Titans Clips
The Giants are planning to add a quarterback from outside the organization in the near future, but it won’t happen before Sunday’s game against the Titans.
Head coach John Harbaugh said on Friday that Jake Haener will be the backup to Jameis Winston in Week 3 and the team signed him off of the practice squad on Saturday. Haener signed with the Giants in August and returned to the practice squad after final cuts in August.
Haener made one start and appeared in eight games for the Saints in 2024. He was 18-of-39 for 226 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
The Giants also elevated wide receiver Braxton Berrios and linebacker Malik Harrison from the practice squad on a temporary basis.
The Titans are dealing with a couple of injuries in their offensive backfield, so they have added a running back to the roster for Sunday’s game against the Giants.
Michael Carter has been elevated from the practice squad for the matchup. Carter signed with the Titans in April and returned to the practice squad after being released during their final cuts.
Carter is familiar with the location of Sunday’s game. He was a 2021 fourth-round pick of the Jets, who share MetLife Stadium with the Giants.
Tyjae Spears may not play this weekend due to an ankle injury. Tony Pollard was also on the injury report with an ankle issue this week, but he has no injury designation.
The Titans also signed defensive back Erick Hallett to their 53-man roster. Linebacker Owen Pappoe was waived in a corresponding move.
Two months ago, the price point for a ticket for a specific event at MetLife Stadium landed as high as $39,704. On Sunday, it will be considerably cheaper to get in to the building.
At TickPick, the get-in price for Titans-Giants is as low as $17. At Ticketmaster, the league’s official reselling partner (by the way, it’s amazing how many previously seedy and illegal businesses became respectable and legitimate once corporate America figured out how to profit from them), there are plenty of tickets at $20 or $21.
There are good reasons for the football game to be viewed as far less desirable to attend than the World Cup Final. First, the Giants have lost their starting quarterback for the season. (Yes, Jaxson Dart supposedly could return for the postseason. But if they manage to get that far without him, why bring him back when he hasn’t played in months?) Second, the Titans aren’t exactly a road draw. Third, and perhaps most importantly, it’s a bad weather weekend in New Jersey, thanks to a nor’easter that will bring plenty of rain and wind to the region.
But if you’re willing to brave the elements and you’re willing to answer Cam Skattebo’s call and you’ve got a portrait of Andrew Jackson burning a hole in your pocket, you can go to the game.
Titans offensive coordinator Brian Daboll will be coaching against the team that fired him when he faces the Giants on Sunday. He says that’s not particularly important.
Daboll, who was hired as Giants head coach in 2022 and fired last year, said he can set aside any emotions associated with facing his former team and just focus on doing his job.
“I’ve faced a lot of former teams before,” Daboll said. “It’s a one-week season every week, so you’ve got to put everything you got into it. You’ve got to get ready for scheme, new coordinators on their end, different players. As simple as it sounds, that’s what it is every week in the National Football League. I have a ton of respect for the people in that organization. Very grateful for the opportunity the Mara family and Tisch family gave me. From top down to the bottom, really good people in that building. But it’s about getting the players ready for a game. I’ve been on a number of teams that played my former teams before. But the focus is on our players.”
Daboll also downplayed any idea that he has an advantage because he knows the players on the Giants, noting that they’re a different team this year than they were last year. Daboll is treating Sunday like he’d treat any other game.
Eight teams entered Week 3 at 0-2. One of them — the Falcons — avoided an 0-3 start. For the others, it becomes imperative to avoid starting the year with three straight losses.
In NFL history, only seven teams have made the playoffs after starting 0-3. The group includes the 2025 Texans, the 2018 Texans, the 1998 Bills, the 1995 Lions, the 1992 Chargers, the 1982 Buccaneers, and the 1981 Jets.
Only the ’92 Chargers made it to the postseason after starting 0-4.
It’s easier now than it once was, thanks to 17 regular-season games and seven playoff spots per conference. It’s still not easy.
For starters, plenty of teams that start 0-3 do so for a very good reason — they’re not very good. Those that are have a reduced margin for error over the final 14 games.
This year, one game features two 0-2 teams: the Texans at the Colts. The other winless teams are the Dolphins, the Titans, the Chargers, the Commanders, and the Buccaneers.
A stinger grossly shortened Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s day against the Titans in Week 2. As a Week 3 Monday night game against the Bears looms, Barkley is undeterred — but also cognizant of the situation.
