NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Titans (0-1) look to shake off a disappointing loss in Denver Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Rams (1-0) in their home opener.
It is not just the Titans’ first game at Nissan Stadium this season, it is the first regular season home game for rookie quarterback Cam Ward who is anxious to get out there.
“I’m excited for it. I get to go out there in front of a past stadium for the first time, for real, not a preseason game. But I’m exciting for myself, the team, trying to get our first win of the season. So we’re ready to get it going,” Ward said.
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It certainly will not be easy for Ward, who was sacked six times last week in Denver. The Titans are already dealing with a significant loss up front with right tackle JC Latham out at least this week after aggravating a hip strain he suffered in the preseason. Oli Udoh replaced him in Denver when Latham had to leave the game. Head Coach Brian Callahan has not committed to a right tackle this week. It could either be Udo again or John Ojukwu or Blake Hance.
The Rams boast a potent front with pass rushing depth, with young stars like Jared Verse, Braden Fisk and Byron Young. Last week they held the Texans without a touchdown and limited quarterback to CJ Stroud to 188 yards while sacking him three times and picking him off once.
“The edges are powerful and they play really hard,” said Callahan. “They’re a high, high effort group. But it’s a different style than the edges in Denver. Those guys were a little bit more speed rush up the field. These guys got a little more power and ability condensed and they set pretty violent edges too, they’re really good at it.”
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If the Titans can protect Ward long enough to give him time to throw, his receiving corps has to do a better job of hanging on to the ball for him than they did last week, when they were credited with as many as eight drops.
Ward finished week one with only 112 yards passing, but reviews around the league applauded his performance and said the final numbers did not tell the story of his debut performance.
Ward vs. Broncos Week One
- 12 for 28 passing
- 112 yards
- 0 Touchdowns
- 6 Sacks
The Titans also have a significant injury on the defensive line with nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat out this week after suffering an ankle injury in Denver last week.
Los Angeles boasts a prolific and deep offense with quarterback Matt Stafford, receivers Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, and running back Kyren Williams. Stafford is safe bet to land in the NFL Hall of Fame one day with one Super Bowl title and over 60,000 career passing yards.
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Callahan used to coach Stafford with the Lions, and has a healthy amount of respect for the veteran.
“He is like the quintessential quarterback. He’s everything that you when you could— if you could build one they look like Matthew (Stafford). Awesome human being to be around. Great with his teammates, unbelievable teammate, probably one of the toughest players I’ve ever been around and that’s at every position and he’s supremely talented on top of it,” Callahan said.
Matthew Stafford Career Stats
- 60,054 Yards
- 378 Touchdowns
- 188 Interceptions
The Titans and star defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons will look take advantage of a banged up interior Rams offensive line. Both starting guards, Steve Avila and Kevin Dotson missed time in practice this week with ankle injuries are questionable to play.
Meanwhile, Simmons is coming off a dominant performance in Denver that saw him strip sack Bo Nix for one turnover, and pressure him into an interception for another.
The other good news for the Titans was another week of practice for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who continues to ramp up his activity, and he is expected to see his snap count rise past the 21 he played last week in the opener. The Titans will need him if they have any chance of slowing down the Rams dynamic duo of Adams who is a sure fire Hall of Famer and Nacua who had 10 receptions for 130 yards last week.
The Rams are (-5.5) favorites Sunday, so the Titans need a significant upset to avoid an 0-2 start.