Titans' Winnable Schedule Provides Path to Redemption

What exactly does redemption look like for a team all but officially eliminated from the playoff picture halfway through the season? Well, the "pie in the sky" aspiration would be a miracle playoff appearance, but that hasn't happened even one time to a 1-8 team in the NFL's more than century-long history. The Tennessee Titans, put softly, will have to look for inspiration elsewhere.

Perpetually Tanking?

The natural inclination of even the most diehard fan at this point likely has something to do with the oft-dreaded "tanking" strategy, although Tennessee, two years into a rebuild, seemingly can't find a way out of the tank. An alternative, in the form of even a few extra wins - as moral as they may be at this interval - may do wonders for rookie quarterback Cam Ward and the rest of the team moving forward under whatever head coach is hired next.

According to general manager Mike Borgonzi, that latter process is meticulous and well underway; but until Tennessee brings a new captain aboard their long-sinking ship, the team can only find ways to succeed under interim HC Mike McCoy.

Thankfully for the down-and-out bunch, their remaining schedule appears rife with opportunity to scratch a few extra notches in the victory column before it's all said and done.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike McCoy | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

First up on the slate is Tennessee's division rival set to visit Nissan Stadium, the 3-5 Houston Texans. In their first matchu of the 2025-26 campaign - naturally, a loss for the Titans - Houston completely shut Tennessee out in what still stands out as their most disheveled performance of the year.

Of course, Brian Callahan was still at the helm at that point. but the defeat remains brutal, and the team's lone shutout, all the same.

Potentially Winnable Games

After the rematch with Houston, in the season's grand scheme, Tennessee will face at least two more teams with losing record and, somehow, even less direction on a franchise level than the Titans. In the Cleveland Browns (2-6) and New Orleans Saints (1-8), on the road and at home, respectively. In the midst of those two games, and aside from tough bouts with the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs, Tennessee will play the in-division opponent Jacksonville Jaguars twice to complete their AFC South requirement for the year.

None of these are runaway games - no game is for Tennessee - but with two losing records on the docket and three high-stakes division games in the mix, a young Titans team with nothing to lose could make things interesting, at the very least.

Any sign of life would go a long way for the franchise at this point, let alone another win.

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