**NASHVILLE –** The Titans let a winnable game slip away on Sunday.
The team's 27-20 loss to the Chargers left many wondering what could have been if the team had been able to punch it in on the third or fourth and goal from the one.
Instead, it was a tough loss.
And we're back in here to talk about it at the start of the bye week.
We're also talking trades with the trade deadline approaching.
Here's the link to submit questions: [CLICK HERE.](https://www.tennesseetitans.com/news/ask-jim)
**EM McFarland from San Diego, California**
**Question**: You probably already have a full mailbox. Here is my 2 cents worth anyway. Help us Titan fans make sense of this. It seems like the team should be dumping underperforming players (players they will have to replace anyway).
Titans are not getting fair value for their trades and they are mostly dumping players that they cannot easily replace. They already know (or should) Dre'Mont Jones is a good player. Now they will take that 5th round pick and select a player that may not be a competitor.
**Jim:** Hey E.M. What do you think the going rate/trade value is for underperforming players on a 1-8 team?
The Titans are trading players who have value. The Titans dealt Jones for a fifth, that could reasonably turn into a fourth, and the front office is banking on identifying a younger, cheaper version of Jones in the upcoming NFL Draft, and/or in free agency. There are no guarantees the team will hit on the pick. But this is pretty much GM Mike Borgonzi and Co. betting on themselves. Dre'Mont is a good player, and a good guy. But he'll be 29 next year, and after what he's been doing this season, I'm thinking he's probably going to demand more than the 1-year, $8.5 million deal he got back in March. The front office did a pretty good job of identifying edge rushers like Jones and Jihad Ward this offseason. Folks still have high hopes for second-round pick Femi Oladejo, but he's clearly a work in progress, and he now has to get healthy. The talent evaluators will have to do it again. Yes, it sucks for this year's team because it's now even worse without Dre'Mont Jones. But this has always been about the future, and getting as many draft picks as possible to reshape the roster.
**Tim Worthington from Herriman, Utah**
**Question:** Whats up Jim? i know your days are filled with nothin but negative these days from all of us nancys!😂but i gotta give some positives for ya today!! i saw a team play 4 quarters of football, no give up , no quit, no layin down football!!!💪 first game in about 2 years that i saw that, and didnt know what the outcome would be after the first half!! thats awesome!! as a long time TITANS fan i love the days of never knowin when were gonna win or not, cuz as a titans fan i've been through 2 decades of not knowin!! these last few years have felt different, just shakin my head every game day and cussin at the tv!! this sunday i felt like i watched a team lose!! and i emphasize TEAM!! last time i wrote in i was pissed about Mccoy and his clock management before the half, and last week i felt the same about his chicken s?$t move on 4th and 3!! but this week i got no complaints!! nice to see a team play ball!! i wonder?? do you ever see us runnin with a tight end package that delivers a ball to helm more often? seems to me like the kids got skills and could be an option in the redzone more than we seem to use it!! I also wonder what plan were considering for Dike (Wr1 but still a returner? how does that work??) you told me last time maybe our coaches dont feel confident enough to go for it on short downs with the players we have but i feel like this is the time to give em chances!! sink or swim!! TITAN UP!!!
**Jim**: Hey Tim. I appreciate you taking the time, and I agree with a lot of this. A part of me also hates the fact it now feels like a win to some fans to see a team that's playing hard and is competitive, because that should be a given. This team still needs to figure out ways to win games. But I get where you are coming from because too many Sundays have been abysmal recently. I do think there were a lot of encouraging things from Sunday. It's a shame the QB didn't play better, because it would have really changed the vibes coming out of the game. I think the Titans would've won. I'm also with you on using the tight ends more – I think both Chig Okonkwo and Gunnar Helm have been underutilized. Dike needs to be on the field as much as possible. I don't recall our conversation about the short yardage. I like the aggressiveness, but some of the short yardage play calls from Sunday sure didn't work out and it came back to bite the team.
