Titans vs Falcons Takeaways: Rookie Pass Catchers Shine

The Titans' passing attack was far from perfect on Friday night (more on that later), but a pair of rookies had impressive showings.

Tight end Gunnar Helm, had probably the most impressive offensive play of the night, hauling in a 25-yard touchdown from Brandon Allen while being double covered. The fourth-round pick out of Texas finished the night with a team-high four receptions for 48 yards, including the aforementioned touchdown. While Chig Okonkwo is definitely still the Titans' No. 1 tight end, Helm has shown himself worthy of a significant role in the offense.

Not to be outdone, wide receiver Elic Ayomanor had a solid night as well with two receptions for 47 yards. The fourth-round pick out of Stanford was responsible for Tennessee's longest reception of the night, taking a Cam Ward pass 35 yards on the opening drive.

Cam Ward Still a Work in Progress

Ward had a strong preseason debut last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the No. 1 overall pick still has plenty of room for improvement. He completed just two of seven passes for 42 yards on the night, finishing with a subpar passer rating of 52.1.

Obviously, Ward's struggles on Friday night are not all on him. Van Jefferson dropped a perfectly-placed ball from the rookie quarterback, while the coaching staff is clearly still getting a grip on how to best utilize him.

This season is all about seeing what the Titans have in Ward, so some growing pains early on are to be expected.

Pass Defense Stands Strong

For all of their faults last season, the Titans' actually allowed the second-fewest passing yards in the league, only behind the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. So even if it's backups vs. backups, it's nice to see them still excelling in that department.

Tennessee finished the night allowing an average of just 5.1 yards per pass attempt, an impressive feat regardless of the context. Aside from Chris Blair's 52-yard touchdown, which was a breakdown in coverage, the Titans didn't really allow any big plays through the air.

They alos bookended the night with some big plays against the pass. In the first quarter, Kendell Brooks stepped in front of a pass and ran it back for a 53-yard pick-six. Then on the Falcons' final drive, Joe Graziano got to Stick for a sack that pushed Atlanta out of field goal range.