Locked On Titans - Daily Podcast On The Tennessee Titans - Tennessee Titans Cam Ward REAL PROGRESS & CLEAR ISSUES Both Show in Philadelphia Eagles Loss

Episode Date: September 21, 2026

The Tennessee Titans took real steps forward in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and that included Cam Ward. Ward showed signs of progress coming out of the loss to the New York Jets and should have fan feeling encouraged about his progression. However, there are some issues that still obviously remained. Overcoming them will be key for Ward this season. A big part of that is the Titans offensive line, who yet again had a good day. The O-Line is a big reason the Titans can keep the progress going. As is the defensive line, who finally showed up and got some pressure. Even the Titans coverage played decently for moments in the second half, but the real issue is there isn't enough talent in the secondary for the Titans to succeed consistently there. That, plus conservative coaching and kickoff issues are things the Titans have real trouble with going forward.  OCKED ON TITANS EVERYDAY CLUB: https://lockedontitans.supercast.com/ Subscribe to the TicTacTitans Film Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TicTacTitans TicTacTitans Merchandise: https://dixons-dream.square.site/shop... Follow Tyler on Twitter @TicTacTitans Follow the show on Facebook @LockedOnTitansPod Subscribe to the Locked On Titans YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LockedOnTitans Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!OdooGreat organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. Butcher BoxIf you're looking for an easier way to get great meals on the table, give ButcherBox a try.Go to https://ButcherBox.com/LOCKEDONNFL to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ribeye, new york strip, or filet mignon in every box for a year — with free shipping always.IndeedListeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.PrizePicksVisit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNFL and use code LOCKEDONNFL and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!KALSHIToday's episode is brought to you by Kalshi. For a limited time, Download Kalshi and use code Locked On to get $25 when you trade $25. Kalshi. Trade what’s next. GametimeToday's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.FanDuelGet three hundred fifty dollars in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMFANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cam Ward made real progress against the Philadelphia Eagles, but like the entire Titans team, there are still real issues that need to get fixed. I'll break it all down on today's edition of Locked on Titans. You are Locked on Titans, your daily Tennessee Titans podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. Welcome to the Locked on Titans podcast. I am your host. Tyler Roland Titans fans. Today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast is brought to you by Game Time. Download the GameTime app, create an account, use the code locked on for $20 off your first purchase on today's show.

We are going to talk about the problems that I think are real issues for the Titans going forward that must get fixed if they want to win games. We'll also talk about some of the real signs of progress that I'm most excited about for the Titans including the offensive line who, after the tape and the data, performance looks even better than we thought coming out of yesterday's game. But we got to start with Cam Ward's performance because there was real progress, but also at the same time, there are some things that simply have to get better quickly. I dove into the tape on Cam Ward. My film breakdown is out right now on the Tick-Tac Titans film channel.

Go check that out. But first and foremost, Cam Ward, made real progress. Now, you could easily say that the bar was so low in week one that, of course, he was going to make progress, but I don't think that's fair. I think we need to give Cam the credit where it's due for how bad he played against the Jets. There was a clear improvement here against the Eagles. He just played cleaner. He played easier. He was more poised. He was more in control of the offense throughout. There weren't a ton of operational errors or they couldn't get guys lined up in timer. Cam had a really good pace to him with how to set the offense,

when to get guys in motion, understanding pre-snap reads of the defense. He did a really, really good job. When adjustments had to be made, understanding why that adjustment was made, and then going to attack it. There was one audible in particular where the Philadelphia Eagles were in a regular looking defense, two linebackers, and then they shifted. They put one of the linebackers on the line of scrimmage, and it opened up the middle of the field where Cam Ward shifted the tight end, changed the play, and then hit Calvin Ridley on a slant on third down that moved the sticks. Just smart understanding of the offense, where to go, think about the Wondale-Robinson

conversion on third and five, where Robinson motions to the trips bunch and then hits a quick out route, and Cam perfectly puts it on him, easy to move the chains. that's exactly what it should look like. All the little screen passes to Gunner Helm, the dump off the Tajay Spears, hitting at the Tony Pollard on the screen. That was all clean within the right timing, within the rhythm of the play.

