Tennessee Titans fans have been displeased with the performance of sophomore quarterback Cam Ward this season. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has also received consistent blame for Ward's Year Two regression. Together, Ward and Daboll figured something out in Sunday's thrilling 43-36 Week 8 overtime loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
It was undeniably a career-best day for Ward. The No. 1 overall selection completed 26-of-40 passing attempts for 304 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions (one lost fumble). It was Ward's first-ever 300 yard passing performance. The Titans hadn't scored 36+ points in approximately five years.
Ward's uptick in production wasn't by accident. It was by design. Coach Daboll tested a new approach that finally unlocked Ward's best.
Titans OC Brian Daboll finally found the strategy that unlocked Cam Ward in Week 8
The Titans ran 29 no-huddle snaps on offense, according to Next Gen Stats. That represented a hefty 41.4% of their offensive snaps. That was a season-high amount for any offense in no-huddle this season, as ESPN's Benjamin Solak pointed out.
The results were undeniable. The Titans averaged 8.5 yards per play while running Daboll's no-huddle offense. The league average is just 5.3. Considering they ran 29 no-huddle snaps, the sample size is large enough to believe the success wasn't some random anomaly.
Ward looked like a transformed quarterback. He was comfortable, confident, decisive, poised, and aggressive. Most critics wouldn't have used any of those words to describe Ward's play this campaign prior to Sunday. He's always thrived in a tempo offense, and Daboll fully leaned into that belief versus the Bengals.
Brian Daboll needs to continue leaning into what Cam Ward loves doing
Ward had a +5.5 total EPA, per Sumer Sports. That's the second-best EPA result of his career. Ward also averaged 7.6 passing yards per attempt, the third-highest of his career. With everything going right, he even rushed for a personal-best 41 yards.
The Titans are now heading into a Week 9 bye. Hopefully that represents an excellent opportunity for Daboll and Ward to reload and visit the tape. They should be pleased enough with Sunday's results to ensure the same strategy returns versus the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10.
Ward looked like a legitimate franchise quarterback. He was consistently accurate with excellent ball placement. The Titans need to continue investing in this version of Ward. Hopefully Daboll continues running a tempo offense with loads of no-huddle opportunities.
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