The Tennessee Titans found a new way to be as maddening as possible on an NFL Sunday, falling 12-7 to the New York Giants in nor’easter conditions. Cam Ward threw an interception on first and goal from the 8-yard line with 14 seconds left, two timeouts in Robert Saleh’s pocket, and no reason to force the ball into the end zone. 

The Titans are now 0-3, and since the start of 2023, Tennessee owns a 3-10 record against backup quarterbacks. Jameis Winston, filling in for the injured Jaxson Dart, didn’t beat them. The Titans lost this one themselves.

A first half the offense would rather forget

The Titans’ first five offensive possessions of the game produced zero first downs. That doesn’t include the fumbled opening kickoff. Here’s how the first half looked on offense:

• Three plays, 5 yards, punt. 
• Three plays, 7 yards, punt. 
• Three plays, 1 yard, punt. 
• Three plays, 3 yards, punt. 
• Three plays, 6 yards, punt.

Tennessee finally picked up a first down before the half, but questionable clock management from Saleh led to a 59-yard field goal attempt from Joey Slye in brutal weather. Slye barely missed it, and the decision to attempt it proved costly. 

The Giants needed such few yards to get into range off the miss, kicking a field goal as time expired to make it 9-0 at halftime. New York tacked on another field goal after an 8-minute drive in the third quarter, and the Titans were staring at a 12-0 deficit before they touched the ball in the second half.

Three drives inside the 10, one touchdown to show for it

The second-half offense looked like a completely different unit. Tony Pollard got going on the ground. Ward started making plays. Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson finally got involved. The problem? 

Tennessee couldn’t finish.

The first drive of the third quarter went 12 plays, 68 yards, and ate 5:51 off the clock. Ward missed Tate wide open in the end zone on third down. The Titans went for it on fourth-and-5 from the 7-yard line, and Ward couldn’t find anyone, essentially throwing the ball out of bounds for a turnover on downs.

The defense held, and Tennessee responded with a 13-play, 91-yard drive that chewed over seven minutes. Ward hit Robinson for a short touchdown to make it 12-7. The defense forced a crucial stop with three minutes to go, and the door cracked open for Ward to change the narrative and win a game in the fourth quarter when his franchise needed it.

He almost did. 

The Titans put together a 13-play, 70-yard drive all the way back inside the Giants’ 10-yard line. Everything was on the line. And on first and goal from the 8 with 24 seconds left and two timeouts, the only thing Ward couldn’t do was throw an interception.

He could run for 1 yard. He could run for zero. He could throw it out of bounds. He had three more downs and two timeouts to work with. He did the one thing he couldn’t do.

“I think if I throw it higher, you know, it’s a different outcome,” Ward said when asked about the last throw. “I don’t think it was reckless. I think you know it just wasn’t a good ball at the end of the day.”

Situational football is sinking this team

Saleh said after the game that you have to take care of the football. He’s right. But situational football isn’t just sinking the Titans from the players. It’s sinking them from the experienced coaching staff too.

Saleh’s clock management before the half led to the missed 59-yard attempt that gifted the Giants a field goal. The decision to even try that kick in nor’easter weather was questionable. If the Titans punt instead, maybe it’s 6-0 at halftime instead of 9-0. Maybe a field goal after Ward’s missed throw to Tate makes it 12-3 instead of 12-0, and one touchdown and a stop later you need a field goal to win instead of needing a miracle.

This mirrors what happened last week against the Eagles when Brian Daboll called a pass play on first and goal from the 9-yard line that ended in a sack and ruined Tennessee’s chance to score a touchdown.

Three games in, and the 0-3 Titans keep finding new ways to lose.