Titans' Cam Ward Debut Didn't Hit Shedeur Sanders Mark

In Ward's first drive, the Titans were not on the field too long. The Titans went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Buccaneers.

However, on their second possession he had three nice completions to Calvin Ridley and one to Tyler Lockett. He marched the team down the field and the Titans scored on a one-yard plunge by Tony Pollard. It punctuated an 11-play drive that lasted 6:38 and was good for 65 yards.

You can bet that the combination of Ward to Ridley will heat up before the season starts and the two will be a force to be reckoned with for the next several years to come.

Ward nearly had a pass picked off by Buccaneers cornerback Josh Evans. Ward underthrew wide receiver Elic Ayomanor on the left flank as he tried to go back shoulder. Evans jumped the route and read Ward's eyes, but dropped what would have been a certain interception.

The missed pick did not phase Ward as he went on to complete his two third-down opportunities and otherwise had a flawless game.

For his brief performance, Ward felt good about what the offense accomplished and he is looking forward to his next opportunity.

"It felt good operation-wise," Ward said after the game. "We really didn't have any MAs (missed assignments). I think the biggest thing was us being able to play in a real-game atmosphere together, getting the vibe of each other and then playing together like we did."

The inauspicious debut paled in comparison to the Cleveland Browns' rookie Shedeur Sanders' coming out party the night before against the Carolina Panthers. Sanders played about 50 snaps, which went into the third quarter, and threw two touchdown passes. Sanders finished the game going 14-for-23 for 138 yards and the two aforementioned scores to Kaden Davis.

Sanders led the Browns to touchdowns on three drives. He went 5-of-9 for 81 yards and a score while he was under pressure. It was a solid night for Sanders, compared to Ward, who had a shaky and otherwise vanilla start.

Ward and the Titans will next play in Atlanta on Friday night against the Falcons. The two teams will have joint practices this coming week in Flowery Branch, Ga.