Think about the play action, crossing route to Eichio Manor where he jumped over the player. That was just clean, easy, classic play action crossing. You got Tate on a post route, crossing route from Iommanner on the other side, second-level defenders get pulled in by the play-action fake, easy toss over second-level, right to Ely-O-Manner,

let him catch it, run in stride. You know, I know it's simple plays, but Cam was making the simple stuff look really hard in the preseason. Cam was making the simple stuff look really hard last week against the Jets. So that is progress for Cam Ward. And then we also got a mixture of some special. plays where Cam rips that anticipatory post

drought to Elyeo Manor, puts it right in the bread basket so he can catch it and run up field in between a cover three deep third corner and then a buzz safety coming down from a deep alignment into an intermediate zone. Cam put it right in between both of them perfectly on time before Elykeio Manor

had even crossed behind the first defender that was in the flat. It was an incredible threat. So not only did we see Cam do everything smoothly within the structure of the offense. But he also had a couple electric throws. I think about that post to I.O. We just talked about the play action sit-down route, the deep curl route from Calvin Ridley over the middle

that he drove home in between two levels of defenders. And then using his legs, Cam is already used his legs better this year than he did all of. of last year. Already. The first escape to do a spin move in the pocket

and get the guy off of you and then find a way to get to the end zone and set yourself up for the quarterback sneak for a touchdown. Running for the touchdown later when the play action bootleg, nobody was open. That was the only choice that Cam had. So using his legs,

we're starting to see some juice throws. He was, cleaner, more poised, and no turnover so far. He's got three total touchdowns and no turnover so far this year. Progress was absolutely made. Now, I will say this, it is far from perfect. If you watch that tape with an honest eye and you're not just trying to hype up Cam Ward, there is still bad on the tape. The worst play of them all is at the end. end of the game. And the Titans had the opportunity to score. And there was a sit-down route on the left-hand side from Gunner Helm. There was a deep out route from Ellic-I-O-Manner. There was a post-rout

on the backside from Carnell Tate. All of them were open. Or this was before halftime is what it was. All of them were open. They were open. Could have had them. and instead of that Cam Ward leaves a clean pocket drifts back to his right like we have been talking about there's nobody on the right side of the field for the play because there was a trips to the left

and he just throws it away Cam has to stop leaving clean pockets he did it three or four times in this game did it multiple times last week against the Jets. I understand he's got PTSD from getting hit so much last year and being told he's got to get the ball out. He's got to get rid of the ball.

He's got, I get it. I get that. But his pocket decision making when to run, when to check it down, when to be patient because you have a clean pocket and find somebody. It's his timing,

his sense of pocket danger, we'll call it, is totally busted right now. Totally, he's scared in the pocket, he's got happy feet in the pocket, there's no pressure on him, and he'll just start dropping his head and looking at the pressure, running up into the defensive line

when he doesn't have to do any of that. His, again, feel of pocket danger right now is completely busted. and I hope that that will get better. As he realizes from watching tape, oh, I'm not under pressure. I do have a clean pocket. I don't need to panic.

I can wait for the routes to develop. He's just got more time than his brain tells him that he has. And I understand why that might be the case. Cam was 0 for 5 under pressure. in this game. He was 13 for 15 with a clean pocket. When

there's pressure even close to him. There's even a whisper of it. He just can't handle it right now. He just can't handle it. And then, you know, you talk about that stuff and then the

mist to Elyke-I-O-Man are in the end zone. The mist to Cornell-Tate on the the rollout to the left when he was wide open against Tariq Wollin. Those hurt, but the inaccuracy wasn't anywhere near as bad this week as it was last week. But boy, that I-O-Manor throw, it was a bad, bad throw, man. So his pocket decision-making and the inaccuracy does have to get better, even if progress was made.

And my thing is, again, I think that progress will continue to be made, and I think it will get better, because Cam will settle. to his new reality. All right, the Titans' offensive line is doing a good job. And when Cam Ward finally just takes a deep breath and realizes he has more time in the pocket than he did last year, he's going to start to rip some of these throws that we started to see examples of at a higher clip,

and then we're rolling. And that's what we want to see. Now, again, a whole part of this conversation is the offensive line. And I'm going to tell you what I think is a real issue for the Titans going forward outside of the Cammore discussion. But I got to start with the things that I think are real exciting for the Titans and will help them win games moving forward. David Harrison here at the Locked-on Commanders podcast.

