Cam Ward gave Titans fans a little bit of everything Monday at the team’s first padded practice of training camp at Vanderbilt Health Center - and the two throws that stood out most were the wrong ones.
Ward was sharp at times, finishing practice with good timing and accuracy after the early mistakes. But the lasting image from the day was a pair of interceptions that came on nearly identical plays: Ward was flushed out to his right, then threw back across his body late into the middle of the field. Amani Hooker jumped the first one in stride and took it back for a touchdown, while Jermaine Johnson closed on the second and made an athletic grab on the safety-valve throw.
Those are the kinds of decisions Ward cannot afford if he’s going to make the jump in year two and help push this offense beyond the 16 points per game it produced. There has been plenty of talk about his completion percentage needing to rise this season, and there’s reason to think that can happen in Brian Daboll’s offense. But the bigger issue is simpler: Ward has to be cleaner with the football than he was when he turned it over 14 times, even if most of those came early in the season.
Yes, it was one practice. And yes, some will argue that camp is the time to test every throw and learn the limits before games count.
But Monday’s interceptions weren’t the kind of aggressive shots that come with evaluating a deep ball or seeing whether a receiver can win a contested catch. These were choices that crossed into territory no quarterback coach would want.
“I don't want to say they're non-negotiables,” Titans coach Robert Saleh said after practice. “But throwing across your body especially shallow-it’d be different if you really extend the pocket and it just really opens up for you, but when there's so much traffic in there.
The one that Jermaine (Johnson II) made was an elite play. But the first one that (Amani) Hooker intercepted probably was a poor decision.”
Saleh added that Ward made plenty of plays rolling to his right as a rookie, but that he still has to be smart about avoiding traffic in those situations.
There is a clear example of the right version of that play: Ward’s first career touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor. On that snap, Ward escaped to his right, bought time and fired back across the field for a score. The difference was that Ayomanor had single coverage and had separated from the defender as he moved back the other way.
Monday’s throws were not that. Neither one was likely to become a big gain, and both were the sort of plays that simply aren’t worth the risk. In a game, they could easily be the kind of mistakes that cost a team a chance to win.
Ward’s talent is obvious, and nobody wants to take the creativity out of his game. But the next step is about judgment. He has to know when to take the shot and when to live for the next down.
The league is full of quarterbacks with arm talent. The ones who rise are the ones who stack high-percentage decisions, avoid the back-breaking mistakes and still find room for the occasional special throw.
Ward has already shown he can make the spectacular happen. What matters now is whether he can turn the routine into a strength and keep the costly plays out of his game.
In Other News...
Titans Camp Intensity Is Rising As Young Standouts Force Attention
The first padded practice of Titans training camp brought the kind of edge coaches usually hope to see once the helmets and shoulder pads come on. The tempo picked up, the contact felt real, and a few younger names made it hard to ignore them, with Cam Ward, James Williams, Elic Ayomanor and Nick Singleton all standing out during a session that had more bite than the early camp workouts.
The physical tone also came with a brief flash of temper when Jeffery Simmons and JC Latham got into a minor altercation, only for things to settle quickly before it escalated. For Tennessee, that kind of edge can be a good sign this time of year, especially when the roster is still sorting out which players are ready to push into bigger roles and which ones need more time to prove they belong in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Rookie Jaren Kanak Is Forcing His Way Into This Camp Battle
Through the first four training camp practices, Jaren Kanak has started to make himself part of the conversation in a Titans tight end room that is still sorting out the back end of the roster. The rookie has flashed the kind of athleticism that made him such an interesting late transition story in college, and his work has shown up in recent sessions, including a five-catch stretch across two practices as fans got their first look at the group this week.
Kanak is still fighting for a roster spot, and his path to making it will likely run through special teams more than a featured role on offense. Even so, the former linebacker-turned-tight end is giving Tennessee something to think about early in camp, which is exactly the kind of push a young player needs if he wants to turn a developmental opportunity into something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]