Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward impressed fans and analysts in his second preseason game … with a pass that didn’t even connect.
Ward had an unspectacular stat line in preseason start No. 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. One particular deep ball fell incomplete, but his arm strength and ball placement had NFL observers buzzing, including Titans head coach Brian Callahan, who called the incompletion “unbelievable.” The incompletion, intended for Van Jefferson, quickly made the social media rounds.
‘Holy Hell’: Cam Ward’s Incompletion Turns Heads in Game No. 2
And that’s why you don’t always scout the box score, especially in preseason. The 2-for-7 for 42 yards performance isn’t inspiring, but the tape says otherwise.
“He’s showing all the things that we need to see from an operations standpoint,” Callahan told reporters after the game, per NFL.com.
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky actually highlighted a different incomplete pass as a positive for Ward. Orlovsky, a former NFL QB himself who specializes in breaking down the position, loved that Ward played “fast,” using a play in which the Titans were backed up by their own goal line on third down as an example that Ward is getting it already.
“For a really young player, when he’s had to play fast, he’s played fast with his eyes, his decision-making,” Orlovsky said in a video posted to X. ” … For me, there’s a lot of real good in there.”
Cam Ward Living Up to Scouting Reports So Far
It’s still too early to say Ward and the Titans are going to contend for a playoff spot as the 2025 version of Jayden Daniels and the Commanders, although playing in the lackluster AFC South should help. Where Titans fans should be excited, though, is Ward has basically been as advertised in five series over two games.
He has displayed the physical traits that made evaluators, like ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., rave about him in the pre-draft process.
“Ward has an unorthodox delivery, but he throws with accuracy and velocity from different arm angles,” Kiper wrote int he spring. “He displays solid game management traits, and while he had some ball security issues in 2023 at Washington State, that wasn’t an issue in 2024. When things break down around him, Ward can extend plays with his legs, either throwing on the move or picking up first downs as a runner. I like his toughness, swagger and confidence.”
Certainly, the preseason performances and scouting report only carry some weight. The litmus test will come in September when Ward and the Titans play for real. Incompletions won’t be as impressive at that point. But it’s already becoming increasingly clear he’s most likely the rookie quarterback in the best position to succeed right away.
“The Titans may not have the NFL’s top assemblage of skill position talent, but the pantry isn’t bare either,” SI.com’s Dan Lyons pointed out in May, ranking Ward No. 1 among QB rookie situations. “Calvin Ridley returns after a second-consecutive 1,000 yard season, and is now joined by veteran signee Tyler Lockett. The team signed another reliable pass catcher in Van Jefferson, and drafted Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor—a big, high-upside target.”
For the first time in a while, the optimism in Nashville might be legitimate.
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