessee team that now finds themselves in the bottom five of On SI's list.

At #28 in the rankings, only four of the league's total 32 teams sit behind the Titans; in order, the New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins are the only ones in a worse spot, according to the list.

Tennessee's accompanying blurb reads as follows: "While Cam Ward and the Titans’ young offensive core continued to display competence, the team still can’t find a way to get in the win column. Between a miserable offensive line and a bevy of crucial injuries, Tennessee’s anticipated revival appears to be a ways off following a 33-19 home loss to the Rams."

"Anticipated revival" are the key words here. While nobody necessarily expected the Titans to turn last year's 3-14 team into a conference competitor in one offseason, almost everyone attentive to the franchise seemed to share a consensus opinion that they should be markedly better.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Elic Ayomanor (5) pulls the ball down ahead of Los Angeles Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (1) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Through two games, in spite of flashes of promise in their young offensive talent - primarily quarterback Cam Ward and his rookie receiver counterpart Elic Ayomanor - Tennessee's current team looks eerily similar to last year's disastrous run in eight quarters so far.

Not to mention, the team's aforementioned litany of injuries, especially on the already questionable offensive line, have only made matters worse for a roster that appears to be in the process of piecing things together against other, more realized units on a weekly basis.

With the Indianapolis Colts set to strike Nashville this weekend - a team that currently holds the #12 spot in the same power rankings - Tennessee's schedule isn't set to lessen up any time soon. They've officially entered "must win" territory, according to Cam Ward.

Backs against the wall with a dud in the win column, the Titans will be forced to attempt to formulate a response in front of a restless home crowd; for better, or much worse.

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