The Tennessee Titans are ready to show off the chemistry that rookie quarterback Cam Ward has with Calvin Ridley in Week 1 versus the Denver Broncos. The Ward-Ridley partnership will face a stiff test right out of the gate. All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II awaits them.
In many ways, the Broncos are the worst possible opponents for the Titans in Week 1. Not only will the team have to overcome the notoriously difficult journey to Denver, but when they arrive, the Broncos defense will be waiting for them.
The spotlight has shifted away from the Broncos over the last few years, but in that darkness, they've been building a monster. ESPN's Mike Clay ranks the Broncos as one of the NFL's top-three defenses, with every position group ranking in the top 10. That is a brutal way for a rookie quarterback to start his career.
Titans' Cam Ward & Calvin Ridley must overcome Broncos challenge in Week 1
That isn't what makes Denver a unique challenge for the Titans. The thing that sets them apart is Surtain. The Broncos star cornerback was the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, the first cornerback to win the award since 2019.
Not only is Surtain incredible, but he is impossible to avoid. Last season, he played 45% of his snaps on the right side, 39% of his snaps on the left side, and 16% of his snaps in the box or in the slot. There is no formation or alignment that the Titans can use to guarantee Surtain isn't shadowing Ridley.
It's a good thing the Titans had Ward play two preseason games without Ridley, because there's a decent chance that Surtain will erase him for portions of the game. Ward needs to know who else he can trust on the offense when there isn't an opportunity to target Ridley.
Ward is a gunslinger, and he is going to give Ridley every chance he can to make some explosive plays. That means throwing the ball in Surtain's direction on occasion. Brian Callahan can't coach that out of him (nor does he want to), but they have to be smart about when they take those shots.
Expect Brian Callahan and Nick Holz to get Ridley in motion, or to occasionally hide him in a stacked formation to give him some space and a free release.
The Titans offense can't thrive without the Ward to Ridley connection, so expect the quarterback to take his shots, and if Surtain makes a play, then so be it. This offense has a personality and Ward refuses to play scared, so this connection is about to be tested in the harshest way, and fans are going to get the see what it is like to have a true gunslinger at quarterback. That means taking the good with the bad, so buckle up!