The Tennessee Titans opened the preseason with a 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
While the Cam Ward era started with a thud, the rookie quarterback was not the reason, and he looked good in his debut. The young signal caller led the Titans to their only points of the night on his second drive and quickly retired to the bench for the evening. There are some things to clean up, but his performance was a highlight.
The Bucs wore down the Titans’ reserves and dominated the rush defense before breaking the game open in the fourth quarter. There is a lot of work to be done moving forward, but Tennessee has a chance to quickly bounce back with two joint practices with the Atlanta Falcons on tap leading into their Week 2 preseason battle.
Here’s a look at whose stock is up and whose is down after the first week of the preseason.
Stock up: 2025 draft class
Ward made his debut and was solid, going 5-of-8 for 67 yards. He is in control of the offense and is clearly the offensive leader. Second-round pick Femi Oladejo was uneven but did flash in limited reps. Chimere Dike, Gunnar Helm, and Kalel Mullings all made an impact on offense, and they look like they will be contributors heading into the 2025 season. Third-round pick Kevin Winston was held out as a precautionary measure as he is still working his way back from ACL surgery, but has looked outstanding when given the chance.
Stock down: Backup quarterbacks
Neither Brandon Allen nor Tim Boyle helped their case on Saturday, as both struggled against the Bucs. While Allen did flash on a couple of drives, he was inconsistent, and his interception killed a drive when the game was within reach. Boyle was just bad. His passes were inaccurate, and the offense completely disappeared with him under center.
Stock up: DT Timmy Horne
With T’Vondre Sweat sidelined with an abdominal injury, Horne stepped into the lineup and made his presence known. With the release of Keondre Coburn early in camp, Tennessee is searching for someone to step up behind Sweat, and Horne has made his case.
Stock down: LB Otis Reese IV
Once thought of as the frontrunner to start next to Cody Barton at inside linebacker, the veteran has been quiet throughout camp and did not play against the Bucs. While no reasoning was given for his absence, he is losing ground to both James Williams and Cedric Gray in the competition for the starting linebacker position and possibly a roster spot.
Stock up: LB James Williams
Williams continued to build upon his solid training camp and flashed sideline-to-sideline athleticism, and made some plays defending the run and pass against Tampa Bay. The second-year linebacker is clearly in the driver’s seat to start next to Barton and should only improve with more reps.
Stock down: RB Tyjae Spears
Spears was having a tremendous training camp leading into the game, but unfortunately, his nemesis, the injury bug, reared its ugly head again. The third-year back was carted to the locker room with an ankle injury and eventually left the stadium on crutches and in a walking boot. Coming off an injury-plagued 2024 season, this is not a good way to start 2025.
Stock up: RB Julius Chestnut
Chestnut stepped in when Spears went down and put up some solid numbers in the first half. While his numbers may not be overwhelming, the veteran running back had three carries for 18 yards and pulled in one pass for eight yards; he was a spark for what limited offense the Titans could generate once Ward left the game. With Spears potentially sidelined for an extended period, he could solidify a roster spot over the coming weeks.
Stock down: CB Gabe Jeudy-Lally
Early in the game, Tampa Bay attacked Jeudy-Lally repeatedly, and he had no answer, struggling in coverage. With L’Jarius Sneed still on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, he had a chance to seize a spot with a solid performance, but was extremely disappointing. If Sneed doesn’t return soon, the Titans may need to look for depth from outside the organization.