Nashville Sports Today

Nashville Sports News Continuously Updated

Winless Titans Travel To Unflappable Arizona Cardinals In Week 5

by

The hapless and winless Titans continue their journey into absolute misery with a trip to the desert to take on the unflappable Cardinals in Week 5. Can the woebegone Titans pull off the upset over a suddenly reeling Arizona that needs a win? The Cardinals’ upcoming schedule is a tough one, with dates against the Colts, Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks, and 49ers before Thanksgiving. Tennessee presents a golden opportunity for the desert birds to get right before setting off on that grueling schedule.

Winless Titans Travel To Unflappable Arizona Cardinals In Week 5

Titans Offense vs. Cardinals Defense

Tennessee’s offense got off to an incredibly ominous start under a new playcaller, being shut out by a previously winless Texans last week. Here comes Arizona with a similarly talented defense to cause Cam Ward trouble and give Bo Hardegree headaches.

OL vs. DL Matchups To Watch

Another week, another dominant defensive front for the shorthanded Titans’ offensive line to deal with. Arizona features one of the best pass rushers in the league (Josh Sweat) and one of the best ever to do it (Calais Campbell). It appears that youngster Darius Robinson isn’t likely to go after missing two consecutive practices. Baron Browning plays EDGE this season after playing inside linebacker to begin his career. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is a stout force to deal with on the inside.

The mystery of J.C. Latham deepens as he’s set to miss another contest and should’ve been placed on IR, quite frankly, if he’s missed this much time. Tennessee’s right side was brutally exposed during the past several weeks after trotting out substandard right tackles. They signed UDFA Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson to the active roster as a desperation play because of the immense struggles of Oli Udoh. There are no other offensive tackles on the practice squad. Center Lloyd Cushenberry is steadily improving his play as he gets further and further away from last season’s Achilles tear. Right guard Kevin Zeitler hasn’t found his footing just yet in Nashville and has committed several silly penalties. It will be yet another long afternoon for the Titans’ front line.

Skill Positions To Watch

Arizona’s secondary is full of youth and vigor, led by the dynamic veteran Budda Baker. Highly touted rookie Will Johnson is injured and is practicing on a limited basis this week. It remains to be seen if he can play on Sunday. Jalen Thompson is a big nickel who was drafted in the 2019 class. Safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson starts opposite Baker, who is in his second season. Max Melton is also in his second season and starts opposite Johnson. If Johnson can’t fully go, the next man up is rookie Denzel Burke. Tennessee’s premier receiver is rookie Elic Ayomanor, alongside a questionable Calvin Ridley. Running back Tyjae Spears practiced this week after returning from his preseason injury. Tony Pollard carried the load during that time and needs a break. Chimere Dike is emerging as a utility weapon and a special teams ace. If the Titans’ offensive line can continue to build on a positive week, Tennessee has some weapons.

Cardinals Offense vs. Titans Defense

Kyler Murray fantasy outlook
Aug 2, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the Red and White practice in training camp at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Cardinals’ offense features a veteran lineup that has been together for several seasons under head coaching candidate and OC Drew Petzing. Tennessee’s defense struggles to keep its end of the bargain after the offense repeatedly lets it down. Can the revamped offense hold onto the rope after several devastating injuries and underperformance?

OL vs. DL Matchups To Watch

If there is a weakness for the Titans’ defense to exploit, it’s on the right side of Arizona’s offensive line. Veteran Jonah Williams starts at right tackle but is effectively a shell of himself.  PFF rates him as the 48th-best tackle with an overall score of 57.5. The second-year right guard, Isaiah Adams, has been thrust into a bigger role due to Will Hernandez’s injury. Hernandez is practicing on a limited basis as of Thursday, so Friday’s report will be critical for his chances. Adams is playing poorly, according to PFF metrics, scoring an overall score of 41.6. Left tackle Paris Johnson has come into his own, entering his third season as the anchor of the line. Center Hjalte Froholdt is the key man on the line, holding it all together.

Tennessee will counter with Jeffery Simmons and Sebastian Joseph-Day as its key pieces along the defensive front. These two players must be effective to give Kyler Murray fits. It will be a tall task given the pedigree of Froholdt and Johnson. If there was a game that the Titans’ ineffective pass rush needed to get itself together, this is the one, given the health and ineffectiveness of Arizona’s trench players. EDGE Dre’Mont Jones’ play trends towards being a mistake in committing vast resources. Arden Key is a total non-factor in 2025 and unlikely to return in 2026 despite his contract. Femi Oladejo is a rookie still trying to get his bearings and can’t be counted upon for now.

Skill Positions To Watch

Arizona’s run game suffered an initial devastating blow when star running back James Conner’s season ended prematurely due to injury. It took a further hit when Trey Benson was placed on IR this week, so it’s up to little-known Emari Demarcado to carry the rushing attack. MHJ got off to a turtle-like pace to begin the 2025 season, but broke out last week, building more chemistry with Murray. Michael Wilson has blossomed into a surprising weapon for the Cardinals, but is best known for being the husband of US soccer star Sophia Wilson (née Smith). Tight end Trey McBride is the key weapon that Titans’ defenders must keep an eye on.

The second week of the post-JBJ experiment continues for Tennessee’s secondary as they alternate between Jalyn Armour-Davis and Darrell Baker, Jr. Armour-Davis is an intriguing piece who played relatively well against Houston’s receivers in his 2025 starting debut. It’s expected that he will draw the start once again on Sunday. L’Jarius Sneed escaped the injury report so far this week, but is in the doghouse after giving up a hideously terrible second-and-33 conversion last week. Linebacker Cedric Gray turns out to be a revelation in the making in Wilson’s system, while Cody Barton exists poorly. Safety Amani Hooker continues to disappoint in the aftermath of his contract extension. Xavier Woods is proving to be an astute signing by the front office with his brilliant play.

Odds and Ends

The Cardinals lead the all-time series by a margin of 8-4, dating back to the 1970 season. These two teams began the quadrennial cycle during the 2005 season with a Cardinals home victory. Since that time, Tennessee has managed to win only one of the five matchups. Sunday’s contest will be the second time they visit University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, after playing the previous iterations at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe (ASU’s home stadium). The Titans have lost three consecutive times in the series with a scoring margin of 87-71. Notable alums for both teams include Al Del Greco, DeAndre Hopkins, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Chris Chandler. Interestingly, these two teams share a coaching past with former Titans DC Chuck Cecil and HC Ken Whisenhunt. Cecil played for both teams.

Uniforms

Titans
Cardinals
Referee Referendum

(All data courtesy of Pro Football Reference)

Smith entered his eighth season of service as a referee and is in his 11th season overall as an NFL official. His crew is a veteran one with five of the seven possessing at least 19 seasons of experience. Side Judge Boris Cheek is the most senior member of the staff, with 30 seasons of experience in the league. Down Judge Jay Bilbo is the junior member with three years on the job. Interestingly, former head referee Tra Blake was demoted to Umpire this season and is serving on Smith’s staff. Throughout the league, Smith’s crew boasts the most continuity, with five of its six on-field officials returning from last year, along with both replay officials. Everyone should be aware of their roles within the ecosystem, and there should be no issues with integrating Blake into the team. Mr. Smith officiated two Tennessee games last season, both of which resulted in losses.

Main Photo: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The post Winless Titans Travel To Unflappable Arizona Cardinals In Week 5 appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.