The odds were stacked against rookie quarterback Cam Ward leading the Titans to victory in his NFL debut Sunday.<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t do enough to overcome them on his own.<\/p>\n
Nor did his offensive teammates give Ward nearly enough help.<\/p>\n
Ward was attempting to become just the fifth of 20 rookie quarterbacks drafted No. 1 since 1967 to lead their team to victory in Week 1, joining Chicago\u2019s Caleb Williams (2024), Houston\u2019s David Carr (2002), Denver\u2019s John Elway (1983) and New England\u2019s Jim Plunkett (1971).<\/p>\n
Instead, Ward suffered through a rough afternoon in the Titans\u2019 20-12 loss in Denver, completing just 12-of-28 passes for 112 yards. The former University of Miami standout was sacked six times, committed one intentional grounding penalty and finished with a quarterback rating of just 54.5.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t help that Titans receivers dropped a minimum of three passes \u2014 two by Calvin Ridley and one by Elic Ayomanor \u2014 or that penalties and an inadequate rushing attack left Ward in third-and-long on too many occasions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe moment [was] not too big for him,\u201d Titans coach Brian Callahan told reporters. \u201cHe was poised, he was calm. He saw things well. There\u2019s a lot of positives from his demeanor and how he handled himself on the sideline in between series and on the field. So I think he\u2019ll improve at a rapid rate.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of Ward\u2019s brightest moments came just three plays into the contest, when \u2014 on third-and-10 \u2014 he somehow escaped heavy pressure and completed a short pass to Tony Pollard, who gained 29 yards.<\/p>\n
But after two incompletions and a surprising third-and-10 run call, the Titans had to settle for a field goal.<\/p>\n
Things looked promising on Ward\u2019s second drive as well, as he connected with rookie tight end Gunnar Helm for a 16-yard pickup and then scrambled 11 yards for an apparent first down. But a holding call negated Ward\u2019s run and led to a punt, which is when things began to go downhill.<\/p>\n
Ward guided the Titans to just seven first downs overall, and Tennessee managed more than one first down on only one of 14 possessions. The Titans were held to -1 net yards of offense in the final two quarters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t score a touchdown,\u201d Ward said. \u201cThat\u2019s really the biggest frustration. [Shot] ourselves in the foot, just staying in long situations [on third downs] \u2026 End of the day, we just got to continue to get better. That\u2019s only Game 1 and we got a long road ahead of us. We got 16 more to try to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ward used his elusiveness to advantage at times, but predictably in his first NFL game, he was guilty of holding the ball too often at times as well.<\/p>\n
In the fourth quarter, for instance, Ward was sacked twice in a row, meaning a Titans drive that had started on Denver\u2019s 24-yard-line wound up as a fourth-and-35. Instead of at least getting a field goal following a Broncos muffed punt, the Titans themselves had to punt.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust got to be better situationally, know when we are on the edge of field goal range, not taking a bad sack,\u201d Ward said. \u201c[It\u2019s] just getting the ball out, whether it\u2019s `dirting’ it or having to get out of the pocket and throw it away. So, just being better situationally.\u201d<\/p>\n
We addressed the Titans’ horrendous penalty problems<\/a> in a separate article, but here are nine more takeaways from the game:<\/p>\n Failure to capitalize: A Titans team that produced only 18 takeaways in 17 games last\u00a0season piled up four in the opener.<\/p>\n It was the Titans\u2019 first game with four or more takeaways since collecting four interceptions against Jacksonville on Dec. 12, 2021.<\/p>\n Roger McCreary and Xavier Woods each posted interceptions, Sebastian Joseph-Day recovered a strip sack caused by Jeffery Simmons, and rookie Dorian Mausi recovered a muffed Denver punt.<\/p>\n Those turnovers gave the Titans the ball at the Tennessee 46-yard-line, the Denver 38, the Denver 26 and the Denver 24. But the Titans somehow managed to produce just six points out of those turnovers, coming away scoreless twice \u2014 once due to Pollard\u2019s fumble and once due to the previously mentioned back-to-back sacks of Ward.<\/p>\n \u201cIncredibly frustrating,\u201d Callahan said. \u201cThose are opportunities to score points and put the game away and we didn\u2019t do it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Titans\u2019 defense also gave the offense the ball by stopping Denver\u2019s last two drives on downs. But Tennessee managed a combined -2 yards on seven plays during the team\u2019s ensuing possessions.<\/p>\n Missing a challenge? With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, and the Titans facing first-and-20 from their own 31-yard line, Ward connected with rookie Elic Ayomanor down the right sideline.<\/p>\n