Titans 3-0 in preseason, how past undefeated preseason NFL teams fared in the regular season

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans put up 30 points and defeated the New Orleans Saints 30-27 in Sunday’s preseason finale at the Caesars Superdome.

Quarterback Malik Willis threw two touchdowns to wide receiver Bryce Oliver, including one that put Tennessee ahead for good with 1:30 to play.

Brian Callahan's tenure as Titans head coach is off to a supreme start. His team was a perfect 3-0 in the NFL preseason. It's a good sign that Tennessee will be able to deliver on all the hype surrounding the new era of Titans football...Or is it?

Here's a look at the recent history of NFL teams that went undefeated during the preseason and how they fared in regular season play.

Undefeated preseason teams

Going undefeated in the preseason might be more common than you think. It has become even more ordinary since the start of 2021 - when the NFL transitioned to a 17-game regular season schedule.

With most teams only playing three preseason games, 16 teams went unbeaten in the preseason from 2021-2023. Six teams did it in 2024.

Of those 16 teams to finish the preseason undefeated in the last three years, only five (5) have actually made the playoffs. Seven (7) times the team has finished with between 7-9 wins and missed the playoffs, and four (4) times the team has recorded six wins or less. None of them have made the Super Bowl.

Some of the more notable unbeaten preseason squads are the 2022 Chicago Bears - that proceeded to go 3-14 and land the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft (which they traded) - and the 2021 Kansas City Chiefs. That Chiefs fell victim to the magic of the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC Championship Game one week after Cincinnati upset the Titans in Nashville.

At the end of the day, Titans fans should be encouraged by how promising Will Levis and the starting offense looked during the preseason. But these wins are not always a great indicator that regular season success will follow.

Related: How Chance Campbell's injury could impact the Titans' linebacker room