Although the Tennessee Titans picked up a wild win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, they followed that up with another loss against the Las Vegas Raiders. That dropped them to 1-5 for the NFL season, and nowhere near the discussion of playoff contenders.
In the team's 20-10 loss to the Raiders, quarterback Cam Ward completed 26-of-his-38 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. However, his key mistakes included an interception, being sacked six times, and fumbling the ball away twice.
The 23-year-old finished out his collegiate career at Miami, and played well enough that he became a clear pick for the Titans at first overall in the NFL Draft.
While he’s still in his first season, Ward’s shown potential, but according to the rookie quarterback, he’s yet to unleash what he’s truly capable of.
Before his team’s loss on Sunday to the Raiders, Ward spoke to The Athletic’s Michael Silver and made a bold statement, putting the rest of the league on notice.
“I’m not playing how I want to play right now. So, once I play how I want to play, I think the league will be f***ed,” Ward said.
According to The Athletic, Ward arrives extremely early to the team’s practice facility, and often is amongst the first individuals there. He said football is always on his mind, and he constantly thinks about the mistakes he made after watching game film.
“A lot of times, it's (about) the bad plays. It's frustrating for me because I'm not playing how I want to play. I can't play no damn worse. I can, but s***, I ain't trying to. The only way is up,” Ward said regarding his future.
A day after the Titans lost to the Raiders, a significant coaching change arrived. Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk fired coach Brian Callahan. As of this writing, the Titans have moved senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy into the head coach role.
So far this season, Ward has completed 111-of-202 pass attempts for 1,101 yards and three touchdowns. He's thrown four interceptions, been sacked 25 times by opponents, and currently ranks worst overall with a 24.9 QBR at ESPN.
In Week 7, Ward and the Titans will look to achieve an upset victory against former Titans coach Mike Vrabel and the 4-2 New England Patriots. Perhaps having a new coach will allow Cam Ward to play to his full potential.
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