Cam Ward after his first 300-yard game: “It just came down to us not executing,” and after the Jeffery Simmons trade, “Change is good”

Cam Ward said the Tennessee Titans’ best offensive day of the season still ended with the wrong result. Ward threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns without an interception and ran for 41 more, but the Titans lost 43-36 in overtime at the Cincinnati Bengals and fell to 1-7. “It just came down to us not executing,” Ward said afterward.

The 304 passing yards were a career high for the second-year quarterback, who had topped out at 265 yards as a rookie and 222 yards earlier this season. He completed 26 of 40 passes, including an 11-yard touchdown to Chimere Dike and a 15-yard touchdown to Wan’Dale Robinson in the fourth quarter. A reporter noted it was his first 300-yard game. Ward now has 1,483 passing yards, six touchdowns and five interceptions through eight games.

Pollard, play calling and “apply practice to the game”

Asked what allowed him to look comfortable in the pocket, Ward said it was a matter of repeating what the Titans do in practice. He said he wants to “apply practice to the game” and give his receivers chances, and credited the offensive line for keeping him upright even after losing players up front. Ward said the play calling, which comes from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, fits what the receivers and linemen are comfortable with and mixes in run-pass options and the screen game.

Tony Pollard ran 21 times for 117 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard score in the first quarter that helped Tennessee to a 13-0 lead. Ward said that early rushing success opened up the passing game. “It helped a lot,” he said. “He’s able to make plays for me when I check the ball down to him.”

“If he needs to run me, I’m always open to doing it”

Ward ran seven times for 41 yards, and a reporter asked how comfortable he is running and whether he wants to do more of it. “It depends on how the flow of the game is,” he said. “If the ends are crashing, if we have a couple of scavengers, I can go get some third downs if I need to.” He said his play-caller is not big on quarterback runs, but added: “If he needs to run me, I’m always open to doing it.” He also said he likes working in the middle of the field. “I love being in the middle of the field,” Ward said. “I can manipulate a lot of stuff in the middle of the field.”

After the Simmons trade: “Change is good”

The Titans traded Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears last week, and a reporter asked Ward how he handled losing one of the team’s leaders. Ward said he has not changed his approach. “I just continue to be myself,” he said. “The biggest thing that the locker room knows about me is that I’m willing to do anything to win games.” On the trade itself, he said: “Change is good. It allows everyone to take a step back, rethink of the position they’re in.”

Bye week

Tennessee is off in Week 9 and hosts the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 15, the first of four division games left on the schedule. Ward said the Titans have “a tough schedule” coming out of the bye and want to get some wins against division teams. He said the break is not time off for him. “It’s really not a bye week. It’s a week to get better,” he said, adding that he gets “an extra week to watch more film” and plans to work out and prepare like a normal game week.