The Tennessee Titans finally earned their second win of the season last Sunday on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The win was their first since early October and also their first against an AFC opponent since November of last year.
It can be hard to be excited about the 31-29 victory, especially considering how badly the season has gone so far for both teams. However, there are multiple performances from the game that should leave fans optimistic.
Ward Survives Against Likely DPOY
Rookie quarterback Cam Ward‘s performance did not look great on paper, as he completed only 50% of his passes for 117 yards. What’s impressive is that he threw two touchdowns against the defense that has allowed the second-fewest yards per game in the league.
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That unit includes NFL sack leader Myles Garrett, who needs 2.5 sacks in four games to break the all-time record. Garrett only sacked Ward once, marking the first time this season that Ward was sacked less than twice in a game.
Prior to last Sunday, he had only thrown touchdown passes in 7 of 11 games, and he threw one in each. His outing against the high-ranked Browns defense marked the first time this season he has thrown multiple touchdown passes in a game.
Rookie Wideouts Shine Again
Ward connected with rookie receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike in the end zone last week, the third score of the year for each player.
Dike was Ward’s main target throughout that game, ending up with five catches on eight targets for 24 yards and a touchdown.
Ayomanor and Dike have shown many signs of being future superstars this season, and Ward has been able to make valuable connections with them when needed. If the Titans make a leap in the standings next year, expect breakout years from one or both to be a driving factor.
Strong Run Game = Stronger Offensive Line
The main stat line from last Sunday that stood out was that of running back Tony Pollard. He carried the ball 25 times for 161 yards, which was the most of any rusher last week by a sizable amount. He also ran for two touchdowns, one of which went for a career-long 65 yards.
He averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which was his highest in a single game so far this season.
Pollard only has one year left on his contract and was hinted at as a possible trade candidate earlier this season, so he might not be involved in the Titans’ long-term future. His performance on Sunday, though, shows major hope for improvement in the offensive line.
Ward also gave credit to the line in his postgame press conference on Sunday, emphasizing how much the unit helped with his opening drive touchdown throw to Ayomanor.
The Titans spent a huge sum of money in an attempt to upgrade their offensive line this offseason, and how well it performed against the Defensive Player of the Year favorite shows major hope for how well it can protect Ward and help open up big runs in the near future.
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