Cam Ward shows Titans fans a positive future despite a poor supporting cast
By Andy Davies
Cam Ward is arguably the least talked about number one pick since Eric Fisher in 2013.
It is especially hard to think of a quarterback who has received this little hype after going first overall.
Whether it has been the Los Angeles Rams trading up to take Jared Goff first overall in 2016, John Elway and Eli Manning refusing to play for the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers respectively, or the conceived “can’t miss prospects” of Andrew Luck (2012) and Trevor Lawrence (2021), the very nature of the position automatically gathers media traction.
Not for Ward it seems, with the likes of two threat wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter Jr, defensive lineman Abdul Carter and even fellow fifth round quarterback selection Shedeur Sanders gathering a tonne more air time in the media.
Ward did not do much to change this narrative, seemingly wanting to get in and get out during draft night in Green Bay.
It’s easy to look at the statistics around Ward’s opening three games, with a 0-3 record and look down on the Tennessee Titans.
However, the rookie has shown Titans fans exactly what he can do.
Making plays despite a poor supporting cast
The 33-19 loss to the Rams in Week Two saw Ward be able to show what he can do. His first touchdown pass as an NFL player was registered, doing so in their glorious throwback Oilers uniform. Making a throw across his body, he found Elic Ayomanor in the end zone to bring the scores level at 10-10.
In defeats to the Rams, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts, Ward has managed to showcase the talent he possesses that earned him the honour of being the number one overall pick.
During their opening two defeats, each featured almost identical plays where Ward looked a dead cert for be sacked, only to pull out his joker card and throw an emergency screen pass and therefore allowing the Titans to make progression down the field.
Unfortunately for Ward, he has one of the worst supporting casts around him, therefore making this season a tough ask for the team to earn more than six or seven wins.
Ward keeping the Titans competitive
Despite their 0-3 start, it has not been a complete disaster show from the Titans. Whilst the Colts loss was a horror show, they led in the third quarter in each of their first two games.
Against the Broncos in Week One, the Titans led 12-10 in the third quarter and whilst the game slipped away from them in Week Two against the Rams, they were also ahead in the same period of the game.
No one is expecting the Titans to wins any division titles or Super Bowls any time soon. Even making the playoffs seems a distant reality for the franchise at this present day.
Despite this, they have managed to put up a fight against one of the best defenses in the AFC, and one of the favourites for the NFC.
Despite two touchdowns and 506 total passing yards, Ward has showcased exactly why he is the future. With just one interception, he is being far from careless with the ball.
Could Ward benefit from a poor win loss total?
The Titans are likely to be picking in the top five and it would be a shock to see them picking outside the top 10 provided no trades are made. As we have seen with the Cincinnati Bengals, a poor record in a rookie season for a quarterback is not the worst thing in the world.
Cincinnati picked wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase fifth overall in 2021 as a result of their 4-11-1 record in the 2020 campaign.
This is despite winning as many games without Burrow as they had in their first 10 games of the seasons. They had a 2-4 record in the games that he did not start in, as well as defeat in their Week 11 defeat to the Washington Football Team where their 2020 first overall pick saw his season come to end.
One of the NFL’s tactics to ensure parity in the league is teams who finish bottom of a division will have an easier schedule on paper the following season. Only five of their opponents in 2021 made postseason appearances.
This includes games against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14), Chicago Bears (6-11), Detroit Lions (3-13-1) and New York Jets (4-13) who combined for a 16-51-1 record that season. Their schedule, along with the addition of Chase and keeping Burrow healthy, had a big impact on the Bengals surprising everyone and reaching Super Bowl LVI against the Rams.
Unless they went aggressive in the draft, there’s a good chance they may have never got Chase or reached a Super Bowl had they not had a poor record in Burrow’s rookie season.
This should give encouragement to Titans fans if Ward’s first season does not go to plan record wise. With a high draft pick in the 2026 a likely scenario, they can use this to get themselves a star for the future in what the organisation will hope can turn this team from underperformers to a perennial playoff team.
ANDY DAVIES
NFL ANALYST
ANDY IS A SPORTS JOURNALISM GRADUATE WITH OVER FOUR YEARS EXPERIENCE OF NFL WRITING AND PODCASTING. ANDY HAS BEEN TO EVERY NFL STADIUM AND IS THE HOST OF THE ACROSS THE POD PODCAST. HE HAS PRESS PASS EXPERIENCE AT THE LONDON GAMES AND MANY OTHER NFL BASED EVENTS SUCH AS THE SUPER BOWL, HAVING INTERVIEWED THE LIKES OF AARON RODGERS, JASON BELL, OSI UMENYIORA, PATRICK MAHOMES, TRAVIS KELCE, DERRICK HENRY, SAQUON BARKLEY AND JALEN HURTS.