“I’ve had a history of [stingers] before,” Barkley said Friday, via Tim McManus of ESPN. “This is the first bad one I had in a long time. It’s also like a wake-up call to me. I’ve been super active focusing on my lower body and longevity of my career. I probably wasn’t as great as I needed to be with my neck stability and strengthening my neck. So it’s putting that within my routine and having that as part of my process and kind of the same way I attack everything from head to toe, do the same thing with my neck.
“It’s good to have an MRI knowing it’s nothing, hopefully, God willing, where I worry about my career and I can just go out there and play free.”
The injury happened on the first play from scrimmage at Tennessee. Barkley later returned wearing a neck collar, but he finished the day with only four carries for nine yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Barkley was limited in practice on Thursday. He fully participated on Friday.
Will the injury affect him on Monday?
“I don’t think so,” Barkley said. “That’s why I’m rehabbing my ass off, to get it as strong as it needs to be. I feel like I’m in a really good spot. I know they wouldn’t let me go out there if I wasn’t able to do it.
“I’m going to let the game come, and I’m going to go out there and play fearless, don’t worry about.”
The Eagles are 2-0 after narrow wins against the overmatched Commanders and Titans. Philly may be facing a third-string quarterback in Chicago on Monday night, giving the Eagles a golden opportunity to move to 3-0.
Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) had a second consecutive limited practice Friday after missing Wednesday. Pollard, though, did not receive an injury designation for Sunday.
That is good news for the Titans because running back Tyjae Spears (ankle) is questionable to play. Spears returned to practice Friday on a limited basis.
Rookie running back Nick Singleton made his regular-season debut in Week 2 and could see more work this week because of Pollard and Spears’ injuries.
“He’s doing a really good job,” Titans coach Robert Saleh said Friday, via Jim Wyatt of the team website. “He’s probably 50-50 on the read [on his runs], but to be expected from a young buck. So, hopefully we get him a couple more. But overall I think he’s going to be a good back, he’s going in the right direction.”
Singleton, selected in the fifth round out of Penn State, carried the ball four times for 10 yards against the Eagles.
The Titans also list cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (quad) as questionable after he had three limited practices this week.
Word this week was that Giants linebacker Brian Burns would miss time with the ankle injury he suffered in Week 2, but the Giants have not ruled him out for Sunday’s game against the Titans.
Burns is listed as questionable despite missing practice all three days this week. The report and the lack of practice time suggest Burns will need more time before he’s able to play, but final word on his status won’t come until closer to kickoff.
Left tackle Andrew Thomas (groin) returned to practice Friday and has no injury designation.
Cornerback Deonte Banks (calf) and safety Tyler Nubin (calf) join Burns with questionable designations on the team’s final injury report.
Titans running back Tony Pollard (ankle) practiced on Thursday, getting in limited work. Pollard did not practice Wednesday.
He has 21 carries for 99 yards this season, playing 55 offensive snaps (53 percent).
The Titans’ other running back, Tyjae Spears, did not practice again with an ankle injury. He has played 44 offensive snaps and has 14 touches for 94 yards.
The Titans added three players to their injury report. Tight end Daniel Bellinger (illness) did not practice; cornerback Micah Robinson (groin) was limited; and cornerback Marcus Harris (shoulder) was a full participant.
Defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (knee) was downgraded to a non-participant after a limited practice on Wednesday.
Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (quad) was limited a second consecutive day.
Word on Wednesday was that Giants linebacker Brian Burns is likely to miss time with a sprained ankle and Thursday’s practice did nothing to suggest otherwise.
Burns missed practice for the second straight day and it looks like a long shot that he’ll be making it back to full enough health to play against the Titans on Sunday. The Giants will also be without quarterback Jaxson Dart for that game and left tackle Andrew Thomas may be missing as well.
Thomas was limited by a groin injury on Wednesday, but he was out of practice altogether on Thursday. The Giants will provide another update and issue injury designations on Friday.
Cornerback Deonte Banks (calf), defensive lineman Shelby Harris (toe), and safety Tyler Nubin (calf) were limited participants. Right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor (thigh), cornerback Nic Jones (shoulder), right guard Francis Mauigoa (neck), linebacker Micah McFadden (neck), wide receiver Malik Nabers (shoulder), and cornerback Greg Newsome (rib) were all full participants.
