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Titans' Cam Ward Bounces Back From Awful Start

Cam Ward started off poorly, but was able to leave the Tennessee Titans coaching staff with a positive outlook by the end of the game.
Jeremy Brener|
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Titans

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward didn't have the greatest of starts in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts.

Just three plays into the game with less than a minute off of the clock, Ward threw an interception to Colts defensive back Kenny Moore II that was returned for a touchdown. Ward spoke about the play after the game and why it happened.

"Well, I told the running back the wrong route first, and then when I got to him, I threw it, right when I threw, I seen him," Ward said postgame. "So, I knew a bad play there. But I mean, at the end of the day, I knew the time will come when I throw an interception. Just how we responded from it, we did."

The interception put the Titans in catch-up mode all afternoon long. The Titans never grabbed the lead and ultimately lost 41-20 against the Colts. While Ward made the massive error at the beginning of the game, Titans head coach Brian Callahan was appreciative of Ward's response after the interception.

"Yeah, he bounced back. That's one of the things he does well. He doesn't flinch when those things happen. It was the third play of the game. There's a lot of football left at that point," Callahan said.

"Just the decision-making. He's going to try to check the ball down, and he's got to see the defender sitting there. I don't know, I'll have to ask him exactly how he saw it, but it's one of those things where you put the ball in harm's way like that, it's an easy interception on a check-down. Sometimes it's better to throw it at his feet and eat it or punt it, so you can punt it, but those are decisions. He hasn't had a lot of those, but that one got him."

Rookies are going to make mistakes because it's part of the gig. It's hard to go through an entire rookie campaign and not make an error like that, but Ward was able to do better after that.

Ward finished the game completing 23 of 38 passes for a career-high 219 yards and a touchdown to fellow rookie Elic Ayomanor in the fourth quarter.

The more Ward learns from his mistakes, the better quarterback he will become as the season goes on.

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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.

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