Film Room: Cam Ward Looks Really Good, Actually
New Tennessee Titans quarterback and first overall pick Cam Ward made his debut on Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Here's how things went...
On Sunday came the debut of Cam Ward - one of the least talked-about rookie first overall picks in recent memory. Unfortunately for Ward, his team had to go up against an absolute buzzsaw defensively in the Denver Broncos.
Despite the talent mismatch across the board, I came away impressed with what Ward was able to show. That doesn’t mean his game didn’t have warts, but most of what we saw in the negative should at least be fixable in some sense.
Let’s dive into the film.
Creativity
Ward’s first career throw was a muddied-pocket outlet pass to Tony Pollard, who then generated an explosive play for Tennessee. Ward’s creativity has been present throughout his entire career, and while his pocket management had ups and downs on Sunday against Denver, I think plays like these really showcase the type of player that Ward could become.
Ball Placement
One of the consistent highs of Ward’s game on Sunday was just how effortlessly he was able to place the ball where he needed to. Time and time again, he was incredibly accurate with his throws - which was needed given the defensive back rotation that the Denver Broncos boast.
The pass-catcher that I was most consistently impressed by on Sunday was Gunnar Helm - who had not just one explosive sideline grab, but two:
One play Cam Ward probably wants back was this throw to Elic Ayomanor down the field. In general, I think Cam Ward showed more than enough functional arm talent, but his overpowered this one a bit too much - but I love the recognition and willingness to take a shot like this.
Timing
This next rep is something I am confident in will improve over time - both as Cam Ward matures as a passer, gets more familiar with the system, and as the Titans upgrade their pass-catching unit.
Ward throws this ball just a half-tick too late, in my opinion, leading Ayomanor to get the grab, but not come up with the yards needed to move the chains. Again, I don’t think there’s cause for concern here, but you’d just want the ball to come out a moment sooner.
Offensive Infrastructure Issues
I think there are real issues with the overall infrastructure around Cam Ward in this Titans offense - from the play caller to the personnel.
You can see issues with play design on this 3rd-and-goal down from Tennessee. There’s an overall lack of cohesion - Cam Ward looks at Van Jefferson who is not yet open, looks back at Gunnar Helm (who looks as though he forgot his role on the play), and then takes a sack that turned a very make-able 4th-and-goal from the three into a 4th-and-goal from the 15.
There’s some blame to be had for a lot of different parties here, but it does not look cohesive enough as is (and that may just be some week one jitters).
The offensive line wasn’t particularly great, either. Second-year tackle JC Latham looked pretty poor (albeit against one of the best defenses in the league), and Dan Moore didn’t quite play up to the contract he signed in the offseason. But the rep below shows some of the communication issues displayed throughout the game.
It’s 3rd-and-10, 40 seconds left in the first half, Titans are backed up to their own seven yard line. Latham is late off the ball, resulting in one of the easiest sacks you’ll see for Denver. Typically, sacks such as these are due to some sort of miscommunication between the player tasked with calling protections, but it’s still about as bad of a look as you can get as a rookie quarterback:
Cam Ward had to face all sorts of drops from his supporting cast - which should be expected when two of his top pass-catchers in week one are day three rookie draft picks.
Arguably the most egregious of these drops came from Ward’s most “reliable” target in Calvin Ridley.
It was 3rd-and-10, Titans trailed late in the 4th quarter, and Ward places the ball as well as it could be, Ridley gets hands on it, but can’t haul it in. Ugly, ugly drop that effectively put the game out of reach.
Skill In Progress: Situational Awareness
While I have a lot of praise for what Cam Ward showed on Sunday, I do think there’s one glaring weakness to his game that comes in his pocket management and situational awareness. At no point was that more evident than this sequence:
2nd & 8 from the Denver 22 yard line:
3rd and 24 from the Denver 38 yard line:
In this two-play sequence, the Broncos went from potentially taking a lead in the second half, to having to punt from midfield. There just has to be better decision-making when faced with pressure. From the moment the ball is snapped on both of these plays, it’s over - but Ward needs to ensure that points are not taken off the board.
I have a feeling that this will come in time for Ward, but he has to be more aware.
One Shining Moment
My favorite clip from Cam Ward on Sunday was this sideline throw to Elic Ayomanor - who made a phenomenal grab. Again, the display of ball placement is phenomenal.
This play didn’t stand as it was initially called incomplete (as Brian Callahan notably did not challenge it), but I am very impressed with Ward’s ability to elevate his supporting cast, even when he’s playing with receivers that actively make his job harder - which is the true makeup of a franchise quarterback.