**Joe Levickis from Joelton, Tennessee**
**Question**: Hey Jim! What are your thoughts on the rookie class so far? Admittedly, it is tough to sit through these losses every week, but I am extremely excited about the potential in our young guys. We may look back in a few years and realize just how incredible our fourth round was in the 2025 draft. I'd really like to see Helm's role increase as the season goes on. I love what we've seen from Dike and Ayomanor so far as well. I would have to imagine Chimere gets a Pro Bowl nod as a returner this year.
Here's to a brighter future!
**Jim:** Hey Joe. Hope all is well. I'll go one by one: Cam Ward – He's going to be good, but he's going through some growing pains right now. Love his attitude and work ethic. Femi Oladejo – A shame he got hurt, because I thought he would develop nicely in the second half of the season. Kevin Winston – In time, he's going to prove himself to be one of the best players in this draft class. Chimere Dike – Will be a playmaker for years to come. Gunnar Helm – Can't understand why the team doesn't utilize him more. Elic Ayomanor – Experiencing some ups and downs, but is getting great experience and is he's going to be good. Jackson Slater – Hard to say right now because he hasn't played much, but I hear good things about him. Marcus Harris – The experience he's getting is great. Scrappy player.
Kalel Mullings – Has had bad luck from an injury standpoint, and it's set him back.
**Tom Meyer from San Antonio, Texas**
**Question:** Howdy Jim, well once again the Titans failed to score when in scoring position. The question is who's to blame? Some say it's the players ,some say the coaching and some say both. Well let's look at the facts. Many of the players who have left the Titans have performed well with their new teams, many on winning teams. Some coaches have done well after leaving the Titans as well. Vrabel is doing well, Arthur Smith is doing well. I saw Elijah Molden make the tackle that stopped Pollard from scoring. My guess is that the Team is playing well enough to have won some games ,but the blend of coaches and players are not jelling as a team. There is no cohesiveness on this team. They are not maintaining momentum. Bad penalties, bad play calling and no accountability as a whole. Winning begets winning and losing does the same. Time to look inward as an organization on whole to pick a direction. Thanks
**Jim:** Everyone involved is to blame for the team not scoring there. An NFL team should be able to get one yard on two tries. The plays called didn't work on third and fourth down. But players should be able to execute it successfully as well. It's not any deeper than that and has nothing to do with Elijah Molden or anything else.
**Gerrardo Rojas from Miami, Florida**
**Question:** While the Titans did not win Sunday, and I have plenty of criticisms with the play calling (how many times do you have to run the wildcat before realizing it does not work or silly ineffective trick plays), at least the Titans looked like a real team and they were in it until the end. But my main reason for writing in is because I am really having a problem with the Cam criticisms. Lets not forget, he is a rookie playing on the worst team in football. He does not have a true number 1 receiver, in fact, I have heard many pundits saying the Titans have the worst receiving room in the NFL, even though Dike and Elic show real promise. I remind everyone that Peyton Manning looked awful his rookie year and the list is long of those who did poorly their rookie seasons and then came on to have great careers. Look at Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones as recent examples. Even Steve McNair was roundly booed his first couple of years. And this latest stuff about small hands is absurd. cam is a winner and he has been at every level and many people will ultimately owe him a massive apology. Lastly, X deserves a chance to play. Did he make a momma joke about a coach that upset them? The other players from the practice squad who have been elevated have not done anything and neither has Van Jefferson. Let's actually see what we have with him. Thanks for allowing me to write in Jim, and have a great week.
**Jim:** I hear ya Gerrardo. I'll be honest: I got tired of seeing the Wildcat myself. And if the Titans are going to call it, they need to execute it better. I like Cam, too, and you're right – it's not like he has a great team around him. This is just the truth. Now can he play better? Yes. But I'm not worried about Cam. As for X, no momma jokes that I'm aware of. We'll see if he gets a chance in the second half of the season. Thanks for writing in.
**Richard Stepien from McMinnville, Tennessee**
**Question:** Yes the Titans lost again but the draft class is doing a good job. If we can get another good draft class we could look good in 2027. I am still a Titan fan and they are doing a good job rebuilding. Remember we are a bad team because of the last few drafts. Looking forward of good things to come and TITAN UP!!!!
