NASHVILLE – The Titans travel to face the New York Giants on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Here’s a look at six things to watch in the contest:
There are stats out there that support quarterback Cam Ward’s progress, and others that show he’s still a work in progress. Dating back to last season, Ward has thrown 173 straight passes without throwing an interception, and he has 11 passing touchdowns vs just one interception in his last 11 games. Ward is the only player in team history with 11 passing touchdowns and one or fewer interceptions in an 11-game span. Ward, however, is averaging just 161.5 passing yards in 2026, making him one of just three starting quarterbacks with fewer than 200 pass yards in both of his first two games in 2025. The Titans need to settle in as a team, and an offense, and Ward needs to keep making strides while being more consistent. So far, the Titans have gotten 89.2 percent (288/323) of their receiving yards this season from players who are 25 years old or younger, which is the highest rate in the NFL in 2026. Ward will face a Giants defense that’s ranked 27th overall, and 31st on third down and in the red zone.
After a quiet effort in the running game in Week 1, the Titans had more success on the ground in Week 2 against the Eagles, when the team ran for 122 yards. It looks like it will be a rainy and windy day in East Rutherford, N.J. (have you heard there’s a Nor’easter headed that way?) on Sunday, so the Titans will need to be able to run the football against a Giants defense that’s ranked 20th after two games, allowing 116.0 rushing yards per game. Against the Eagles, three Titans running backs helped the team get to that number – Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears and rookie Nick Singleton. With Spears banged up, could we see more Singleton on Sunday? And, let’s not forget Ward has been utilizing his legs more early this season. Here’s an interesting nugget: The Titans are averaging 6.36 yards per rush on second down this season, most in the NFL.
The Giants have named Jameis Winston their starting quarterback, after Jaxson Dart suffered a season-ending knee injury on Monday night. The Titans know Winston well. Heck, at this point everyone does – Winston was the first overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Marcus Mariota draft for the Titans. Winston has had some good moments in his career, but Monday night wasn’t one of them – in a relief effort against the Rams, Winston was 11-of-27 for 111 yards and an interception after replacing Dart, and his 40.7 completion percentage was the lowest by any NYG QB with 25+ attempts since 2017. The Titans need to get after Winston, and make him uncomfortable. Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons has been beastly so far – his 13 QB pressures so far lead all DTs, and are tied for third in the league. Simmons needs help from others to frustrate Winston. Did you know the Giants are 0-5 since drafting Dart in 2025 in games which he doesn’t start (5-9 with Dart)?
Of course, one way for the Giants to help Winston is by running the football, and with the weather conditions not expected to be great (Did I mention a Nor’easter is headed up the coast?), their plan will likely include a big dose of running back Cam Skattebo. Skattebo has 50-plus scrimmage yards in eight of his past nine games, and he has 402 scrimmage yards (100.5 per game) and five rushing touchdowns in his last four games. The Titans need to be prepared to swarm Skattebo, who searches out contact from defenders. Gang tackling Skattebo needs to be a priority. Titans rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. already has 26 tackles on the season, which is the second-most by any player in his first two games since the 2000 season, trailing only Shaquille Leonard in 2018 (28 tackles).
The storylines are everywhere leading up to this one, on both sides of the ball. Titans OC Brian Daboll was a former head coach of the Giants, and o-line coach Carmen Bricillo, DBs/safeties coach Marquand Manuel, QBs coach Shea Tierney and assistant Cade Knox previously coached with the Giants as well. Titans special teams coordinator John Fassel’s dad, Jim, was head coach of the Giants in the from 1997-2003, and John was a ball boy for the Giants way back in the day. The Tennessee roster also features a number of former Giants – center Austin Schlottmann, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson, tight end Daniel Bellinger and tackle James Hudson. But it works both ways – Giants QBs coach Brian Callahan, DC Dennard Wilson, LBs coach Frank Bush and assistant LBs coach Matt Pees all previously coached in Tennessee, and Giants o-lineman Aaron Stinnie played with the Titans. It’s safe to say this game means a little extra to some.
The Titans are 0-2, and while it’s still early, the team needs to find a way to win a game now to enhance this team’s chances of keeping things interesting into December. The Titans are seeking to avoid their third straight season starting 0-3. A look at history reveals the importance of winning in Week 3. Since 1990, teams that started 1-2 made the playoffs 25.3% of the time, won the division 13.3% of the time, and won the Super Bowl 1.0% of the time. The stats look even worse for teams starting 0-3 – those teams made the playoffs just 2.9% of the time, won the division 1.2% of the time and won the Super Bowl just 0.0% of the time. The Giants, by the way, are three-point favorites over the Titans, who are looking for the first win in the Robert Saleh era. One more tidbit: The Titans are 6-2 against the Giants over the last 30 seasons, which is tied for the franchise’s second-best record vs any opponent in that period (Buccaneers), behind a 6-1 record vs the Lions.