The Tennessee Titans’ offense looked flat-out bad in Week 1, scraping together only 10 points and a measly 195 total yards. Seriously, almost nothing explosive happened. But here’s the kicker: after a deep dive into the film, it turns out Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll’s offensive structure was actually better than those ugly numbers suggest. He had some good designs, a surprisingly interesting run game, and enough receiving talent to create opportunities. So what was the problem? Cam Ward and the protection unit repeatedly failed to capitalize. Talk about frustrating!
The Passing Game: Ward’s Woes and Daboll’s Trust
Daboll wasn’t playing it safe with Ward at all. The Titans ran 11 personnel on a massive 73.5% of their snaps and passed on 66.7% of their neutral-situation plays. They even threw on 55.6% of first-and-10s. This wasn’t some old-school, conservative game plan trying to hide a young quarterback. Daboll put the offense squarely in Ward’s hands, and honestly, it just didn’t work. Ward averaged roughly 5.5 air yards per attempt, meaning he never truly threatened the Jets downfield. It’s not like the receivers were the main issue either. Wan’Dale Robinson is a useful slot guy who already knows Daboll’s system, and Elic Ayomanor looks like he can play as a physical outside target. Then there’s rookie Carnell Tate, the fourth overall pick, who is clearly the most exciting player in that group. Tate was getting separation on intermediate and deep routes, but Ward couldn’t get him the ball. This isn’t an elite receiving corps, but it’s comfortably good enough for the quarterback to play way better than he did.
Pressure Cooker: The O-Line’s Breakdown
The biggest schematic headache for the Titans was how they handled pressure. The Jets kept confusing the offensive line with simulated pressures, overloading one side, and bringing in second-level defenders. Time and again, Tennessee either totally failed to spot the extra rusher or just didn’t have an immediate answer built into the play. It was rough to watch. At one point, the Jets sent five guys, including a corner screaming off the edge, and nobody blocked him. The routes took too long to develop, leaving Ward with no choice but to bail out. As Jonny Page tweeted, it was “Another blitz that the Titans just do not pick up. The Jets send 5, overload one side, and the Titans don’t have a plan. No one picks up the blitzing CB, and the routes take too long to develop, so Ward has to bail. You can’t win if you can’t pick up blitzers.” It’s hard to argue with that.
The Titans are looking ahead to their next game, and they’ve got to figure this out fast. Daboll has good ideas, but if Ward and the offensive line can’t execute, those ideas are dead in the water. Can they fix the protection issues and get Ward to deliver the ball downfield? Their season depends on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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