Saleh stays upbeat as the 1-7 Titans hit the bye amid a 66-game drought without back-to-back wins

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — First-year coach Robert Saleh has seemed almost delusional at times with his confidence in the woeful Tennessee Titans and his optimistic belief that a turnaround is just around the corner.

The Titans have only one win and that doesn't back up Saleh's optimism. They reached their bye two losses from a fifth consecutive losing season and unable to string together even back-to-back wins in the same season for an NFL-worst drought now at 66 games spanning four years.

Yet Saleh points to the Titans being 1-5 in one-score games as proof that they’re close after a 43-36 overtime loss to Cincinnati.

“We got the right guys,” Saleh said. “You ask what kind of a team we have? Well, you find out what type of team you have in adversity, and there’s been a bunch of guys who’ve been stepping up, keeping guys on the straight, guys who have been improving week in and week out.”

Tennessee's recent win-loss record is ugly:

— 1-7 this season

— 7-35 since the start of 2024

— 20-56 since the start of 2022

With nine games left this season, the Titans are projected to pick second in the 2027 draft for a third straight year selecting among the first four spots.

“We want this for our fan base, to be a winner, to be a contender,” second-year general manager Mike Borgonzi said. “And I have confidence in the people in the building that we’re going to get this right.”

The biggest came Oct. 29 when the Titans traded All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons to Chicago for two first-round picks and a fourth-rounder. They also released defensive tackle Jordan Elliott on Oct. 20 after he pulled a gun in the parking lot of the team facility days before the Titans' lone win this season.

Trading Simmons gives both Borgonzi and Saleh time and much-needed draft picks to work on the roster.

“Ultimately, it’s a results business, you have to win, and the wins aren’t good enough right now, and that’s all of us, right?" Borgonzi said. “We take ownership in all of that. But right now, I think we’re at a point where we’re starting to build. We have some youth, there’s some veterans here, but we need more.”

The Titans were the NFL's biggest spenders when free agency opened in March, but they are leaning heavily on a youth movement in Borgonzi's rebuilding effort. The Titans have had first- or second-year players start 48 combined games at this point, trailing only Miami (76) and Cleveland (62) in the NFL.

Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft, is 4-21 as a starter. But Ward is coming off his first 300-yard passing performance, and he has been sacked only 13 times this season compared with 34 through the first eight games of his career.

His plans for the bye week replaced practices with watching more game tape.

“At the end of the day, we’re trying to win games here," Ward said. "That’s what the fans want, that’s what we want.”

Carnell Tate, the fourth overall pick in April, leads the Titans with 413 yards receiving despite missing the Cincinnati loss. He was selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for October after Tate led all rookies with 290 yards receiving and 13 receptions for first downs.

Chimere Dike, an All-Pro returner as a rookie in 2025, leads the NFL with 1,090 all-purpose yards. Dike also just had his best receiving game with five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown at Cincinnati. Four of the Titans' top five in yards receiving are in their first or second NFL seasons.

“Overall, just a really young group that’s growing together and looking forward to seeing what their ceilings are,” Saleh said.

On defense, rookie linebacker Anthony Hill Jr., a second-round pick out of Texas, ranks second in the NFL with 82 tackles. He has started every game this season and was the NFL's defensive rookie for September.

Entering Week 9, Tony Pollard ranks ninth in the NFL with 595 yards rushing and is coming off his best back-to-back games this season. He also has scored five TDs in that two-game span. But his contract is up after this season, and he turns 30 in April. That makes him a very attractive trade option before the NFL deadline Nov. 10.

Safety Amani Hooker, the Titans' longest-tenured player with the franchise, leads the NFL with five interceptions. Defensive end Jacob Martin has a career-high 6 1/2 sacks, one behind the league-lead held by Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans and Pittsburgh's T.J. Watt.

Pollard said the Titans bought into what Saleh preached from the start and remain locked in no matter what it looks like from the outside.

“The guys in the building are definitely bought in and trying to get this thing turned around,” Pollard said.

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