The Titans took three key veterans out of the lineup in Atlanta, putting Cam Ward in a situation where he had to lean on some less experienced teammates who need to grow into more prominent roles.
And things didn’t run so smoothly in three drives without his favorite target, Calvin Ridley, the team’s most experienced receiver, Tyler Lockett, and the lead running back, Tony Pollard.
The Titans did find a 23-20 win at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Ward played longer than expected, and in three series he managed just two completions in seven attempts for 42 yards and a 52.1 passer rating.
His first throw was a nice one: Moving right, he found Elic Ayomanor, who gained 20 of his 35 yards after the catch.
But the play that would have kept that drive alive on a second-and-13 was beauty of a throw that hit the ground when Van Jefferson either was surprised by it, misread it or failed to give max effort. He didn’t accelerate to it, stretch hard for it or leave his feet for a very nicely placed ball that he dropped when he wasn’t well-positioned enough.
Brian Callahan called it “an unbelievable throw.”
This throw won’t be in the stats…but holy hell Cam Ward pic.twitter.com/CFPXH5QOVP
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 15, 2025
“If I need to throw the ball better or if he thought I led him too far out in front or if he just thought he dropped the ball, at the end of the day it’s on both of us,” Ward told reporters in Atlanta. “We’ve got to make that play. It’s better to happen now than come season time. He said, ‘I got you.’
“I really came up to him to see how the ball was. He thought it was a little bit out in front. So I’ve just got to put it on his chest next time.”
The Titans were flagged for holding by Kalel Mullings and holding by JC Latham during Ward’s time in the game. He was one-for-three throwing for Ayomanor, delivering high twice; one-for-one to Bryce Oliver; oh-for-one to Van Jefferson (also missing him on one of the penalized plays); and oh-for-two to Chimere Dike, delivering low once.
Tennessee got its first touchdown on a 53-yard pick-6 by Kendell Brooks, their second on a fantastic 25-yard catch from Gunnar Helm right at the goal line as he went up to pull in a Brandon Allen pass while draped by Ronnie Harrison and Jordan Fuller who pulled on his facemask and their third on a 16-yard Jemar Jefferson run to cap a drive when Jordan Mims did most of the damage (he totaled 12-50).
That's TUFF @gunnar_helm 💪
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) August 16, 2025
📺: #TENvsATL on @WKRN & NFL+ pic.twitter.com/DyA4JpiSQ1
Ward and Callahan touted the operational effectiveness. I’m ready for that to be something we know and expect – that the No. 1 pick in the draft can get his offense in and out of the huddle should not qualify as an accomplishment beyond Preseason Game No. 2.
Onto the cleaner play by his teammates that was such an offseason emphasis, better production by his targets and better accuracy by him.
Inside linebacker: Cedric Gray finally got a chance with the first-team defense, after James Williams was in place beside Cody Barton since the start of camp. Gray played well with a team high seven tackles a half a sack.
So maybe there is a competition there now.
“I thought Cedric Gray played really well,” Callahan said. “He showed up kind of all over the field in a bunch of different ways which was good to see.”
Corners: At practices, I thought Darrell Baker lost some ground and Amani Oruwariye all but sealed his fate with his poor play. The overall corner depth has not been good.
But sixth-round pick Marcus Harris was a bright spot on Friday night, with several solid plays. Harris showed great catch-up speed tracking Dylan Drummond deep down the middle and closing on him to break up a deep ball from Easton Stick.
Initially, it looked like it was going to be a quick-response TD after Helm’s score put Tennessee ahead 13-3. Harris had another pass break up and wound up with four tackles.
The broadcast: I think Charles Davis is great. But he’s miscast working for a team as an NFL preseason analyst.
During the Channel 2 broadcast, Davis raved about the camps of so many players, you’d think the Titans are having a fantastic camp. They are not.
This is another built-in problem with the NFL preseason, which fans just accept because they are so desperate for the return of football and these games signal it’s close and offer something. Teams hire guys like Davis, who from a payroll position over rave about the club they are broadcasting for.
A certain segment of the fan base that isn’t paying real attention buys the hype, comes to expect more than it should and then is befuddled/ frustrated/ upset when the team is not as good as it came to expect. The team should actually ponder that and tell Davis he doesn't have to pour it on the way he thinks they might like.
Davis doesn’t have point out that Ward himself has called the offense mid multiple times. But good Lord, Charles, turn the dial down. When you talk about the high-quality players the Titans are going to have to cut, you make it sound like they’ve definitely got 53 good ones.
If that’s the case why is the GM you’re interviewing talking about how much he’s going to be using the waiver wire?
Punt returners: Jha’Quan Jackson was first in line as the punt returner at the joint practices and in the game. Why?
Why are the Titans wasting valuable snaps that need to go to the guy most likely to get the job, Dike, in favor of a guy 
who blew up in the job a year ago and rates as extremely unlikely to make the roster in a few weeks unless several receivers all suffer untimely accidents in the same short time window?
Jackson is ninth, at the highest, among receivers, where the most they’d keep is seven. If they kept a seventh for his punt return skills and it was Jackson over James Proche, that would be crazy.
Another returner who’s a real long shot, TJ Sheffield, fumbled a kickoff return that Atlanta turned into a three-play field goal drive to tie the game at 13 late in the third quarter.
Give the reps to the players you need to be ready for jobs on opening day in Denver.
Disruptive and effective: James Lynch and Carlos Watkins were the defensive line starters, with Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat both out as planned. Two other linemen, Isaiah Raikes and Philip Blidi, also wound up not playing.
I've thought Lynch has done a nice job in the past in his role, and Blake Beddingfield is a fan.
Lynch was credited with just two tackles against the Falcons, but I thought he was pretty disruptive. The broadcast pointed out one very good play where he held strong against two blockers, then shed the one who stayed with him to make a very nice run stop.