Interim coach Mike McCoy gets full week to prepare coming off another Titans' loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The one thing the Tennessee Titans have going for them in a miserable season is interim coach Mike McCoy at least has a bit more time after scrambling to prepare for a game.

“This week will be a lot easier than last week,” McCoy said Monday.

McCoy spent the start of last week meeting with assistants and players switching from being a senior offensive assistant to replacing Brian Callahan running the Titans. The end result wasn’t different with the Titans dropping to 1-6 with a 31-13 loss to New England and former coach Mike Vrabel.

The Titans knew this would be a rebuilding season after going 3-14 in 2024 and drafting quarterback Cam Ward at No. 1 overall.

The youth movement is on for Tennessee if only out of necessity. Ward was one of three rookies to start against the Patriots, and eight overall played in the loss. That’s the fifth time this season at least eight rookies have played for Tennessee.

Ward threw for 255 yards and a touchdown for a 73.5 completion rate and 92.2 passer rating that are his highest yet this season.

“He is learning,” McCoy said.

What’s working

The Titans had their best start yet, scoring on their first two drives for the first time this season. They had been outscored 47-9 in the first quarter through six games. They scored their fourth offensive touchdown offensively and led 10-3 at the end of the first for their first lead since Week 16 last season against the Colts.

They also weren’t penalized once in the first quarter — a big improvement for a team that has hurt itself too often.

The Titans were flagged a season-low three times for 15 yards. The defense also had two of its season-high four sacks in the first quarter.

What needs help

Self-inflicted mistakes. The Titans had all of their penalties in the second quarter, costing them a chance at building a lead. Right tackle JC Latham was flagged for holding, and center Lloyd Cushenberry false started.

Then kicker Joey Slye put a kickoff out of bounds after making a 50-yard field goal for a 13-10 lead.

Stock up

Rookie WR Chimere Dike. The 103rd pick overall out of Florida leads the NFL with 1,025 combined yards mostly through his work returning kicks and punts. Dike caught all four passes thrown to him in the first quarter for 70 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown.

Stock down

Ward. The rookie is a big reason why Tennessee is tied with Las Vegas and Miami for the most giveaways in the NFL with 12, and Ward is responsible for 10 of those.

Only four NFL quarterbacks have more interceptions than Ward’s five. He also has five of the Titans’ seven fumbles with his last two losing the ball before being sacked. The Patriots turned his latest into a short, easy touchdown for the final margin.

Injuries

The Titans played without WR Calvin Ridley (hamstring), and OLB Arden Key (quadricep) missed a second straight game. Worse, DT Jeffery Simmons, off to possibly the best start of any defensive tackle in the NFL, played only 12 snaps before a hamstring injury sidelined him. CB L’Jarius Sneed (quadricep muscle) also couldn’t finish the latest loss.

Key number

30 — Ward has been the NFL’s most sacked quarterback since the opener and keeps padding that painful stat. The Titans gave up only one in the first half before giving up four more in the second half to the Patriots.

Next steps

The Titans visit Indianapolis (6-1) with the Colts poised to sweep them. Then the Titans return home to host the Los Angeles Chargers. They finally get their bye Nov. 9, giving McCoy and his assistants time to do more than fine-tune a game plan.

The Titans finish the season with six of their remaining 10 games at home, though they have lost seven consecutive games and 10 of their past 11 at Nissan Stadium.

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