Cam Ward was among the rookie quarterbacks to quickly make an impression this weekend during his first preseason action against the Buccaneers.
The Titans' No. 1 pick played two series in the game, going three-and-out on the first before leading a touchdown drive that culminated on a one-yard run by Tony Pollard. This was the only touchdown of the day for the Titans, who fell 29-7 to Tampa Bay in the exhibition contest.
Though Ward led a touchdown drive on his second drive—converting multiple third downs along the way—that three-and-out seemed to stick out to him after the game.
"I think my biggest [takeaway] is I just got to maximize my drives," Ward told reporters. "I had a three-and-out the first quarter and that was all we did. Maximizing my drives and trying to continuously moving the chains, you've got to be able to give your defense a break."
Along with keeping drives moving, Ward noted that he wants to be better about avoiding getting behind the sticks and getting the ball out his hand quicker—something his coach, Brian Callahan, also mentioned after his debut.
"We have a lot of things we're still working on," Callahan said of Ward, via Jim Wyatt of the Titans official site. "I thought it was a good start for him, encouraging. It was productive, but there's a couple of things we're going to keep grinding on. Still working on getting the ball out fast, still working on the timing of it."
On the brighter side, Ward notably displayed a natural chemistry with veteran receiver Calvin Ridley, completing his first three passes to Ridley for 50 yards. He finished the game 5-8 for 67 yards.
Ward and the Titans will return to action on Friday, as they take on the Falcons for their second preseason matchup.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Cam Ward Reveals Biggest Takeaway From Preseason Debut in Titans Loss to Bucs.
