Seahawks vs. Titans Preseason: How to Watch and What Matters
- Football Nation
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Seattle visits Tennessee on Sunday, August 23, 2026, at 7 p.m. Central (8 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. Pacific) at Nissan Stadium. FOX carries the preseason game nationally. The most important question is not the final score: it is whether Cam Ward can turn a strong opening script and encouraging joint-practice work into steady command over multiple drives.
Reporting note: Viewing information, workloads and statistics below are confirmed by the linked team sources. Matchup evaluations and roster implications are Football Nation analysis.
How to watch Seahawks vs. Titans
The Titans’ official viewing guide lists FOX as the national television home, with FOX One also carrying the broadcast. NFL+ offers live out-of-market preseason games on supported phones and tablets with a subscription; market and device restrictions apply. Tennessee radio is on 104.5 The Zone and the Titans Radio Network.
Seattle arrives as the defending Super Bowl champion, but its established starters do not need to prove their 2025 credentials in an August result. For Seattle context before kickoff, Football Nation’s Hard Knocks Seahawks guide explains the camp storylines, while the Sam Darnold ranking analysis covers the regular-season quarterback picture.
What the preseason openers actually showed
Tennessee and Seattle reached very different outcomes in their first games, but both produced one useful offensive clue. The table separates confirmed opener evidence from tonight’s projection.
Team and opponent | Result | Verified evidence |
|---|---|---|
Titans at 49ers | W, 19–13 | 167 rushing yards; 95-yard opening TD drive; Joey Slye 4-for-4 on field goals |
Seahawks vs. Cowboys | L, 7–17 | 156 net yards; 8 penalties for 71 yards; 80-yard opening TD drive |
Tennessee’s official game preview reports the 167 rushing yards, Ward’s 95-yard first drive and Slye’s four makes. The Seahawks’ official game center lists Seattle’s 156 net yards and eight penalties. Football Nation analysis: both teams showed they could execute an opening plan; the next test is whether that execution survives substitutions, third downs and unscripted situations.
1. Can Cam Ward command the offense beyond the first drive?
Ward’s opener was a split evaluation. He directed the 95-yard touchdown march, then Tennessee’s next two possessions were less productive. Head coach Robert Saleh expects the starters to play roughly 20 to 25 snaps and possibly until halftime, according to the Titans’ August 22 preview. That gives Ward enough work to show more than scripted comfort.
Watch the operation: huddle speed, protection calls, third-down decisions and whether he avoids forcing the ball after Seattle changes the picture. Tennessee’s encouraging joint-practice completion totals are useful preparation evidence, not game proof. Football Nation’s Cam Ward blueprint explains why the offense’s best path begins with efficient runs and manageable decisions.
2. Can Seattle finish after a promising start?
Seattle also opened well against Dallas, driving 80 yards for a touchdown, then finished with only seven points. That does not indict the regular-season offense because key starters rested and preseason personnel changes quickly. It does make red-zone and third-down execution valuable for the reserves. Clean answers under pressure matter more than a quarterback’s raw completion percentage.
The Seahawks should also want fewer self-inflicted setbacks after eight penalties for 71 yards. A reserve who protects the football, avoids a procedural flag and finishes a drive can move his roster case more than a player who creates one isolated highlight. Football Nation’s Emanuel Wilson backfield report provides another Seattle role battle to track.
3. Does Tennessee’s run-game advantage hold up?
The Titans nearly doubled San Francisco’s rushing total, 167 yards to 84, in the opener. The number matters because a reliable run game keeps Ward out of obvious passing situations. Watch whether Tennessee still creates movement when Seattle tightens the edge and forces the back to make an early cut. The test is repeatable blocking, not one explosive carry.
If Tony Pollard and the line create efficient early-down runs, Ward can work from play action and stay ahead of the sticks. If Seattle wins first down, the quarterback will face the more revealing part of the evaluation: diagnosing pressure and throwing accurately after the initial answer disappears.
4. Which rookie receiver earns trust?
Carnell Tate enters his Nissan Stadium debut after a quiet joint practice: the Titans’ team reporter charted no catches and one drop, while noting interference on another target. That is a checkpoint, not a verdict. The rookie’s best response is assignment reliability—correct splits, correct depth, secure catches and useful blocking. Football Nation’s Carnell Tate receiver-race analysis explains why his earlier four-catch scrimmage was a better signal than the one-handed highlight alone.
Elic Ayomanor caught a red-zone touchdown during the Seattle joint practice, according to the Titans’ unofficial practice charting. His role and health remain separate questions, covered in Football Nation’s Ayomanor injury update. The game can clarify which young receiver Ward trusts when the throw must arrive on time.
5. Can special teams decide the last roster spots?
Slye made field goals from 39, 55, 53 and 58 yards in Tennessee’s opener. The Titans’ reporter also tracked him at 23-for-23 across four recent game and practice outings. Seattle countered in its opener with a 52-yard Rashad Rochelle punt return. Those plays matter beyond points: coverage discipline, return decisions and protection assignments often separate the final roster candidates.
Current Titans video
The official Titans X status below shows Tate’s one-handed catch from the club’s current 2026 scrimmage. It confirms his catch radius and current team context; it does not establish his depth-chart position or guarantee targets against Seattle.
What not to overreact to
Preseason wins, losses and player statistics do not carry into the regular-season standings. Football Nation’s preseason games explainer details what does carry forward: injuries, evaluation tape, role clarity and coaching decisions. Tonight’s score is the least durable evidence.
Football Nation takeaway
Watch the first half through four filters: Ward’s operation, Tennessee’s early-down rushing efficiency, Seattle’s red-zone execution and penalties by both teams. Then shift to special teams and assignment reliability as the depth players take over. A clean, repeatable rep is more predictive than a spectacular play surrounded by missed responsibilities.
The next factual checkpoint is the postgame snap distribution and the coaches’ injury updates. Until then, the best conclusion is narrow: Tennessee has the more urgent quarterback evaluation, while Seattle has the deeper finishing and roster questions. That makes this nationally televised preseason game useful even if the final score is forgotten by September.
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