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from those mentioned. For more information, see kouchi.com slash regulatory. Fans, let's continue today's edition of the Locked on Titans podcast. We talked about Cam Ward's Day. He did make real progress against the Eagles that I'm excited about, but a lot still has to get better. And quite frankly, that's true about the Tennessee Titans as a team. I'm going to tell you what I think are some real issues that are going to prevent the Titans from getting wins going forward at the end of the show.

But now I want to talk about things that I'm truly optimistic about with the Titans that I think took steps forward against the Eagles that are real and are going to help them win games or at least have a chance to win games. going forward and that starts with the offensive line. I am going to continue to drive the bus myself if I have to. This Tennessee Titans offensive line is way better than what the average sentiment from Titans fans is on this offensive line. And after watching the film, after going through the data of this game,

it paints the same picture. The Titans offensive line was good in this game. the Titans offensive line only allowed four pressures. Austin Schlaughtman did not get credited with a pressure allowed. Dan Moore had a pressure, J.C. Latham, Carmona, and Skoronski all had one. Cam Ward was responsible for two pressures himself, and both sacks were put on Cam Ward. or I think they gave Cam one and then one they considered a coverage sack, I guess,

is what you would call it. But nonetheless, if you look at the grading, pro football focus gave the Titans offensive line zero sacks responsible and only four total pressures against the Philadelphia Eagles defensive front. And I will tell you that that's led by J.C. Latham. Latham was really good in pass protection in this game. Dan Moore was really the only person that I would say struggled in past protection in this game.

I mean, the Titans generally gave Cam Ward a ton of time. The one sack that the Eagles got, Cam kind of ran up into the defensive line when he could have dumped the ball off to Taj Spears. That was on Cam Ward. And then the Jalen Carter sack, I've seen some people say, well, how is that not on J.C. Latham? He got whooped on that one.

Robert Sala talked about this in the press conference on Monday. I saw it immediately on the broadcast. The Titans tried to run power to the left, a play action fake of power, where a guard comes from the backside and pulls to the front side of the run. Jalen Carter is the backside defensive end on that play to a power fake to the other side.

to the left. They are not expecting Jalen Carter to take an outside track to Cam Ward on the bootleg. That is not what anyone is expecting. J.C. Latham is expecting, and J.C. Latham widens a little bit to invite Jalen Carter inside of him

to go towards the play action fake. And Jalen Carter just makes a great play. He just made a great play. That's not a sack on J.C. Latham. That's Jalen Carter read the play, and beat the play. He's a great player. PFF didn't give J.C.

Latham a sack. And even before I ever saw the grades, when I saw that play during the game on Sunday watching on TV, I'm like, oh, well, that's not really Jay C. Latham's fault right there. That's just Jalen Carter made a great play. The Titans ran for over four yards per carry,

122 yards total. The Titans going into Monday night football, the Titans offensive line, eighth best offensive line in pass-blocking efficiency grade. Right now, the Titans are 10th overall in pass-blocking efficiency on pro football focus if you count week one and week two.

I'm telling you guys, this is just the beginning. The Titans' offensive line is going to get better. This is the start in a start, new system. They're learning how they're going to block certain plays against certain fronts and how they're going to handle certain pressure looks up front. And there's so much learning going on on the O-line. And they're already looking super solid.

Carmona and Latham are moving bodies. Like, there's a lot to be excited about with the offensive line. And if the Tennessee Titans are going to turn it around and start to win games, a lot of it is going to have to do with the fact that the O-line is giving Cam Ward clean pockets so that he can finally get comfortable and let those fears go, and they're able to run the ball and give Cam Ward easier opportunities to do that as well. I am excited about the offensive line, and you aren't going to tell me different after watching that tape against the Eagles.

That is a great defense. This O line is not trash, all right? We got to readjust how we talk about the offensive line, because they played well in this game. And I'm going to flip it to the other side of the ball too. The pass rush man, Jeffrey Simmons right now, has 13 total pressures in the first two weeks of the season.

