5 Final Thoughts Ahead of Chargers-Titans in Week 9

Oct 31, 2025 at 01:18 PM

Eric Smith

Editorial Director

The Chargers are on the road against the Tennessee Titans as they reach the midway point of the 2025 season.

Kickoff is at 10 a.m. (PT) from Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

The Chargers-Titans betting line shows the Bolts are the favorites for Sunday.

Here are five final thoughts ahead of Week 9.

1. Avoid the trap game

All it takes is a quick glance at the standings to get a barometer of where the Chargers and Titans sit at the halfway point of the 2025 season.

At 5-3, the Bolts have playoff aspirations for the second straight season under Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh, and also have their sights set on a potential AFC West crown.

The Titans, meanwhile, are 1-7 after having the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and fired their coach earlier this month.

With a road game and an early start on the docket against a team that's near the bottom of the league, Harbaugh was asked how his team has looked this week.

"We're going to have to play good," Harbaugh said. "It's going to take us coming back [from Thursday's win], regrouping, refitting and getting ready to play at a good level.

"It's one thing that has been proven, not only this year but over the course of the history of the National Football League, you've got to play good to win these games," Harbaugh added. "That's where our focus is."

It was only a month ago when the Chargers faced a similar situation. They were 3-0 and headed east to play the Giants, who at the time were 0-3.

New York blitzed the Bolts early by building a 10-point lead before holding on late to hand the Chargers their first loss of the season.

Cornerback Cam Hart said the Chargers locker room wants to "learn from experience" heading into Week 9.

"The Giants, obviously, we gave them a lot of momentum," Hart said. "You can't disrespect anybody. You have to treat everybody the same, prepare for everybody the same. It's the NFL and you know everyone's good regardless of the record."

"I'm sure they have a bad taste in their mouth with how they played so they're going to come out and give us their biggest shot," Hart added about the Titans.

A win would move the Chargers to 6-3 and increase their current playoffs chances from 75 to 79 percent, according to The Athletic. NFL Next Gen Stats currently has the Bolts with 67 percent odds to make the playoffs, with a win bumping that figure to 74 percent.

Look for Harbaugh to have his squad ready to go as the Chargers look to start the second half of the season on a high note.

"They seemed locked in and ready to roll," Harbaugh said about his team. "I'd be surprised if they weren't. Huge game because it's the next game."

2. Cam Hart on the rise

The Chargers will be without Tarheeb Still on Sunday as the second-year cornerback is out with a knee injury.

Good thing Hart, the Bolts other second-year cornerback, is rounding into form.

Hart was on point against the Vikings last week, recording a career-best three passes defensed while lined up against Justin Jefferson for most of the night. And while Jefferson had seven catches for 74 yards, it was a quiet game for the star wide receiver.

"I feel like I played well. I put some good things on tape," Hart said this week. "Obviously, I'm my biggest critic, so I feel like there's things that I did leave out there.

"But just based on just the stat sheet and us winning and how we played as a defense, I feel like I did my job," Hart added. "I want to build on that and stack on that."

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter concurred with Hart's assessment.

"Definitely his best game," Minter said. "Just most consistent, detailed, disciplined with leverage, what he was trying to take away, his ability to finish, he made some really nice pass breakups.

"Knowing where his help was, playing with confidence, playing, I call it 'Cam Hart football.' Just play Cam Hart football. He's a press corner that when he's up there and he's confident, he can cover a lot of people in this league," Minter continued.

"When he starts guessing a little bit or trying to see too much, like, 'Dude, just be you. Be the best version of you.' And he did that," Minter added. "There's always a play or two you want back, but overall I thought it was hopefully a preview to come of how I think he's going to play the second half of the year."

Hart and Still were both drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft and both played key roles as rookies.

With Still out for at least one game, Hart will be called upon to help lead the cornerback group for the time being.

"Regardless of who's playing, who's in the game, I treat every game the same," Hart said. "Obviously, [Still] is a big piece of our defense, but my approach to the game, my approach to practice, my approach to my preparation is always the same whether I'm the fifth corner on the depth chart or the first corner on the depth chart."

Finally, Still's absence means that rookie Nikko Reed could see his first extended action in the NFL.