The NFL schedule makers didn’t do Cam Ward any favors. With the rookie quarterback starting for the Tennessee Titans, the team opened their season on the road against the Denver Broncos. Denver has the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Patrick Surtain II, and a unit many predict will be the best defense in the league this season. Against the Titans, that’s exactly what the Broncos looked like, holding Tennessee to 12 points, while recording six sacks and forcing two turnovers.
You’d think things would get easier for the Titans now that they have that challenge out the way, but that’s not the case at all. In Week 2, Tennessee will host the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams defense may not be as complete as Denver’s, but they have a terrifying defensive line, and an elite pass rush is a nightmare for rookie quarterbacks.
Cam Ward will face off against Rams dominant defensive line on Sunday
Los Angeles has offensive star power with Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, and Puka Nacua, but it was the team’s young defensive line that made things challenging for opposing teams last season. With guys like Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Byron Young, and Kobie Turner, the Rams have a deep group that can chase after quarterbacks all game. In Week 1, Los Angeles got C.J. Stroud down to the ground three times while limiting the Houston Texans to just three field goals.
Comimg off a game where they gave up six sacks, Ward and the offensive line need to be better in Week 2, or it could be a disastrous outing. The line needs to do a better job of blocking, but the rookie also has to do his part. That means getting the ball out of his hands quickly and knowing when to abandon the play. If he doesn’t do those things, the Rams will make sure the offensive line is helping him up off the ground a lot.