QB Cam Ward's improvement offers hope for future amid Titans' struggles

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are starting to see more than a glimmer of hope from an absolutely miserable season with rookie quarterback Cam Ward growing up with each passing game.

Interim coach Mike McCoy couldn't praise Ward's performance enough even as the Titans lost their 10th straight home game in a 30-24 defeat to Seattle.

“It’s taking that next step, and that’s what he’s done,” McCoy said. “We’ve been saying it from day one, the way he competes, the way he works every day. When we first came in in the offseason program, the early mornings, staying late, things like that, it’s starting to pay off.”

The No. 1 overall pick helped Tennessee score a season high in points and run a season-high 68 offensive plays and holding the ball a season-high 37 minutes, 25 seconds.

Ward also scrambled for a season high in yards with his first rushing touchdown and threw for 256 yards with one TD.

Better yet, the rookie finished his third straight game without an interception and didn't fumble despite being sacked four times.

The Titans (1-10) have been blown out at times this season and even shut out Sept. 28 before coach Brian Callahan was fired. But they've strung together three straight losses by a touchdown or less.

Tennessee is 5-6 against the spread this season according to BetMGM.com.

“The only thing that matters the win or loss,” Ward said.

What's working

The rookie class. If anyone's looking to grade first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi, the Titans started a season-high five of their nine draft picks against Seattle. That's the most for any Titans' game since at least 2005 when five or more draft picks started six times that season.

Tennessee wound up playing a season-high 10 rookies in a season where nine have played in four other games. Rookie tight end Gunnar Helm had a team-high six catches for 51 yards, a season high. Safety Kevin Winston Jr. had a team-high 10 tackles.

“That gives a lot of hope,” Ward said of the production of the rookie class.

What needs help

Self-inflicted penalties continue to help the Titans be their own worst enemy for a team with 102 penalties for 599 yards this season. They cleaned those up in McCoy's first two games as interim coach. But they had 10 for 63 yards against the Seahawks with two wiping out first downs.

Worse, plenty are penalties the Titans should be able to eliminate. Unnecessary roughness, a chop block, too many men in the offensive huddle after a 25-yard pickup on third down. The last came as the Titans were trying to recover an onside kick in the final minute only to be flagged for illegal touching.

Stock up

Chimere Dike. The rookie from Florida continues leading the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1,760 after having 232 combined yards. He has topped 200 all-purpose yards in three of the past four games. Dike has a chance to threaten Darren Sproles' league record of 2,696 all-purpose yards in 2011 with New Orleans.

Derrick Mason is second all time in the NFL, and Mason has the Titans' record of 2,690 in 2000.

Dike also tied the franchise record for longest punt return set by Pacman Jones on Nov. 19, 2006, at Philadelphia, with a 90-yarder for a TD. He became the seventh rookie since 2000 with at least two punt return TDs, a group that includes Devin Hester (three) and Tyreek Hill (two).

Stock down

Jihad Ward. The outside linebacker has 3 1/2 sacks this season, but he was flagged for a pair of penalties against Seattle.

Injuries

LT Dan Moore Jr. played only 33 snaps before a knee injury, and C Lloyd Cushenberry missed nine offensive snaps with a late ankle injury. DL Shy Tuttle is in the concussion protocol.

Key number

9 — Teams currently with a winning record the Titans have played so far this season with a combined record of 76-46.

Next steps

The NFL's lone one-win team wraps up a four-game homestand Sunday by hosting the Jaguars (7-4) for the first game between the AFC South rivals this season. The Titans already have been swept by Houston and Indianapolis inside the division.

Of the final six games, the Titans face only two teams with losing records in Cleveland (3-8) and New Orleans (2-9) in a season that could net Tennessee a second consecutive No. 1 overall draft pick.

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