The Tennessee Titans showed signs of growth in their loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9. They may not have scored an offensive touchdown, but the defense nabbing a pick-six, and Chimere Dike’s punt return for a touchdown kept the game close.
The Titans are in sell-mode with the trade deadline mere hours away, and they’ve made several moves already. We’ll see if more are made, but it’s clear the Titans’ focus isn’t really on winning games at this point. It’s building for next year while working with Cam Ward to develop and improve.
As we enter Week 10, here’s a look at where the Titans place in a multitude of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 32 (NC)
Rookie Chimere Dike has nearly 300 more all-purpose yards than anyone else in the league. Of course, that’s the benefit when your team is constantly scored on, necessitating 42 kickoff returns by Dike already.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 32 (NC)
The Titans are awful. We’d be talking about them going 0-17 if they didn’t get lucky at Arizona. Tennessee had an interception return and punt return for touchdowns and still lost at home. A 1-16 season is on the table.
Diante Lee, The Ringer: 28 (+2)
There are some universal truths in coaching: “You can’t win until you keep from losing.” “Do your job.” (You may have heard Bill Belichick say these things a time or two.) Tennessee has been slowly applying those lessons in the weeks since Brian Callahan was fired, and it’sshowing up on the field. The offense has cut down on costly turnovers, and the team is making fewer mental mistakes that lead to penalties and missed assignments. This team isn’t ready to win yet, but it’s getting closer.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 32 (NC)
The Titans showed a little more defensive life early against the Chargers but quickly ran out of juice when their offense couldn’t help an injury-riddled team. Cam Ward is still looking for more positives.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: 32 (-3)
This thing gets worse by the week. The offense is lifeless. Cam Ward needs help.
Conor Orr, Sports Illustrated: 30 (+2)
The Titans have not had more touchdowns in a game than their opponent in the last 14 contests they’ve played. If that seems bad to you, the CBS broadcast on Sunday pointed out that it’s four games worse than a one-time record for futility set by the…Dayton Triangles. Interestingly enough, the Triangles went on to become the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Josh Kendall, The Athletic: 32 (NC)
Cam Ward has been sacked more than any other quarterback (38 times) and was already on his second NFL coach before his rookie season was halfway through. And Vrabel’s quick success in New England adds insult to a brutal season for Tennessee.
Barry Werner, List Wire: 32 (-1)
The Titans’ offense remains dormant. Fourteen of those points came off a pick-six and punt return for a TD.
Walter Football: 32 (NC)
The Titans somehow covered their second or third spread of the year, depending on which line you had in Week 1. In their two definitive covers, they’ve been able to benefit from inexplicable nonsense.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 32 (NC)
Having their final game against AFC South rival Jacksonville gives the Titans an opportunity to end on a high note and build upon that next season. This campaign was meant to be a building block for future success. The Titans’ brass knew the team wasn’t likely to be competitive. At this point, given Tennessee’s struggles and a new staff probably coming this offseason, the players have nothing to play for other than their pride and putting good film out for evaluators. Getting the chance to play spoilers if the Jaguars are in playoff contention would add motivation.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: 2025 NFL power rankings roundup: How the Titans fare entering Week 10
