CINCINNATI – As the Tennessee Titans head into their bye week, it would be hard to say they have a true identity when it comes to anything other than their struggles to find the win column.
But perhaps an identity is beginning to form for this beleaguered franchise.
At 1-6 and entering Sunday’s game in Cincinnati as a 13-point underdog, the Titans could have mailed it in and no one would have said much of anything about it.
After all, the Jeffery Simmons trade was a sure signal that management is more interested in 2027 and beyond after this year’s struggle-fest.
But credit does belong to head coach Robert Saleh, his staff and his veteran players for getting guys to continue to play hard and buy in when most is lost in terms of where the current season is headed.
Earlier in the year, the Titans received justifiable criticism for laying an egg against the New York Jets in the opener and again a few weeks later with a no-show performance against the Houston Texans at home.
But even with their best player now gone and consistency still hard to find on a week-in, week-out basis, an identity and culture shift could be happening in that this roster is still playing hard even with very little to play for other than pride and a role for beyond this season.
In the won-loss column, Sunday’s game goes down as another loss. But maybe it’s a turning point.
Cam Ward played much better than he has all season, and the defense forced four turnovers – including Amani Hooker’s three interceptions of Joe Burrow. A team that has quit on its coach doesn’t do that.
“These young men are resilient,” Saleh says. “They’re a hell of a lot more resilient than we are. They attacked the week exactly the way they needed to. And I hate to say this or minimize it, we can’t allow the context of Jeffery (Simmons) not being here (to get) in the way of what needs to happen. … Somebody needs to step up, and I felt like some guys did.”