**Jim:** Hey Richard. This is true, Richard. The only way this franchise is going to turn things around is by hitting on the draft picks. There have been too many swings and misses over the years. The 2025 class looks like a good one.
**Richard Colestock from St. Cloud, Florida**
**Question**: Hi again Jim.....I gotta put in my 2 cents worth of observation: we're 1-8...and getting better...it's like a baby learning how to walk....there's a lot less wobble now than there was in previous weeks. The coach cares...and shows it...the players on the sidelines show more energy and togetherness, the team actually looked like a TEAM on Sunday. To not be able to get in the end zone TWICE from a yard or 2 was very telling, but overall, we're definitely making progress! Cam's a leader, he shows it, he acts it, and his teammates believe it. He's a pocket passer, he has a gun for an arm and he needs all the receivers he can get, including Restrepo, who I believe would be an asset on the field for Cam....why he is still languishing on the practice team is a big mistake on somebody's part!
So for all the Titan fans who are losing their patience.....take some patience pills and relax.....Rome wasn't built in a day!! TITAN UP
**Jim:** Thanks for taking the time, Richard.
**Cliff Stephens from Smyrna, Tennessee**
**Question:** Good afternoon, Jim. Sunday's game I saw improvement most everywhere. The penalties killed a lot of momentum. I saw a lot of fight from the defense even being short handed. The rookies are looking better every game. Cam didn't have the game he had last week but overall a clean game. Sacks are a problem but our defense got Herbert on the ground as well. I guess the only question I have is why do we run the ball up the middle 2 or 3 times in a row when the defense is stacked to stop the run? PS what about those Dodgers. Thanks for all you do Jim.
**Jim:** Hey Cliff. I'm very happy about the Dodgers. ... The penalties at the start just can't happen. The failed Wildcat plays, and the inability to convert on the third and short and fourth and short plays, probably cost the team the game.
**Jack Walker from Calabasas, California**
**Question**: Hey Jim, another game in the books. Dike continues to impress... A gritty job by the Defense. I had high hopes after seeing the Chargers drop a game to Dart and the Giants... But I guess we're not quite at their level yet. Continue to look for improvement from Ward, but saw a few squirrely throws and a few near interceptions. Did you see Arch Manning on Saturday? Hoping he doesn't enter the draft until 27 so the Titans can grab him if Ward and Levis don't work out.
**Jim:** The Titans need Cam to be good, and in time I think he will be. Sunday wasn't one of his better games.
**Jeremy Rodriguez from Winchester, California**
**Question:** Welp Jim, I thought this game would be over by mid 3rd qtr.. Titans did a great job hanging in there. I have to say, the next head will have to be excited about this young group. The rookies are really melding well. I think this game showed how well they are working together. Hope you get a little R&R.. Enjoy the down time and as always TITAN UP!
**Jim:** Thanks for weighing in, Jeremy. There has been a little more positivity in here this week.
**Eli Decko from Youngwood, Pennsylvania**
**Question:** Can we finally admit it? Cam Ward is not a franchise QB. Every single time he throws the ball I cringe waiting for the turnover. He only throws one ball. That crazy side arm fast ball..that's all he's got. The Chargers by my count let 3 interceptions go as incomplete passes instead. The QB this team deserves and NEEDS is not on this roster. I'm firmly convinced they are so enamored with the fact they had the first pick in the draft and took a QB, that they aren't being honest about their situation. He is a shorter, skinnier JaMarcus Russell. Period. The coaching on this team is just absolutely trash from top to bottom. Why screens to Chig when he is faster than everyone on the Chargers defense? Have the Titans ever ran a mesh concept? I mean come one. I feel like they are thinking NFL football is Madden on Rookie level. This is absurd. With the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft the Tennessee Titans choose....... we will see you in Pittsburgh this spring to find out.
**Jim:** Cam didn't play great on Sunday. I'll be in Pittsburgh in April, Eli, but it won't be to see the team pick another quarterback in the first round.
Have a great week everyone!