The good news? The Tennessee Titans beat the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason opener last Thursday, and the ground game looked superb. The bad news? The rest of Tennessee’s offense was basically nonexistent, naturally leading fans to wonder just how “new” Brian Daboll’s new offense is.

Kicker Joey Slye accounted for 12 of the Titans’ 19 points. That’s incredible progress on his front, but Slye is rarely going to be the guy keeping Tennessee in games. It’s not a knock to him at all to say that Cam Ward, as well as his receivers, have to be better.

So, should Titans fans be worried? I’m here to take the side of Daboll, at least for now. What we saw out of Tennessee is hardly indicative of the group’s ceiling this season, even if there are a handful of worrying trends worth keeping an eye on.

It’s Not Time to Worry About the Titans Offense… Yet

Again, it wasn’t the entire offense that drew negative attention. The Titans’ committee of running backs stole the show in Daboll’s system, especially early on in the contest.

Tony Pollard was the Titan who capped off the team’s opening 95-yard drive with a touchdown. After Pollard phased out for the game, all three of Tyjae Spears, Nick Singleton, and Julius Chestnut put up promising numbers. That trio finished the game with 35, 31, and 47 yards, respectively.

It was the passing game that underwhelmed. Cam Ward went just 5/12 for 57 yards on his three drives. Wan’Dale Robinson, Tennessee’s expected WR1 and a former pupil of Daboll’s, led the receiving room with two catches for 19 yards.

Carnell Tate caught zero passes on three targets. That’s where the worry mainly lies, and even if it’s not yet entirely warranted, we’re another preseason disappointment away from seriously considering some tough questions.

Tennessee’s Offense Needs to Bounce Back vs. the Seahawks

When the Seattle Seahawks come to Nashville on Aug. 23, we’ll be watching especially close to see improvement from Daboll’s end. Part of the problem was Ward simply not connecting on passes, but it can’t be all pinned on him – Tennessee played all four of their quarterbacks, at the end of the day.

Perhaps Robert Saleh preparing to play Tennessee’s starters more and more as the preseason goes on is all it will take for the offense to find their footing. In fairness, three drives is hardly enough time to judge any player.

At this point, it’s about striking a balance between recognition and patience. I don’t believe anyone should be truly concerned that Brian Daboll’s offense won’t be as exciting as Titans fans have long hoped. You can only bury bad on-field performances for so long, though.

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