We've seen it play out countless times in the NFL. When a team fails to set its rookie quarterback up for success, he struggles. It doesn't matter how talented the passer is; no rookie can overcome an impossible situation. The Tennessee Titans are watching that same story unfold with Cam Ward.
Outside of a thrilling Week 5 comeback against the Arizona Cardinals, Ward has struggled heavily so far this year. He's thrown more interceptions than touchdowns, reinforcing the worries some fans had about his "gunslinger" mentality. For the most part, his creativity has been overshadowed by the incompetence of Tennessee's offense as a whole.
In the Titans' Week 6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the rookie was put in a difficult situation once again. While he had some encouraging moments, the quarterback was unable to carry his offense to a productive performance.
Cam Ward helpless in Titans' Week 6 loss to Raiders
The first overall draft pick finished his sixth game in the NFL with 222 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 81.2. He had a few plays that reminded fans of the dynamic prospect he was coming into the league, but was unable to consistently lead his team down the field.
Yes, he makes some questionable decisions with the ball, but the result in Week 6 was not the quarterback's fault.
The frustrating state of the Titans' offense was summed up in just a few plays late in the third quarter. The rookie QB had led an efficient drive, taking his team down to the Raiders' 18-yard line with a chance to score Tennessee's first touchdown of the game. Then, Ward was sacked almost immediately for a loss of nine yards. After a delay of game penalty and a short run by Tyjae Spears, the Titans were forced to settle for a field goal. The drive showed exactly what fans have learned this season: Ward is as talented as they could have hoped, but he can't overcome the embarrassing inadequacies of this team.
Throughout the game, he seemed to be under pressure constantly. He was sacked six times on the day, losing 62 total yards. When he was able to get the ball off, he rarely had wide-open receivers.
Ward has been far from perfect. But the slow start this offense is experiencing is more on poor play calling and inconsistent offensive line play than it is on the rookie's performances.