The 2025 season isn’t favoring the Titans much. With 0-2, they are about to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3, who apparently have a winning streak of two. The latest injury update lists five players as questionable, including L’Jarius Sneed, JC Latham, and T’Vondre Sweat, confirmed out. So obviously, the Colts are favored to win in the upcoming game, despite the Titans having a home-game advantage. An ESPN insider laid out the reasons pretty clearly. 

Indy isn’t the same team that couldn’t clinch a playoff spot for the past four seasons. With Daniel Jones in command, they’ve entered a new era. One that Tennessee’s HC Brian Callahan called aggressive, emphasizing the need to “play well.” However, ESPN insider Dan Graziano believes that motivation alone wouldn’t help the Titans until they overcome the injury crisis. “The issue they’re dealing with is that their offensive line — in which they’ve invested a ton of resources — hasn’t played the way they hoped it would,” noted Graziano. 

Jim Wyatt recently said, “A great offensive line will make an average player look good. A bad offensive line will make a great player look bad.” Titans appear to have become a live example of this. One of the biggest crises at hand is Latham, out with a hip injury. Without him, the offensive line has a huge drop-off in talent and depth.

But more importantly, they need him to protect the quarterback, rookie Cam Ward, who now becomes too exposed. And that highlights another issue: lack of a strong backup QB. Former backup Mason Rudolph is no longer with the team, and Will Levis (the widely expected backup) went down with a season-ending shoulder injury. That leaves Brandon Allen (current backup) and Tim Boyle. To sum it up, “The Titans need Latham back.”

Callahan has high hopes for the team’s running game, but that too is missing its cornerstone, running back Tyjae Spears, down with an ankle injury. He isn’t expected until Week 5. Now comes another element of the story, rookie QB Ward. Facing a similar fate as Caleb Williams, Ward isn’t proving himself as a saviour like the Titans expected. But surprisingly, the front office is satisfied with his performance. “The Titans have been pleased with what they’ve seen from rookie quarterback Cam Ward,” noted insider Graziano. They are especially pleased with his connection with rookie WR Elic Ayomanor. 

The rookie duo’s chemistry has got everyone talking, even though their efforts didn’t turn into victories. The two connected for their first touchdown in Week 2 against the Rams. On third-and-goal, the rookie quarterback rolled right under pressure, then suddenly motioned away from his path. Ayomanor read it instantly, breaking stride and cutting into the soft spot of the defense. Ward fired across his body, and Ayomanor elevated, hauling it in through tight coverage from a Rams corner. Two rookies, one play—their first NFL touchdown together.

Cam Ward’s tough start with the Titans

As promising as the touchdown was, the narrative around Ward is quite the opposite across the league. In two weeks, he has been sacked 11 times, and that has unfortunately drawn comparisons with the infamous debut of David Carr in 2002. He was sacked 76 times, setting an NFL record. 

Through two tough losses, Ward has completed just over half of his passes (31 of 61) for 287 yards and a single touchdown. Fortunately, without interceptions. Yet his 50.8% completion rate and a league-low average of 4.7 yards per attempt highlight the offensive struggles. Despite the rough start, Ward’s poise in limiting turnovers stands out, but with Tennessee’s offense lacking rhythm and consistency, the pressure to improve quickly is mounting. That’s something Carr raised an alarming concern about. 

Ward has also downplayed the completion percentage concern. “No, I really don’t care about completion percentage. I want to score touchdowns, I want to win football games. We’re 0-2,” he said. He emphasized the need to keep sticking to the process and that getting a win in this week’s divisional game is really important. The focus is on trying to get the momentum going for the season.