Tests don’t get much tougher than this for rookie a quarterback in his first NFL game.
Cam Ward the No. 1 pick in April’s draft made his NFL debut for the Tennessee Titans Sunday against a Denver Broncos defense projected by many to be the best in the league. In a game in which Broncos quarterback Bo Nix committed three turnovers, Ward and Tennessee’s offense managed to keep things close.
But Denver’s defense ultimately proved too tough as the Titans failed to score a touchdown in a 20-12 Broncos win.
Ward, as expected, faced consistent pressure from a pass rush led by Pro Bowler Nik Bonitto. When Ward found time to throw, options were slim against a secondary featuring reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. The result was a Titans unit that generated just 133 yards of offense.
Ward had his moments and avoided major mistakes until a lost fumble on fourth down the last Titans play on offense. He was also failed at times by his receivers, including two big fourth-quarter drops by Calvin Ridley on downfield strikes.
In the end, the Broncos sacked Ward six times, including once in the red zone and twice more during a critical fourth-quarter possession after a muffed Broncos punt return that put Tennessee in field-goal range.
Tennessee took over possession early in the fourth quarter at Denver’s 24-yard line while trailing 13-12 and needing just a field goal to take the lead. But Ward took a second-down sack that pushed the Titans back to the 38.
An ensuing third-down sack by Zach Allen pushed the Titans back well out of field-goal range to force a punt.
Tennessee had two more chances to tie the game after the Broncos took a 20-12 lead on a J.K. Dobbins touchdown run.
Ward threw a would-be first-down strike on third-and-10 to Ridley near the Broncos 30-yard line. But it ricocheted off Ridley’s hands incomplete, and the Titans punted again from midfield.
Then the Broncos turned the ball over on downs at the Tennessee 36 with 1:04 remaining. But the Titans failed to secure a first down on a drive where Ridley dropped another would-be first-down pass that hit him in the hands.
In the end, Ward completed 12 of 29 passes for 112 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He lost 50 yards on six sacks. But there were moments of encouraging play from the rookie quarterback to build on. And Tennessee’s defense looked stout itself in a game that generated four Broncos turnovers.
Ward showed off the athleticism and play-making savvy that made him the No. 1 overall pick on the first possession of the game. Facing third-and-11 at the Tennessee 34-yard line, Ward escaped pressure from the Denver pass rush and stepped up into the pocket.
He then looked to his right to find Tony Pollard open in the flat. Pollard then ran across midfield for a 29-yard gain and first down.
Ward again showed poise under pressure early in the fourth quarter. He evaded the pass rush on second-and-8 from Tennessee’s 12-yard line and was chased into the end zone by D.J. Jones.
But Ward didn’t panic. He lofted a perfect downfield pass just as Jones arrived that Ridley caught for a 13-yard gain and a first down.
Then there were the balls that Ridley didn’t catch. Ward delivered both fourth-quarter passes directly to Ridley’s hands that would have gone for first downs had Ridley hauled them in. But he didn’t. And Tennessee’s last-ditch efforts of pulling off the biggest upset of Week 1 came up short.
The result for Ward and the Titans was frustrating. But Ward’s effort against an elite defense was stronger that the box score suggests. He’ll have a chance to improve in Week 2 against the Los Angeles Rams.