That is the most for an interior defensive lineman through the first two weeks of an NFL season since 2018. And I would bet that was probably Aaron Donald. I mean, that is. is impressive. Jeff was disruptive in this game, really good in this game. Six pressures on Jalen Hertz. Got credited for a sack as well.

Good game. He made some plays in the run game. Now, it wasn't perfect. But Jeff and the pass rush overall, they got 11 total pressures on Jalen Hertz. Jermaine Johnson had five pressures. Jacob Martin had seven. Jeff had six.

John Franklin Myers had four in a sack. In the second half of the game, the Titans did a lot better job of getting pressure on Jalen Hertz. It was encouraging. I'm excited. And the way that they shut down the run game as well, 32 carries for 82 yards for the Eagles, under three yards per carry.

The Titans' defensive line was meant to be the lifeblood of this team. And they looked like a unit that could literally be that on Sunday against the Eagles. So that is encouraging to me moving forward. And let me say this. I know. I know. But the coverage looked better in the second half too.

The Titans, I've been talking about this since the preseason. Robert Salas' coverages on defense are complex. The rules. How we adjust our coverage to trips, to this motion. If they run this route concept, oh, the outside guy went outside. So you take him. Number two on the inside went vertical. So I have to take him.

Oh, they're running this concept against this coverage. I should be ready for that. Oh, teams are going to do this more and more often. I'll be ready next time. Those learning things are happening in the secondary and they're happening at such a rapid rate that the secondary played a lot better in the second half than it did the first half.

Now it wasn't perfect. and actually, as we get to the next segment, I will tell you exactly why it was not perfect. But the Titans coverage is going to get better as the year goes on because they're learning complex things. And as they get more comfortable at them, they will get better at them. And they were better in the second half in coverage

than they were in the first half, even though they still ended up losing the game. I know that a lot of people aren't going to be able to accept that. But it is a reality. But between Cam Ward's progress, the O line looking the way it looked. Jeffrey Simmons in the pass rush and the D line looking much better or the coverage being more sound and having less busts in the second half. I'm encouraged about the Titans' chances to win more football games going forward

than maybe I was coming into this week. And we'll talk more about that on tomorrow's show when I talk about the fact the AFC South is still wide open for the Tennessee Titans. So we're going to talk about that on tomorrow's show. but now we'll cap off today's show by talking about the real issues the Titans have that I think will prevent wins in the coming weeks. Do want to let you know that today's episode is brought to you by FanDool.

Sportsbook, welcome to your most rewarding NFL season ever only on Fandle. More rewarding than what? More rewarding than a touchdown with time expiring. More rewarding than an 18-point comeback. Maybe even more rewarding than an O-line. men catching a touchdown, maybe even more rewarding than a moral victory against the Eagles. This season, Fandle is making the excitement go beyond what happens on the field with their all-new fan dual rewards club featuring exclusive offers, surprises, and more.

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We talked about the things that have me most excited for the Titans potential to win moving forward. The O line, the defensive line, some of the coverage togetherness in the second half. But now I want to talk about the things that are real issues that could prevent the Titans from getting wins going forward that I saw in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Before I do, do want to thank you for making Locked on Titans. Your first listen each and every day, Monday through Friday, Tennessee Titans content all year round, always for free. Make sure you get subscribe, stay subscribed. It's your team every day. Check out my Cam Ward film breakdown.

It's out on the Tick-Tac Titans channel right now, going over the good and the bad from Cam Ward's Progress Day against the Philadelphia Eagles. But we talked about the secondary having more togetherness and how that's something that I was excited about and I think we'll help the Titans going forward when the Titans start to understand. But a problem that's not going away

that's going to make it hard for the Titans to win is the secondary does not have a lot of talent. Okay, Alante Taylor, $20 million per year. The best cornerbacks in the NFL make $35 million per year. We didn't sign John Franklin Myers to a $20 million per year deal

and expect him to be the best interior defensive lineman or a bona fide number one interior interior. your defensive lineman at that. We didn't sign Dan Moore for $22 million a year at left tackle and expect him to be one of the best left tackles in the entire NFL, or if you did,

that was a bozo move. You should have known better. Should be listening to Locked on Titans and you would know not to expect Dan Moore to be one of the best tackles in the NFL. The reality is $20 million a year sounds like a lot, and listen, it is a lot of money.

