-Another practice, another day when Cam Ward’s every snap was followed closely.
One day after the Titans rookie quarterback was near perfect – he completed 20 of his 21 passes – Ward was more up and down on Wednesday.
He missed some throws, lost control of the football on two occasions, but he also made some on-target throws and showed off flashes of impressive play.
I’m sure we’re going to see these ups and downs continue through training camp, leading up to the season.
On Wednesday, Ward completed 5-of-6 passes in 7-on-7 drills before going 8-of-16 in the three team periods, making him 13-of-22 on the day. Ward is now 33-of-44 in the two minicamp practices combined in the two competitive periods.
Ward’s best pass of the day was a 50-yard strike to receiver Calvin Ridley, who caught the ball in stride. He improvised on another play, lateraling the ball back to running back Tony Pollard while on the move. Ward threw a bullet across the middle to Xavier Restrepo, and he hit receiver Van Jefferson in stride down the field in 7-on-7.
Ward, however, also threw behind or wide of his intended targets on a few occasions, and he lost the ball twice in the pocket, once when the pigskin escaped his grasp as he was throwing it. Guard Peter Skoronski jumped on top of that one, after linebacker Cedric Gray ended up on top of a botched play in the backfield. Ward wasn’t able to finish off a two-minute drive in the final period of practice.
Ward will have a chance to finish the offseason strong on the final day of minicamp on Thursday.
(Thanks for reading Jared, since you didn’t make it out today).
-Van Jefferson had an eventful day, one that ended up including yours truly.
First, Jefferson got a scare early after making a diving catch in the individual period. He got up holding his left wrist, and he was examined by trainers. Turns out Jefferson was OK, and he returned to practice and made four catches on the day, which led all Titans.
Jefferson even saved me from falling at one point early.
Case in point: Jefferson made a running catch in the 7-on-7 period as he headed toward the boundary, and in the direction of the concrete sidewalk – and me. I stepped in front of Jefferson in an attempt to slow down his momentum, because players on concrete, in cleats, can be dangerous – it can be like a skating rink, and I’ve seen guys topple over. But Jefferson’s momentum knocked me back a few steps, and into the Lobster tennis ball machine used by the receivers. Jefferson ended up holding me up, keeping me from and tripping over the knee-high machine. So yes, instead of me saving him, he saved me.
Or, maybe we saved each other? Either way, thanks again Van.
-Receiver James Proche III was one of the stars of the day. He made three catches, including a one-handed grab and a deep ball downfield.