Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans offense have produced just six plays of 30 yards or more this season. ANGIE FLATT

Sunday’s 11-play, 70-yard drive to open the game against Jacksonville was really the lone bright spot for the Tennessee Titans in a 25-3 loss to Jacksonville.

And while it was nice to move the ball that far and hold it for that long, it is simply too much for this offense to be able to drive the ball consistently throughout the game in order to score points.

By and large, the way NFL teams rack up points nowadays in a pass-happy league is by explosive chunk plays – deep passes or catch-and-run plays that split a defensive secondary. Big runs can also a factor.

But one thing is undeniable. Big plays change games, and the Titans rarely create them. Through 12 games in 2025, the Titans have had a 30-yards or more gain via either pass or run only six times all season. For context, the Titans in a 3-14 season a year ago produced 21 plays via pass or run that went for at least 30 yards.

You remember Cam Ward’s 47-yard pass to Calvin Ridley that helped fuel a comeback in the Titans’ only win at Arizona this season? Cherish it. It has been by far the team’s longest play of the season.

And a few weeks later, Tyjae Spears broke free on a 41-yard run in a 38-14 loss at Indianapolis on Oct. 26. That is their only run over 30 yards all season – something that was commonplace just a few years ago with Derrick Henry.

Ridley’s catch and Spears’ run are the Titans’ only two plays that have gone for more than 40 yards this season through 12 games. Tennessee has not had a play go for 50-plus yards in a game in more than a year. The last time was Chig Okonkwo’s 70-yard catch-and-run game-winner from Will Levis in Houston on Nov. 24, 2024.

The Titans’ chunk plays this season have been sporadic, but on five of those six occasions, the big plays have led directly to points for a starved offense.

Not only was there Ridley’s 47-yard catch in Arizona, he also had a 38-yard reception in that comeback victory.

Spears’ aforementioned run helped set up a Ward’s TD pass to Gunnar Helm from a yard out to give the Titans their only score in the first half of that loss.

Against New England on Oct. 19, Ward found Chimere Dike for a 38-yard touchdown pass in the first half.

Then, in their desperation 95-yard, fourth quarter drive against the Texans on Nov. 16 at Nissan Stadium, it was Ward’s 39-yard throw to Okonkwo that set up the game-tying touchdown in the final minutes.

Only a 33-yard completion to Elic Ayomanor in the shutout loss at Houston on Sept. 28 did not lead to points.

So, the blueprint is there that on the rare occasions that the Titans offense can find a big play, they can score. The problem has been not being able to find big plays on a consistent basis.

On Sunday vs. the Jaguars, the Titans did not have a play go for more than 16 yards in the game. Interim coach Mike McCoy said breakdowns have been one reason the Titans have not been able to find big gains.

“There’s a couple of opportunities we missed. There was one play, we got an opportunity for a big play, explosive play to—I mean you guys asked about throwing it downfield yesterday. We got a chance to throw a big play to Van (Jefferson) and we had a protection breakdown,” McCoy said.

Offensive coordinator Nick Holz said the Titans have to do more in the pass game and the run game to try and create bigger gains.

“When you’re getting as much man as we’re getting, you’ve got to create some rubs and some runaways. You’ve got to get some guys access to help them get off press (coverage) and those kinds of things. There’s different ways for that to try and get some runners down the field,:” Holz said.

As for the rushing attack, which was better early in the Jacksonville loss Sunday, Holz said. “In the run game, you’ve got to finish that extra hat that’s in the box or those normally come from receiver blocks, or you get on that safety, and you make that safety miss. Those are the ones that hit big. Last week, we had one or two in the run game that were close to being a popping a big one.

Henry’s play in his time with the Titans notwithstanding, though, the bigger chunk plays usually come from throwing the football, something the Titans have to get better at in order to have more production.

“In the pass game, we’ve got to work to help some guys get open, and they’ve got to have the right technique and win their one-on-ones, too. If you win versus man, you’ve got a chance for an explosive, because there’s no help,” Holz said.