Cam Ward could pave the way for an under-the-radar Week 1 surprise

On Sunday, Tennessee Titans fans will be 245 days removed from the final game of the 2024 season. Those fans hope the 2024 regular-season finale signaled rock bottom, and their reward for that pain and suffering is a new franchise quarterback in the form of No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.

While fans are excited to watch Ward make his debut against the Denver Broncos in Sunday's Week 1 game, the opening matchup is a dangerous one for the offense. If the coaching staff is wise, Ward will be a complementary part of the offense, rather than the driving force.

Despite a promising group of pass catchers and an exciting gunslinger at quarterback, the Titans should lean on their experienced running game on Sunday for a few reasons.

Titans should rely on run game, not Cam Ward, versus Broncos in Week 1

First and foremost, the old adage is that "the running game travels," and that is especially true when you're talking about a group of veteran linemen and running backs working together. More on the offensive line later, but for now, let's discuss Tony Pollard.

For half of the 2024 season, Pollard was the only consistent source of positive production for the Titans on offense. He ended the season with 30 explosive runs, and did most of that damage behind an offensive line that was missing its high-priced center, one that needed multiple upgrades.

With a year of experience in this offense and much more help around him, Pollard has a chance to improve on his career year. That can start in Denver against the Broncos this weekend.

Speaking of help around Pollard, that brings us to the new-look offensive line. This group is big and heavy even by NFL standards, and they are built to lean on defensive fronts like the one they'll see in Denver, which feature multiple double-digit sack artists. How big is the offensive line? According to Brandon Thorn, the Titans have the fifth-heaviest offensive line in the NFL.

With center Lloyd Cushenberry on the PUP list during training camp and right guard Kevin Zeitler sitting out preseason games, this group hasn't banked as many reps together as you would like. However, this is the most talented unit the team has had since they were on a run of winning seasons, so even if they haven't fine-tuned their chemistry, they should still be a big positive.

Finally, the Titans need to run the ball more because that is how great quarterbacks have started their careers in recent history. For example, Jayden Daniels threw 24 passes in Week 1 last year, which was the fifth-fewest of his season. Joe Burrow wasn't that different. In Week 1 of his rookie season, Burrow threw the third-fewest passes of his debut campaign (which is crazy because he actually threw the ball 36 times in that game).

Meanwhile, quarterbacks who were asked to do too much struggled, even if they turned out to have good rookie seasons overall. C.J. Stroud threw 44 passes in his first start (which was the second most of his rookie season), and he failed to log a touchdown while only averaging 5.5 yards per attempt in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

The goal should be to ease Ward into the NFL by starting off with plays that he has repped over and over in training camp. Brian Callahan can then slowly expand the playbook as the season goes on. Ward's development shouldn't be rushed, and running the ball effectively can extend drives without putting the game completely on his shoulders.