By DREW BEATTY, film analyst
For the first time in 412 excruciatingly long days, the Tennessee Titans won a game in Nashville on Sunday. On the shoulders of rookie quarterback Cam Ward (and some unfortunate injury luck for the Chiefs’ quarterback room), Tennessee ended their home win drought, beating Kansas City 26-9.
Putting up 228 yards, two touchdowns and no turnovers against one of the better defensive units in football, Ward continues to show the all-important development that the Titans’ future as a franchise rests upon. While there are certainly still issues to clean up, Ward showcased the ability to operate the offense cleanly under heavy pressure while continuing to create out of structure when necessary.
While some may understandably mourn the loss of a top-three draft pick from a “meaningless” win in December of a lost season, a win in which Ward facilitates the offense to the degree he did in this game certainly softens the blow.
Draft position is often far more important than most fans want to admit, and the possibility of Tennessee ending up picking outside the top-five after this dreadful season is unfortunate. But ultimately, Ward’s success and development are by far the top priority for the Titans.
How Ward struggled against the Chiefs
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