Voltar
The Tennessee Titans pulled off a win in Week 6, but that triumph had little to nothing to do with the offensive side of the ball.
Tennessee piled on 26 points, but a closer look at that number doesn't do the offense any favors. A blocked kick touchdown and four field goals complicate the kudos set to be handed out after a win. Once again, QB Cam Ward struggled to make his mark on a contest.
Ward completed only 11 passes in Indianapolis vs. the Colts, notching one touchdown and one interception on his way to an underwhelming outing from every angle. In this week's red zone report, we're taking a look at one of the main reasons Tennessee's drives continued to stall in Week 6.
In addition, I'll try and pose a solution as the Titans prepare to try and win two games in a row. The 4-2 Cleveland Browns are on deck tomorrow in a Week 7 homestand.
Not every issue with the offense can be pinned to Ward. For a look at the share of blame in that unit, check out our analysis of the group's struggles as they extend from Ward and OC Brian Daboll.
However, facing off with the Colts, Ward's passing chart reveals a major problem. Not only did the QB fail to complete a pass of 20 yards or more, but he refused to look over the middle to any impactful degree. Take a look, per Paul Kuharsky.
Cam Ward at Indianapolis. #Titans. pic.twitter.com/vhkCBeYvTy
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) October 19, 2026
Sure, Ward still found Carnell Tate in the end zone for a touchdown, and he led enough semi-successful drives in the second half to help eek the Titans to a win. But if the defense doesn't have three takeaways and six sacks, Tennessee doesn't win that game.
The Tiatns need Ward to take more risks. They need him to find guys over the middle and search for chunk plays.
Clearly, playing it safe vs. Indy didn't go far for Ward's numbers. 11/22 for only 102 yards hints at a QB just trying to survive in the pocket. Ward was less than a game manager in Week 6; he was throwing checkdowns and trying to avoid crucial mistakes.
I'd argue that Tennessee would embrace a few more mistakes if it meant Ward threw for more than 200 yards in a game again, which he's done only once through six weeks. The Titans need involvement out of more WRs than Carnell Tate alone. We need to see looks to TE Gunnar Helm, more work for Tyjae Spears in the passing game, and again, far more tries downfield.
Simply put, opposing defenses are no longer scared of Ward's big-play ability. Let's circle back to the aforementioned 20+ yard pass stat. Ward threw 40 of those balls in his rookie season. That was more than Bryce Young, Jaxson Dart, Aaron Rodgers, and Daniel Jones, per FantasyPros.
This season so far, Ward has only 10. That's less than any healthy starter in the league, save for Jacoby Brissett with the Arizona Cardinals. One statistic says it all, although Ward making the less surefire decision now and again may be the basic key to fixing this issue before it's too late.