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Turron Davenport
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Sunday, Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward showed his biggest signs of growth yet. Sure, the steps came in yet another loss, this time a 30-24 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks that dropped the Titans to 1-10, but this season was never really about wins and losses.
Success in 2025 was always going to be measured by Ward’s development.
The Week 12 loss marked one of Ward’s best games. He completed 66.7% of his passes for 256 yards and a touchdown, and he ran the ball six times for a career-high 37 yards and a touchdown — his first rushing score. There was a confidence that showed in how he took command of the game, especially on some long drives that spanned over 15 plays on two occasions. Most importantly, Ward didn’t turn the ball over.
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy found solace in Ward unlocking another element of his game. Ward has never been mistaken for a true dual-threat quarterback like Lamar Jackson or Michael Vick. Still, he has always been able to impact the game by extending plays with his legs to give receivers more time to get open or by making a timely scramble — like his 14-yard run that picked up a first down on the second play of the game against the Seahawks.
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“I think yesterday he took that next step and made plays with his feet,” McCoy said Monday. “He was not only taking what they gave him, but he was taking off and running. That was the next part of his growth.”
Even on plays where Ward only got 2 or 3 yards, it was a positive for the next play because it created a more manageable situation rather than being behind schedule because of a sack. That’s how those long drives were sustained, continuing to move the chains.
During their Week 10 bye, McCoy spent time watching other quarterbacks. He focused on how decisive they were, whether it was by taking off and running or quickly finding the best place to throw the football. That decisiveness is something he implored Ward to play with.
Ward’s rushing touchdown came on a play in which he was supposed to give the ball to Chimere Dike on a jet sweep. He ended up keeping it because he saw the defensive end crash out. The result was a 6-yard run punctuated by a somersault from the 2-yard line, landing him in the end zone. Ward had no hesitation in determining what to do. It aligned with the timely decision-making process McCoy wants.
It showed last week when Ward’s time to throw was 2.6 seconds, down from his 2.9-second average. Even though Ward’s time to throw against Seattle was 3.03 seconds, per NFL Next Gen Stats, that was mostly because he was quick when maneuvering within the pocket to avoid the pass rush and able to look for receivers.
“I’m feeling the pocket getting better,” Ward said. “Knowing where I need to set up every play, and then also being able to play on time and have a clock in my head to get the ball to my playmakers or whether I need to scramble around.”
Ward showed signs of the playmaking showman he can be throughout the Seahawks game. There were times when he was close to being sacked but managed to get the ball out to a pass catcher to gain valuable yards. McCoy credited Ward for pressing the line of scrimmage and impacting defenders in coverage.
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The best example of that was when Ward scrambled to his right after eluding two pass rushers and uncorked a leaping, across-the-body throw to Xavier Restrepo as a defender laid a hit on Ward. The 14-yard completion came on an off-script style play. But that wasn’t an accident.
Ward and the receivers work on this version of the scramble drill frequently after practice. Having spent a season together in college at Miami, Ward and Restrepo’s chemistry was apparent — resulting in Restrepo, making his pro debut after being elevated from the practice squad, having two receptions Sunday.
“It’s just repetition,” Restrepo said. “Every day after practice, we end on one of those. Sometimes he’s a butthead and makes me run it 70 times back and forth. We’re on the same page. I let him know he’s the best in the world, and I got him.”
For the season, Ward has now completed 222 of his 374 pass attempts (59.4%) for 2,210 yards and seven touchdowns to go along with six interceptions. The arrow is trending upward. He has shown fight by leading a 15-play, 62-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Dike to pull within a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
That came on the heels of an 11-play drive that covered 95 yards, ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson to tie the game with just over a minute left in the 16-13 loss to the Texans the week before.
“Every time he goes out there, he keeps playing just a little bit faster,” Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz said. “He’s completing more passes. Our completion percentage is going up and the ball’s coming out. We’re taking fewer sacks, and all those things factor into staying on schedule.”
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