Cam Ward Showing Major Growth In December

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward rode the rollercoaster in Sunday's 34-26 Week 17 defeat to the New Orleans Saints. Ward was breathtaking at times, navigating the pocket like a true magician to create off-script plays. It was the continuation of a strong December for the first-year passer.

Ward completed 21-of-40 passing attempts for 251 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Before his defense melted in the second half and forced the Titans into a pass-happy approach, he was 8-12 with 134 yards and a career-high 11.2 yards per attempt. The offense wasn't consistent enough late, but Ward kept battling and making highlight reel plays.

Ward had two touchdowns before halftime. He became the third rookie QB in the NFL with a stretch of four-straight games with multiple TD passes and just one interception. He joins just Dan Marino (1983) and Russell Wilson (2012) to have achieved such a stretch, per Nick Suss.

The Titans are 2-2 throughout December—not bad for a 3-13 team overall that dismissed head coach Brian Callahan in October. Ward's real-time growth has been the catalyst for the team's unexpected recent string of success. Ward has an adjusted completion rate of 74.4% over the Titans' past three games, according to Pro Football Focus. He's thrown for 635 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Ward's passer rating from Week 15 onward is 104.0.

Analyzing adjusted quarterback numbers throughout December (50% minimum dropbacks), Ward is 12th in completion percentage, ahead of Dak Prescott, Trevor Lawrence, C.J. Stroud, Baker Mayfield, and Caleb Williams. He ranks ninth in PFF's big-time throws metric with six. He's had three turnover-worthy plays by comparison, but thrown just one interception.

Ward's off-script madness reached new levels versus the Saints. On this 3rd-and-9 in the fourth quarter, a scrambling Ward went backward before splitting three Saints defenders up the middle, then finding Elic Ayomanor for a chain-moving pass while in the grasp of a defender.

Ward's deep ball accuracy has also significantly improved in December. On this instance of off-script brilliance, Ward rolls all the way right before finding practice squad mainstay Mason Kinsey for a 34-yard pickup. Ward had three completions that traveled 20-plus air yards, and he also drew a deep pass interference. Note the ball placement on this dot to Kinsey.

Ward’s averaged time to throw of 4.07 seconds in the Titans' loss to the Saints was the longest by any quarterback in a game in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). It may sound like a case of a quarterback holding onto the ball too long, but context tells a different story. It was a combination of Ward routinely creating off-script plays, extending plays due to a lackluster receiving corps that struggled to create separation, and an improving offensive line that delivered clean pockets to create from.

Ward occasionally tried a little too much versus the Saints, but the highs showcased a quarterback capable of doing the unthinkable on any given down. The Titans' vacant head coaching job should be intriguing this offseason due to Ward's playmaking ability. The rookie quarterback continues to take exciting steps forward.