The Titans finally won, but Drew Beatty's film review shows how Cam Ward's poor footwork and erratic ball placement continue to cost Tennessee yards, points and opportunities.

By DREW BEATTY, film analyst

After five grueling weeks, the Tennessee Titans finally stamped out their first win of the Robert Saleh era. Leaving Indianapolis with an ugly but desperately needed 26-20 victory over the Colts, Titans fans finally have some semblance of hope to hang on to. The offensive line bounced back from a shaky performance in Week Five, the defense hit a new stride -- forcing three turnovers -- and the special teams unit flipped from liability to game-changing asset. 

Cam Ward gets a pass batted down against the Colts

Following these positive developments, the general outlook on this team should be trending in a much more positive direction. However, the trouble lies within the nausea-inducing offense and Cam Ward’s continued sophomore season freefall. Sunday brought Ward’s first win over a divisional opponent in his young NFL career, and the unfortunate reality is that it was secured in spite of his performance rather than because of it.

Cam Ward's Footwork and Accuracy

The monotonous theme of discussion surrounding Ward’s play in his second season has revolved around one key aspect: his mechanics-induced accuracy issues. It was an issue that plagued his tape at Miami, continued to show over the course of his rookie season and has seemingly worsened in 2026.

 

In a win in which Ward put up only 102 passing yards, these same ball placement struggles ran rampant. His tape continues to be littered with poor footwork and a staggering number of yards left on the field.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at PaulKuharsky.com. He served on the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee for 11 years and is the longest-tenured Titans beat reporter in the franchise's history.