When a rookie quarterback battles a top-notch defense in his first NFL regular season game, he needs his head coach to have his back and put him in position to succeed as much as possible. Tennessee Titans head coach Brian Callahan missed an opportunity to do just that for Cam Ward and his team in Sunday's 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos. And the reason will baffle and frustrate fans.
Facing third-and-20 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Ward threw a deep pass near the sidelines to wide receiver Elic Ayomanor. The rookie fourth-round draft pick secured the ball but was ruled out of bounds. Upon further look, his elbow seemingly landed within the field of play before he rolled out. Tennessee could have been granted a huge first-down that could have potentially changed the complexion of the matchup.
It is incumbent on the coach to challenge such a crucial call. Callahan kept the flag in his pocket and allowed the action to proceed. The Titans punted and did not score again. Ouch. His explanation for not challenging will cause tempers to rise to dangerous levels in Nashville.
Titans must wake up in a hurry
“Yeah, you gotta get a foot inbounds too,” Callahan told reporters after the season opener, via Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper. “We didn’t have a clean look at whether his foot was down as well. An elbow doesn’t equal two feet so his foot would’ve had to come down as well. The call from upstairs was that it wasn’t worth challenging.”
The rules state that a forward pass is complete if the player: (a) secures control of the ball in his hands or arms prior to the ball touching the ground; and
(b) touches the ground inbounds with both feet or with any part of his body other than his hands; and (c) after (a) and (b) have been fulfilled, clearly performs any act common to the game (e.g., extend the ball forward, take an additional step, tuck the ball away and turn upfield, or avoid or ward off an opponent), or he maintains control of the ball long enough to do so.
Even if one were to argue that Ayomanor did not meet the requirements of (c) or that his elbow caught the line, that does not excuse Callahan's reasoning for not throwing down the flag. Based on his response, the second-year HC did not know that an elbow does in fact equal two feet in this situation.
It is quite possible the call is upheld and the play fades from memory, but the fact that the highest-ranking authority figure on the sidelines apparently lacks understanding of this important rule is undeniably a problem. It is certainly not the main or only one this team has, however.
Tennessee needs more discipline
The Titans committed a whopping 13 penalties for 131 yards versus the Broncos. Additionally, Ward was sacked six times, adding to a rough debut that saw him complete 12-of-28 passes for 112 yards. Tennessee's defense displayed plenty of intensity and forced four turnovers, but the AFC South squad could not capitalize on those chances.
This group has much to learn before next Sunday's home game versus the Los Angeles Rams. Perhaps the NFL rulebook is a good place to start.
