Titans offensive line comes back down to earth in Week 5

On October 4, 2026, the Tennessee Titans offensive line faced a challenging matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 5. The Titans' line had previously been a bright spot for a struggling offense, but they were thoroughly tested this time around. The Houston defensive line proved to be dominant, forcing Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward to be sacked a season-high four times.

While offensive lines in Tennessee had faced worse situations in the past, this particular effort was particularly disappointing throughout the second half. Ward was under constant pressure and struggled to escape, preventing him from reaching the 7+ sacks threshold. Despite the immense pressure, Ward completed 23 of his 36 passes for 170 yards, but failed to find the end zone and threw one interception.

The interception was impacted by left tackle Dan Moore Jr., who was bull-rushed into the pocket while attempting to protect Cam Ward. Moore was a significant liability, allowing a team-high seven pressures and one sack according to Pro Football Focus. Other Titans offensive linemen, including Peter Skoronski, Austin Schlottmann, and JC Latham, also contributed to the line's poor performance.

Atonio Mafi, who had the worst pass-blocking grade (PFF) of 28.2 in true pass sets, was not directly blamed for a sack but clearly struggled in pass protection. The offensive line was responsible for four penalties, two of which negated explosive passing plays. On the run game, the Titans' offensive line was abysmal, with running back Tony Pollard only reaching an average of 3.7 yards per carry, rushing for only 52 yards on 14 attempts.

Running backs Tyjae Spears and Kalel Mullings were even more ineffective, gaining zero and three yards respectively, with Spears losing a fumble. The Titans' offensive struggles were a combination of issues across the board, and the offensive line's performance was a major contributor to the team's league-low scoring average of 11.6 points per contest.