NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans sit at 0-2 heading into a Week 3 matchup against the New York Giants. Quarterback Cam Ward’s development remains the central storyline of the 2026 season. 

Ward has three touchdowns through two games (1 passing, 2 rushing), but Tennessee’s red zone offense has yet to find any real rhythm. 

The Titans’ pass protection, however, has been surprisingly competent. That disconnect between adequate protection and stagnant production points to one critical issue Ward must address: his feel in the pocket. The offensive line entered the season surrounded by questions. 

Could right tackle JC Latham, the 7th overall pick in 2024, play to his pedigree?

Could left tackle Dan Moore hold the line as a league-average starter? Would left guard Peter Skoronski justify his new contract? Through two games, the answers have been encouraging.

The Titans offensive line has been average, but that is real progress

Analyst Ben Baldwin’s composite pass protection ratings, which aggregate PFF grades, SportsInfo Solutions’ blown block percentage, and ESPN’s pass block win rate on a rescaled 0-to-100 basis, rank Tennessee’s offensive line 15th in football through two weeks. PFF grades the unit at 73. SportsInfo Solutions pegs their blown block percentage at 48, which is low. ESPN’s pass block win rate sits at 50%.

Average. 

For a Titans franchise that hasn’t had league-average offensive line play for the better part of six years, that qualifies as a true step forward. The problem is that Ward isn’t capitalizing on it, yet. His inability to recognize a clean pocket by NFL standards is creating missed opportunities where the margins are already razor thin.

He drifts when he doesn’t need to. 

Ward has missed throws early even when protection holds. A lingering gunshyness born from the 55 sacks he absorbed in his rookie season is understandable. He must find a way to break through it.

Robert Saleh trusts Cam Ward will figure it out

Titans coach Robert Saleh expressed optimism about his quarterback’s trajectory at Tuesday’s press conference:

“He’s  getting really comfortable in the offense, and every, every game that goes by, it’s I think the entire unit’s going to get comfortable with what’s being asked out of them with regards to what (Brian) Daboll’s teaching them and the staff,” Saleh said on Wednesday. “But like I said, Cam’s going to get better. He’s going to get a lot better. He goes about it the right way. Obviously, we all have a long way to go, but I trust that he’s going to figure it out.”

Saleh’s confidence is understandable.

Ward has the work ethic and drive to improve. I think it’s fair, though, to carry some skepticism. These are habits Ward developed over time. At Miami, he played behind a superior college offensive line that afforded him the freedom to improvise.

In his first NFL season, he got clobbered behind a bad Titans unit. 

Now, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has turned Ward into something of a dump-off passer, getting the ball out faster to compensate for his discomfort standing in the pocket.

Ward’s average target depth tells a troubling story

Fantasy football expert Ian Hartitz pointed out that only Atlanta Falcons passer Cooper Rush, at 4.8 yards, has a lower average target depth than Ward this season. Hartitz’s assessment was blunt: Ward is still bad, and Daboll has also made him significantly less fun to watch.

The hope was that the Titans should be able to push the ball down the field more often.

Tennessee drafted wide receiver Carnell Tate with the No. 4 overall pick to stretch the field and win contested catches. Through two weeks, Tate has zero targets thrown 20-plus yards downfield. That is a symptom of how the offense is operating right now.

Worth noting that sophomore receiver Elic Ayomanor is the only one who seems to be creating consistent separation between himself and defenders in coverage.

I’m not going to put Ward in a box and say he can’t improve.

I think he can. Pocket awareness is the one area where he has to get better. The Giants’ pass rush hasn’t been getting to quarterbacks the way New York expects. Tennessee can’t afford to be the team that gets them right…a perpetual Titans problem. 

Ward’s ability to trust his protection and operate cleanly from the pocket could determine whether this team finds its first win of the season.