Cam Ward has work to do to get a shaky Titans passing offense on track | Estes
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Rapid reaction from the Tennessee Titans' 19-13 victory at the San Francisco 49ers in the first of three 2026 preseason games for the Titans:
Talking Points
- The Titans’ passing offense in this game looked a lot like the passing offense we've been watching in preseason practices. It isn't crisp enough. Worst on this night was how shaky – and inaccurate – quarterback Cam Ward looked against a bunch of 49ers defensive backups, completing only 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards. At times, Ward held on to the football too long and found pressure. Other times, he just threw fastballs inaccurately past receivers. Carnell Tate and Elic Ayomanor combined for six targets and zero receptions in this game, and it could've been worse. Ward had a third-down sack nullified by a defensive holding penalty, and he was fortunate that a final incompletion wasn’t intercepted. Ward is going to need to be better than this. A lot better.
- Good news was the first-string offense, collectively, did start well, leaning on the run game for an opening 11-play, 95-yard touchdown drive. Tony Pollard and Tyjae Spears combined for 54 rushing yards on that opening possession, and they had plenty of space. The run game looked solid.
- Defensively, the Titans were effective at times. They weren't dominant. The first-string defense allowed a bunch of 49ers reserves to drive for a touchdown in the first half. That first defense also whiffed on a sack (Cody Barton) while getting diced up at times by 49ers quarterback … checks notes … Kurtis Rourke. A lot of good reps and lessons throughout this game, though, for high draft picks like Keldric Faulk, Femi Oladejo and Anthony Hill Jr.
- Big night for Joey Slye, who can breathe easier after nailing three field goals of more than 50 yards. Slye made a 55-yard field goal to end the first half and then added a 53-yarder and a 58-yarder in the second half. He ended up with four field goals total, and the booming kicks could ensure that the Titans don't try out any more kickers this preseason. This game reminded everyone why the Titans wanted Slye back this season even though he’ll do things like, say, boot a kickoff out of bounds (he did that in this game, too).
- Rookie Fernando Carmona’s starting this game at right guard said plenty about the wide-open nature of that ongoing camp competition. Carmona has gained ground recently. Props to him, but you’d have liked to see Cordell Volson or Jackson Slater take the spot and run with it. Clearly, that hasn’t happened.
- Many NFL coaches are hesitant to play first-string players in preseason games. Titans coach Robert Saleh, evidently, is not one of those coaches. Saleh meant it when he said everyone was going to play in this first preseason game. Even Jeffery Simmons was on the field at the beginning of this thing.
Where The Game Turned
Late in the first half, the 49ers got pushed out of field-goal range and tried (and missed) a 61-yarder anyway, allowing the Titans to be able to set up Slye's 55-yarder. On a night where the Titans gained only 279 offensive yards (compared to 322 for the 49ers), Slye's field goals made a difference.
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Quarterback Hendon Hooker (hey, the Titans actually played him!) was able to recover an offensive fumble late that could've given the 49ers a chance to win the game in the final minutes. Instead, that possession ended with Slye's final field goal, which locked down the win.
Key Number
1 – Number of preseason games that former coach Brian Callahan lost with the Titans. He won more games in the preseason (record of 5-1) than he did in the regular season (4-19), perfectly illustrating how these preseason games mean nothing in the long run.
What I Liked
The Titans might be able to run the ball a little this season. The first-string offensive line got a strong push and created ample running room during that opening drive, which began with a 12-yard run by Pollard and ended with a (way too easy) 5-yard touchdown by Pollard on third down. The 49ers’ defense was on its heels, too, when Spears was able to bounce outside for a 25-yard gain.
While the O-Line has struggled with pass protection this preseason, Titans coaches have been praising the run game during training camp. That opening drive didn't just come out of nowhere. I'm thinking it wasn't a fluke.
What I Didn’t Like
After that opening Titans TD drive, the 49ers’ reserves were outplaying the Titans in all phases. Quite troubling, since the Titans still had starters out there on both sides of the ball. The Titans’ top defense allowed Rourke to complete 12 of 14 throws for 101 yards. Ward, on the other hand, was 5-of-12 against a bunch of substitutes for San Fran. That, folks, is not good.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at [email protected] and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Cam Ward has work to do to get a shaky Titans passing offense on track | Estes