Titans Practice Report: Cam Ward Improves, Secondary Continues to Struggle

The Tennessee Titans held a weekend practice following their debut duel with the San Francisco 49ers. Only so much can be taken away from a team's first preseason game, especially one under a new coaching staff. But two of the more negative elements still stood out: The passing game was inconsistent, and Tennessee's secondary was a clear defensive weak point.

In Saturday's afternoon practice, Cam Ward and his offense found themselves back on track. The secondary, as a natural result of Ward's improvement, continued to struggle.

Ward reportedly hit sophomore receiver Elic Ayomanor over the middle, where he beat cornerback Cor'Dale Flott on a catch-and-run. On another play, Ward found Ayomanor again in a busted coverage scenario on Alontae Taylor. 73-yard touchdown for the former rookie teammates.

Cam Ward did some very good things today in bouncing back from SF.

On one two-play drive he hit Elic Ayomanor for midrange catch-and-run versus Flott. Then bomb to EA wide open vs. busted coverage on Alontae Taylor’s side for 73-yard TD.

But it felt like Ward started slow and…
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) August 15, 2026

Ward finished practice three total touchdowns, including two that went to Ayomanor. As Tennessee's passing core prepares to bounce back against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Aug. 23, Robert Saleh's secondary has only been further highlighted as a point of concern.

The contest against San Francisco felt like an early red flag, even though the Titans went on to win that one.

Tennessee's Secondary is Exhibiting Early Red Flags

Let's hone in on the aforementioned Flott as an example. In Tennessee's preseason opener, Flott allowed six completions on six targets, which led to 74 yards. Flott was also tagged with a pass interference penalty, tying a nasty bow on an effort indicative of the Titans' struggles.

On the whole, Tennessee allowed 238 passing yards to San Francisco. Again, preseason games can't be used to entirely define a team; with only one game under their belts, the Titans' secondary absolutely have room to improve.

All the same, following that performance with a seemingly similar run in practice isn't the best of looks. As we keep an eye on that bunch, however, Ward being back on track suggests that Brian Daboll's offense was only just getting started last week.

The Titans Offense is Only Just Getting Started

Ward finding his footing again, even if it is just in a practice setting, bodes well for his own return to form against Seattle. Titans fans will also look forward to seeing a potential breakout from Carnell Tate, after the top-picked rookie didn't haul in a pass last Thursday.

It won't be long before we no longer have to analyze practices to get an idea as to how the Titans' playmakers are progressing, but at this point in the preseason, both of these trends are starting to look more defined.

Cam Ward and the offense have had a good offseason, save for their rough preseason showing. Tennessee's secondary, on the other hand, have some ground to make up already.

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