Former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward made his NFL preseason debut on Saturday night in the Tennessee Titans’ 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was solid in limited time. In two series of action, Ward completed 5 of 8 passes for 67 yards. His first drive ended in a three-and-out, but his […]
Former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward made his NFL preseason debut on Saturday night in the Tennessee Titans’ 29-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and he was solid in limited time.
In two series of action, Ward completed 5 of 8 passes for 67 yards. His first drive ended in a three-and-out, but his second was nearly flawless. Series No. 2 started with a strike over the middle to wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who racked up yards after the catch for a gain of 27. Ridley was Ward’s favorite target on that drive, hauling in three receptions for 50 yards.
This was Ward’s second time playing at Raymond James Stadium. His first? Last year’s 50-13 win by the Hurricanes over USF, when Ward threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns.
“It felt good, just for us to get more than three plays under our belt, for us to get a rhythm as an offense. It’s a lot of guys’ first time playing with each other, but it felt good to come away with points,” Ward said. “It felt good operation-wise … I think the biggest thing was just us being able to play in a real-game atmosphere together, getting a vibe of each other and then playing together like we did.”
Titans head coach Brian Callahan raved about the rookie’s debut and added that Ward wanted to return to the field for a third drive.
“I thought Cam played well in his two series that he got … had one three-and-out and then came back and led a touchdown drive,” Callahan said. “I thought he looked good, started to feel a little more comfortable, was begging to go back in, but that wasn’t in the cards for tonight. I thought he did some good things; it was encouraging.”
“I wanted to go for a third, especially after we got away with some points, but Coach Callahan, he’s got a plan for us. We’ll stick to his plan, and I know he’ll put us in the best situation,” Ward said.
While it was only flashes, Ward showed some of the ability that led to his record-setting 2024 season at Miami. His footwork was efficient, and he stood in the pocket and threw the ball with confidence.
When asked about what he could take away from his debut, Ward mentioned the three-and-out on Tennessee’s first drive and the need for the Titans’ offense to avoid short possessions like this.
“I got to maximize my drives,” Ward said. I had a three-and-out in the first quarter, and that was all we did. So just maximizing my drives and just continuously trying to move the chains [because] you’ve got to be able to give the defense a break.”
Ward’s goal for his next preseason game?
“Just playing above the sticks, not get behind the sticks and also just getting the ball out fast, letting my playmakers make plays for us. I think that’s what we were able to do the second drive. And also just playing at a faster pace, get in and out of the huddle. Coach Callahan gives me the play call pretty fast, so just trying to play faster.”
The Titans will return to action on Thursday night in a road game against the Atlanta Falcons. Callahan did not reveal how much Ward will play.
Category: General Sports
