Titans' Week 3: 2 Major Keys to Pulling Off a Needed Road Win Over Giants

If Robert Saleh is to secure his first win with the Titans in Week 3, he'll need to make sure his team gets two things right vs. the Giants.

Sep 20, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) hands the ball off to running back Tony Pollard (20) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We've been beating this drum for weeks now, but the Tennessee Titans truly do face a must-win scenario in Week 3. The AFC South continues to leave the door open for Tennessee to take a foothold, and their incoming matchup with the New York Giants presents a golden opportunity.

The Giants were a beatable team in a similar rebuild to the Titans as-was, but with QB Jaxson Dart set to be sidelined with an MCL injury, there's a real argument that Tennessee should be favored in this one.

Still, if the Titans are to take home the win, Robert Saleh's team will have to check two crucial boxes. We'll start on the offensive side of the ball.

1. Control the pace on offense

Jameis Winston leading New York's offense should yield far less consistency for the home team. Winston, in spelling Dart from the first quarter on in last week's loss, completed just 11 passes on 27 attempts. He'd tally 111 yards, one interception, and no scores.

This means the Titans' time of possession issue should not only be fixed (given the next key on this list), but that Tennessee can control the pace on offense. This means doing exactly to the Giants what the Jets and Eagles did to the Titans.

Long, run-heavy possessions, short-to-medium shots on third down, and a game script that answers to OC Brian Daboll's whims. It'll take gutsier play-calling than Daboll has exhibited this season thus far, but there's no better matchup than this one to open the playbook in.

The Titans have an on-paper advantage on offense heading into this one. It's important that the team plays into it.

2. Stop the run, stop the Giants

Oppositely, it will be a matter of stopping the run to bury the Giants next Sunday. Unless Winston comes out and suddenly carves up the Titans' secondary, New York will likely focus on the ground game as their offense attempts to get used to Dart's absence.

This means heavy work for backs Cam Skattebo, Devin Singletary, and even potentially Najee Harris. New York relying on Winston to pass the ball more often than not led to their 28-6 demise at the hands of the Los Angeles Rams. They can only switch things up in one direction.

Lucky for Tennessee, their run defense took a jump against the Eagles. The Titans allowed just 89 yards to a team spurred by multiple solid backs and a mobile QB. That's a far cry from the 152 yards the Titans' allowed on the ground in Week 1.

Saleh's defense is finding their footing at the right time in that regard. Stop the run, and most likely, you stop the Giants. Tennessee's first win is firmly within their grasp this week.