Cam Ward’s first game with the Tennessee Titans did not just go sideways - it fell apart in every direction. A 23-10 loss to the New York Jets left the new-look offense with almost nothing to show for all the offseason turnover, and the opening report card was as ugly as it gets.
Tennessee finished with just 10 points, and the lone touchdown came in garbage time. The Titans totaled 195 yards and 11 first downs, with a good chunk of that production coming on that late scoring drive.
For offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, it was a rough debut, and there were no real bright spots to pull from the wreckage. The only positive story to come out of the defeat was linebacker Anthony Hill.
Cam Ward and the passing game got an F, and there’s not much room to argue with it. Ward went 19-of-32 for 140 yards and one touchdown, but nearly 40 percent of those yards - 55 of them - and that score came after the game had already tilted out of reach.
The passing attack was broken at the foundation. Ward was off target, the receivers didn’t separate consistently, and Daboll didn’t have enough answers built in to steady things.
The run game earned the same grade. Tony Pollard was the team’s leading rusher with just 35 yards on seven carries, good for 5.0 yards per attempt.
Tyjae Spears added only 12 yards on three rushes. Once Tennessee fell behind by multiple scores, Daboll had little choice but to move away from the ground game.
Even then, the biggest threat on the field seemed to be Ward’s ability to use his legs.
The wide receivers also landed at an F. That’s partly because of the quarterback play and the line play around them, but the production was still far too thin to justify anything higher.
Wan’Dale Robinson led the group with five catches for 38 yards. Rookie Carnell Tate had four receptions for 38 yards in his debut.
Calvin Ridley was not targeted at all. Elic Ayomanor hauled in Ward’s lone touchdown in garbage time.
Protection was no better. Ward was officially sacked three times, though that number likely would have climbed if he hadn’t done a decent job escaping pressure at times.
He also helped create some of his own problems by hanging onto the ball and drifting backward in the pocket. Still, the offensive line took a major share of the blame.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ward was pressured on 68% of his dropbacks. New center Austin Schlottmann gave up steady interior pressure, while tackles Dan Moore Jr. and JC Latham were regularly beaten on the edges.
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It is still far too early to call any of these situations settled, and that is what makes the next few months so important. The Browns, Dolphins and Falcons all have their own messy quarterback questions, but Tennessees concern is the one that will matter most to its future if Ward does not take hold. For now, it is only a trend line, not a verdict, but the Titans are already in the part of the season where every snap starts to shape the bigger debate. [Read more 🡒]