Turron Davenport
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Though there weren't expectations for rookie Cam Ward to guide the Tennessee Titans to a Tremendous Bowl in his first season, there was a level of perception that the No. 1 decide would provide a promising look into the long run.
There have been flashes, similar to Ward's first NFL landing cross — when he threw the ball throughout his physique whereas scrambling to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. However total, the primary half of Ward's rookie season has left a lot to be desired.
It has been a problem for Ward, however there have been obstacles outdoors of his management as properly. Brian Callahan, who was relieved of his head teaching duties after a depressing 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, handed over playcalling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree after an 0-3 begin because the offense failed to search out its footing.
Now, the Titans (1-8) are coming off a Week 10 bye with interim coach Mike McCoy making an attempt to assist Ward and the offense proper the ship within the second half of the season.
Coming into Week 11, Ward has accomplished 57.6% of his cross makes an attempt for 1,760 yards to associate with 5 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, and his 11 turnovers (5 fumbles misplaced, six interceptions) place him in a three-way tie for third most within the NFL with Bryce Younger and Joe Flacco.
Together with turnovers, one among Ward's largest points has been sacks. He has been sacked an NFL-high 38 occasions and leads the league with 295 misplaced yards on sacks — 100 extra yards than Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, whose 195 misplaced yards are the second most.
“We have taken too many sacks as an offense,” McCoy stated. “At occasions, there's a possibility to throw balls away once you're outdoors the pocket. That may include expertise and him understanding it. When do you grime balls? When is it higher to attempt to get out of an issue as an alternative of simply getting the ball out of your hand? There's plenty of issues that come into play. You clearly need to decrease the yardage you lose.”
Ward is thought for his tendency to hunt for large performs, which is why he pleaded with Callahan again in April so as to add a deep passing idea from his school days referred to as “4 verts.” Among the sacks Ward has taken are a results of him holding the ball too lengthy in hopes of a possibility to throw the ball down the sphere.
McCoy has inspired Ward to take the checkdown when it presents itself to get the ball right into a playmaker's fingers rapidly. At occasions in follow, McCoy deliberately takes away choices within the passing recreation to pressure Ward to take the checkdown.
Ward is studying that it is higher to take a shorter, high-percentage throw than to danger a sack or turnover by holding the ball too lengthy.
“I believe he is accomplished a very nice job type of taking the checkdowns,” offensive coordinator Nick Holz stated. “Particularly in opposition to a few of these zone protection groups the place everyone's working out, and it is like, ‘Hey, let's throw it to Tony Pollard or [Tyjae Spears] or [Chig Okonkwo] within the flat, and they'll go get me 12 or 14 yards,' and unexpectedly now we're on the 50-yard line.”
Ward is cognizant of all of it, and he has expressed frustration over lacking alternatives to test it down and take shorter passes that can assist him keep upright and in additional manageable down and distances.
“I've acquired to get the ball in my playmakers' fingers,” Ward stated. “Allow them to make performs for us, and I believe that'll have the offense simply flowing.”
There's additionally an ongoing emphasis on Ward's mechanics, which might trigger a few of his throws to be off beam. The teaching employees is working to get his footwork in sync with the receivers' routes so the offense has higher timing. McCoy has prolonged the person interval of follow the place they deal with method from eight minutes to 12 minutes.
“Reps are the largest factor that may aid you,” Ward stated.
With being a extra environment friendly passer and ball safety as two key areas of enchancment for Ward, the Titans are methods to get him extra settled and right into a rhythm. When McCoy took over, one of many targets was to recalibrate the offense to emphasise the issues it did finest. A part of that's working extra play-action into the offense.
Below McCoy, Ward has operated in play-action on 27 dropbacks over the previous three video games. He has a 62.5% completion price on play-action over that span. In these three video games, two of Ward's 5 passing touchdowns got here off play-action as properly. His off-target throws dropped from 21.5% in common cross performs to 12.5% on play-action.
Earlier than McCoy took over as interim coach, Ward had run play-action on 49 dropbacks. He hasn't thrown an interception in 66 complete play-action cross makes an attempt and has been sacked solely six occasions.
“With the play-action you type of get a few of these deeper, longer-developing ideas that he had in school the place you may see a few of these massive three-level throws,” Holz stated. “Among the areas are just like a few of these school dropback ideas you've got seen. I believe he is accomplished a very nice job transferring the pocket. When he will get that good pocket motion, it frames it higher, and you're feeling his consolation on these play-actions.”
McCoy took time in the course of the bye week to look at lots of the quarterbacks. One of many issues that jumped out to him was how out of the blue they took off when the play wasn't there. The decisiveness helped them decide up optimistic yards and keep forward of the down and distance.
Ward admitted he'd prefer to make extra performs along with his legs to develop the methods he can affect the sport. It is one thing he deliberate to mirror upon in the course of the bye week.
Ward's longest run of the season was a 12-yard scramble on third-and-13 in opposition to the Houston Texans in Week 4. Though the Titans didn't convert on fourth-and-1, the scramble was an instance of an added aspect that opposing defenses must account for.
Ward is aware of it is a course of, however he feels he is getting higher as his rookie season continues — with a rematch in opposition to the Texans up subsequent on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) at Nissan Stadium.
“I believe I improved each recreation from an operation standpoint, from a playcall standpoint, to getting out and in of the huddle, to figuring out the place guys are, to simply being an NFL quarterback,” Ward stated earlier than the bye. “Each recreation we have had collectively, we have higher chemistry as a result of follow is so much totally different than the sport, so I will proceed to work with these guys. We'll proceed to be higher.”
