It hasn't been all glitz and glamour for Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward. A major reason for that has been his mounting number of turnovers.
In Week 7, he fumbled the ball in the third quarter, which Patriots LB K'Lavon Chaisson turned into a touchdown. As a result, the Patriots defeated the Titans 31-13 and are 1-6 on the season thus far.
Throughout this season, Ward has turned the ball over with regularity. So far, he has fumbled five times in his first seven games. In Week 6, Ward turned the ball over twice against the Las Vegas Raiders, one of which turned into a touchdown in a 20-10 loss.
As such, Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy didn't sugarcoat anything when talking about Ward needing to clean up the turnovers, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseTitans.com.
“Cam Ward understands the importance of ball security,” McCoy said. “We'll continue to stress it with him and it's something he has to clean up.”
So far, Ward has accumulated 1,356 passing yards, four touchdowns, five interceptions, and a QB rating of 24.1 in his first season. All the while, the Titans are adjusting to McCoy taking over following the firing of Brian Callahan.
In April, Ward was drafted by the Titans as the No. 1 pick coming out of the University of Miami.
How Cam Ward can get it together
A significant reason for Ward turning the ball over has to do with his lack of pocket awareness. He has to do a better job of looking downfield, looking at who's open, and making the throw.
Also, before the snap happens, Ward has to prematurely strategize and anticipate the coverage coming after him. Plus, not solely looking at a single receiver. Then, he has to do a much better job of holding onto the ball with two hands.
There is a tendency on the part of rookie QBs to hold the ball with one hand, but that can make them even more vulnerable.
If Ward could improve in those areas, things could start to pick up.
