Aug 15, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward (1) passes the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Cam Ward Stays Quiet in Titans Win Over Falcons

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Jared Koch | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 10:30 PM ET

On Friday night, the Tennessee Titans managed to rebound from a preseason opener loss with a victory over the Atlanta Falcons, ending up on top 23-20.

It would be a tight finish at the end, as the Titans would be forced to punt back to the Falcons with less than two minutes left on the clock in the fourth, but would seal their winning efforts with a big second-down sack from Joe Gaziano to sink Atlanta's hopes of tying up with a field goal.

Both sides ensured to take the conservative approach in this one with their most notable stars and starters, as many names opted to stay on the sidelines for their second of two preseason battles. However, while doing so, the Titans still had a short look at their number-one overall pick in Cam Ward to start the night, albeit in a limited fashion, similarly to what we saw against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ward finished completing 2/7 passes for 42 yards before Brandon Allen would be the one to take his place in the second quarter. Ward nearly made that number 3/7, but fell victim to a brutal drop by Van Jefferson in the first quarter.

This throw won’t be in the stats…but holy hell Cam Ward pic.twitter.com/CFPXH5QOVP
— Chase Daniel (@ChaseDaniel) August 15, 2025

All things considered, in the three drives he appeared in, a quiet night for the first-overall pick in the mix. But pairing the preseason implications with such a limited sample size, it's hard to take much stock in the outcome.

Though the biggest standout in the receiving game for the Titans, and maybe the offense as a whole, for the night might've been none other than rookie tight end Gunnar Helm.

The fourth-round pick from this summer finished his night with four catches for 48 yards and a touchdown, being Tennessee's leading receiver and a big target at Allen's disposal in the first half. It might just be preseason, but an eye-catching performance for the rookie's second unofficial performance of his career, nonetheless.

Brandon Allen zips it to Gunnar Helm for a Titans TD!

Watch on @NFLNetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/ToSKVx576N
— NFL (@NFL) August 16, 2025

Both James Proche II and Eric Ayomanor also had notable nights themselves in the passing game, with Proche bringing in three receptions for 35 yards, and Ayomanor getting two catches for 47.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Titans put together a highlight play early on in the form of the pick six taken back by cornerback Kendell Brooks , which gave the Titans a 6-0 lead they wouldn't end up relinquishing for the rest of the way. The Falcons would be led by Easton Stick for the majority of the time, finishing 19/32 for 173 yards, pairing a nice Chris Blair touchdown with his pick-six.

The Titans will have one more preliminary showing before the real action gets going for the regular season, that meeting being against the Minnesota Vikings next week.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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