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Titans HC Sends Message to Cam Ward

Cam Ward is going into his first game with the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward warms up before an NFL pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward warms up before an NFL pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward is just days away from making his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos.

It's a big moment that comes with a lot of emotions, but Titans head coach Brian Callahan wants Ward to keep things easy-going.

"We don't need him to do anything super-human. We just need him to play good football, and need the guys around him to play well for him," Callahan said via team reporter Jim Wyatt.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward drops back to throw during training camp
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward drops back to throw during training camp. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ward has a difficult task ahead of him when facing the Denver Broncos. They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in cornerback Pat Surtain II along with big-time pass rushers in Nik Bonitto and Zach Allen.

With those challenges, it should be the toughest game of Ward's career up until this point. Ward has a lot of experience with five years in college at Incarnate Word, Washington State and Miami, but that doesn't compare to what an NFL defense will throw at him.

Ward is about as prepared as one can be for his debut, but he still will have some obstacles to overcome. The best way to shrink the magnitude of the moment is to keep things simple.

The Titans have built the playbook to cater to Ward's college strengths and even brought in his No. 1 wide receiver Xavier Restrepo to help bridge the gap, but it has yet to translate into success in the NFL.

The Titans hope everything they have worked on in the offseason will translate on the field, but there isn't anything that confirms it will be successful. The preseason provided a glimpse of what could happen, but that was against backup defenses.

The Titans are looking to give Ward the best chance to succeed, but this game against the Broncos will set his baseline for the rest of the season.

Ward and the Titans will kick things off against the Broncos on Sunday at 3:05 p.m. CT inside Empower Field at Mile High. Fans can watch the game on CBS or stream it on the Paramount Plus app.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.