But when you're talking about cornerbacks in the NFL, $20 million isn't supposed to be a lockdown number one elite cornerback. And Alante Taylor is not that. He has been beat three or four times so far this year on got-a-have-it situations one-on-one with the top wide receiver on the other team and he's lost. Whether it was Garrett Wilson two times, whether it was yesterday against Devante Smith, he lost, he lost on a slant, he lost on a curl. We saw him lose last week to Garrett Wilson on a slant.

But at the end of the day, I don't expect Alante Taylor to be better than Devante Smith and Garrett Wilson. They're better players than him. So how much better can the coverage get when the number one corner? And here's a reality we have to accept. The Titans knew that they could not get their secondary to a feasible place with rookie cornerbacks. So all you can do if you want to complain about the Titans' cornerbacks

is complain that they picked the wrong ones. They should have signed other guys at cornerback is the only argument that you could make. Because the Titans could not have just drafted their way to a decent cornerback room this year. They didn't have the resources to do that. They had to go in free agency and they had two open starting quarterbacks.

cornerback spots on the outside. You can't just draft that. So we need to accept that Alante Taylor is not paid like an elite cornerback and he's going to do the best that he can. And Cordell Flott was paid even less than Alante Taylor. $15 million per year for a starting cornerback

is basically average to slightly below average starting cornerback money. And then Amani Hooker had the interception and had some moments. he didn't play terrible football yesterday, but he also got beat on the crosser by Devante Smith. He got beat to the outside by Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell on the same exact corner route and cover four

because he's not quick enough to get over top to it. You know, Amani Hooker's just not quick enough. And Kevin Winston has good moments, but still it's going to take him some time to fully understand coverage. He got beat by Mackay Lemon, on a deep in route because he had the curl flat to the right-hand side, but in the Titans match cover three coverage that they were in, he needed to stay with Mackay Lemon and just a split second of hesitation from Kevin Winston,

and he couldn't get there. So the secondary just isn't talented enough, and we knew that coming into the season, so they can get smarter and they can have a better understanding and coverage, and they can play with more togetherness, but they just don't have a super talented secondary. and that's not going to get better with progress. You know, like that issue is not going to be solved overnight.

Okay? And then also the conservative play calling and the game management. The Titans have to get more aggressive. Like, they're not, I said this last year with Brian Callahan. The Titans are not a good enough team to play conservative. The Titans have to go all out, throw caution to the wind, devil may care, and go out there and play as aggressive. as possible, go for it on fourth downs, take shots down the field,

get aggressive in game management situations, go for points and stuff like that. Like, they're not going to be anybody just playing good ball. They're going to have to do special stuff and be aggressive. So if they keep Brian Dables play calling being super conservative, Robert Sala being conservative with his game management decisions, if they keep doing that, they're not going to beat teams that are more talented than them. It's the same thing as last year. So I understand Cam Ward does some things on tape

where I'm like, oh, I get it, Brian Dable. I get why you're scared. And we're just going to run the ball on 3rd and 13 and take 3 points. Like, I get it. But you're not going to win playing scared like that. It's just like Cam Ward at quarterback. You're not going to win abandoning clean pockets, not letting it rip and being scared.

Scared money don't make none. And then the last thing that's a real issue, it's quick. The Titans got to figure out kickoffs. The league average right now for touchbacks is 16%. The Titans are at 57% touchbacks. They either kick it out of bounds, miss the landing area, or kick it into the end zone, and now it goes up to the 35-yard line.

So the Titans' 57% touchback rate, the NFL average is 16%. If the Titans can't figure out how to just simply operate the new kickoff with Joey Sly, they're dead in the water. That has to be fixed. That's a real issue. That has to be fixed right now.

So, secondary talent, conservative coaching, and kickoff troubles. Those are real issues that must be fixed or they're going to kill the Titans. But that's going to do it for me today, folks. As always, I'm your host, Tyler Rowland, and this was Locked on Titans.