Heading into his NFL debut in Denver on Sunday, Titans quarterback Cam Ward may not be able to bank on the team’s top receiver for too much help.
That’s not intended as a knock on Calvin Ridley, who recorded his third 1,000-yard season in the last four years in 2024.
It’s simply a reflection of reality.
The Titans’ speedy wideout is likely to see plenty of Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II in the opener, and facing the NFL’s reigning defensive player of the year proved a death knell for opposing pass catchers in 2024.
An All Pro in two of his first four seasons, Surtain didn’t surrender as many as 40 receiving yards in a single game last season — and only four times allowed more than 30 receiving yards in a single contest, per Pro Football Focus.
Among Surtain’s victims last season was Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, the league’s best receiver, who managed just three receptions (on six targets) for a whopping 27 yards when covered by Surtain last season.
In fact, the combined numbers last year for Chase, Tampa Bay’s Mike Evans, Pittsburgh’s George Pickens, Atlanta’s Drake London, the Los Angeles Chargers’ Ladd McConkey and Las Vegas’ Brock Bowers against Surtain’s coverage last season were shockingly low:
He allowed that flock of six talented pass-catchers a combined six receptions (on 15 targets) for all of 50 yards, an average of 8.3 yards per reception.
How do the Titans counter Surtain’s suffocating coverage?
One option is trying to move Ridley around in the formation, in hopes he will avoid matchups with Surtain as often as possible.
In Cincinnati’s win over the Broncos last year, for example, Chase — despite being held to just three catches for 27 yards when Surtain was covering him — still managed a nine-reception, 102-yard performance overall, as he caught six-of-nine targets for 75 yards when Surtain was not covering him.
Titans coach Brian Callahan said earlier this week it’s his job to find ways to consistently get the ball in the hands of his best playmakers, no matter who’s on the other side of the ball.
“What we’ll be hellbent on doing is finding ways to get our best players the ball like every team in the league does,” Callahan said. “And it’ll be a cat-and-mouse game of them trying to make sure they take away what we think we’re doing well, and us finding ways to take advantage of what we perceive as weaknesses … But yeah, my job is to find ways to get the ball to the guys that can help us win.”
Added Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz: “You’ve got to move Calvin around … which we really got to at different points last year.”
But the Titans also realize they’ll need contributions from other pass catchers as well, in the event Ridley isn’t able to shake free as often as normal.
Who’s ready to step up?
Will it be 32-year-old slot receiver Tyler Lockett, seeking to bounce back from a sub-par season in 2024? Will it be rookie Elic Ayomanor, who was impressive enough in his first training camp that he earned a starting spot?
What about the other two rookies in the passing game, tight end Gunnar Helm or receiver Chimere Dike? And we shouldn’t forget tight end Chig Okonkwo, who piled up 22 catches for 182 yards in his final three full games last season.
“They have to emerge,” Callahan said. “Someone’s got to step up and make the plays. I feel good about the group of guys we have going in going into Denver. I like the work that we put in. Certainly, we’ve got some unproven players and we’ve got some young players that haven’t done it yet. But I like where those guys are at.”
Added Ward: “It’s going to be hard to stop [Ridley]. He’s one of the best route runners out there. But … I’m surrounded by playmakers. I just got to do my job, put the ball in their hands, let them catch the ball, and they’re going to do the rest.”