Cam Ward’s Best NFL Showing to date Can’t Save Titans from Another Loss

The Tennessee Titans have a problem. 

But it’s not Cam Ward. 

Despite a truly horrendous pick-six on the third play of the game, Ward had his best performance as a pro so far, going 23/38 for 219 yards, a touchdown, and the pick-six.

It’s the first time Ward threw for more than 200 yards in an NFL game, and he has steadily improved his numbers through his first three games. 

Against the Denver Broncos in week 1, he had 12 completions for 112 yards. Against the LA Rams in week 2, he had 19 completions for 175 yards. And this week, against the Indianapolis Colts, he had 23 completions for 219 yards.

The only problem? The Titans lost all 3 of those games.  

A bigger problem is that each game has been less close than the last, with the Titans giving up more points each week and keeping the game close for less time each week. 

Penalties are still the main issue. The Titans had eight for 68 yards against the Colts. 

Some of them were costly, such as the delay of game penalty before a 57-yard field goal, which turned it into a 62-yard kick that Joey Slye missed. He had hit from 57 earlier in the game. 

What made that penalty even worse was that both the Colts and Titans had used a timeout before the play. 

Three points would not have made much of a difference, but it was still a confusing moment that was a microcosm of the game as a whole. 

The Titans are still losing battles in both trenches. The Colts had four sacks and the Titans had none.

Jonathan Taylor had over 100 yards on the ground. The Colts had 137 as a team.

The Titans had 86 rushing yards. Tony Pollard had 45. 

Calvin Ridley had one catch. He has struggled with drops and being blanketed by some of the league’s best cornerbacks all season, but still, the numbers Ridley has so far are not promising for a supposed number one receiver.  

It was not all doom and gloom, though. 

Chig Okonkwo had his best game of the season, with five catches for 66 yards. 

Elic Ayomanor cemented himself even more as Cam Ward’s favorite target, reeling in four catches for 38 yards and Ward’s only touchdown of the game.

Tyler Lockett had four catches as well, for 37 yards. 

Ward was spreading the wealth as he connected with eight different receivers. 

Chimere Dike looks like an electric return man. He had 162 return yards, with a long of 35.

Even Julius Chestnut got involved, blasting out of nowhere with a 27-yard run to set up a Titans touchdown. 

The Titans’ offense looks like it’s coming into its own, but the defense needs work. The offense has scored more points each week than the previous week, and this was the first game where the Titans scored multiple touchdowns, but the defense could not stop the Colts at all. 

The Titans are 0-3, but not because of their rookie quarterback.

It’s up to the veterans, especially on the defense, to get things sorted and get Cam Ward some wins in his rookie season.