NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Facing fourth-and-10 with just over two minutes left in the game last Sunday, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward scanned the field as he prepared to take the snap with his team trailing the New Orleans Saints by eight points.
Within seconds, Saints defensive end Chase Young came off the edge, forcing Ward to step up in the pocket before attempting to elude defensive lineman Cameron Jordan. Ward was tripped by Jordan, but while Ward was falling, he got the ball to running back Tyjae Spears, who caught it in the flat and ran for what appeared to be a 17-yard gain.
However, replay review overturned the play after determining that Ward's knee was down before he made the throw, causing a turnover on downs. That play is a microcosm of Ward's roller coaster rookie season -- a play filled with so much promise wiped away.
Ward's rookie season started with high hopes after being matched with coach Brian Callahan, who once helped launch the career of Joe Burrow, another No. 1 pick. But Ward became the fourth straight quarterback selected No. 1 over the past five years whose coach was fired during their rookie season.
Still, there has been promise for Ward, whom Tennessee selected with the No. 1 pick in April, to become the face of the franchise. Year 1 has been filled with flashes of his tremendous playmaking ability and subtle areas for concern. Ward's latest feat -- surpassing Marcus Mariota for the franchise's rookie record of 2,818 passing yards set in 2015 -- is a positive achievement, but despite his 3,117 passing yards heading into the final game of the season, the Titans (3-13) have struggled.
They've switched playcallers, made staff changes, traded away players and more. But despite the ups and downs, Ward remained even-keeled.
"I live the life of playing the next play," Ward said. "I like to live my life one day at a time. Someone in this world has it a lot worse than I have. That's how I put it in perspective because God has blessed me with the ability to play football. Not everyone can say that. To win, you got to lose."
Ward's steady approach amid the tumult has stood out to the Titans' staff, especially offensive coordinator Nick Holz.
"That's what you look for in a quarterback and in a leader," Holz said. "You want a guy that can always be the level for everybody else. You have to play this game with emotion, but you also have to be able to get yourself to Level Zero, where you're in the right thoughts and you've got the right mindset and perspective of things. That's where he's been. That's a trait that you don't see in a lot of young people.
"The fact that he's been tested with a season like this and to have three wins and to see him still be that way shows you what he's going to be in the future."
As the Titans prepare for their season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox), here's a look at some of the key moments from Ward's rookie season:
May: Rookie minicamp
Ward's impact on the Titans was felt immediately after he and the other rookies arrived at Saint Thomas Sports Park.
Ward arranged for the group of rookie pass catchers to meet with him at 5 a.m. to watch film and go over the playbook. Ward did the same thing in his final year in college after transferring from Washington State to Miami, where he and rookie Titans receiver Xavier Restrepo were part of a group that spent the wee hours of the morning in meetings.
Restrepo and Ward carried the tradition to the NFL with a group that also included wide receivers Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, along with tight end Gunnar Helm.
"We started with film, just watching the game film, seeing the speed, seeing how everything that we've installed unfolds on the field," Helm said. "Cam talking us through 'Hey, I want you to break like this. I want you to be here on this play so that it opens up this other play.' We'd go over the install just so we're all square on that before practice."
Aug. 18: The scuffle
Veteran defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons is clearly the leader of the team. Naturally, he wanted to challenge Ward to see what he was made of.
The two engaged in plenty of trash talk during minicamp. But it spilled over to training camp when Ward connected with Calvin Ridley for a touchdown and celebrated by shoving Simmons and doing his signature "Zombieland" taunt in his face, causing Simmons to shove Ward and ignite a scrum as teammates intervened. Both players brushed it off, but it became clear Ward wasn't going to back down from anyone.
"Man, Jeff's strong as s---," Ward said. "It was fun, and, at the same time, I think it was what we needed. We love competing just with me and Jeff. That's our relationship. I wake up, I get here, he's damn near the first one I'm ready to talk s--- to. He's the first one that comes to my head every day at practice. I'm excited to have him as my teammate."
Sep. 7: NFL debut
Ward made his NFL debut against one of the league's best defenses. He completed 12 of 28 passes for 112 yards in a 20-12 loss to the Denver Broncos, currently the AFC's No. 1 seed.
Ward's father, Calvin, went viral when he was shown on TV reacting to Ridley dropping a pass from his son. Calvin stood up from his seat, walked to the aisle and put his head over a railing in clear disappointment and frustration.
Ward's big mistake came early in the fourth quarter with the score tied 12-12. He was sacked on back-to-back plays, knocking the Titans out of field goal range with a chance to take the lead.
His first game didn't go as planned, and Tennessee failed to score a touchdown in the game.
Sep. 14: First TD
Ward's first NFL touchdown pass came in front of the home fans at Nissan Stadium against the Los Angeles Rams.
He scrambled to his right and directed Ayomanor to break to the left after running a hitch route. Ward launched a pass across his body that traveled 42 yards in the air, according to Next Gen Stats, for a 9-yard touchdown in the opposite corner of the end zone to tie the score 7-7. The Titans eventually lost 33-19.
"It was scored off the scramble drill," Ayomanor said after the game. "We work on the scramble drill and watch film. I know what he's thinking, and he knows I'm on the same page. If you're going right and you feel like there's space on the left, run over there; he's probably going to see you. It all came into fruition on that play."
Sep. 23: New playcaller
After starting 0-3, Callahan turned over playcalling duties to quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree.
"This is one of the best things for us at the moment to help me do a better job as a head coach and be more present and available for the football team," Callahan said.
The Titans had scored 51 points in three games, so the decision was more about what's best for the team, not his personal disappointment with his playcalling.
"[Hardegree] understands the offense as a whole," Ward said. "He understands where my head is at, just what I see on the field. He has experience with the Raiders, and he has been around some great quarterbacks."
Oct. 5: First win
In the previous week, Hardegree's debut as the playcaller didn't go well, as the Titans were shut out by the NFL's top defense -- the Houston Texans. But the Titans bounced back in Week 5 to get their first win of the season, a 22-21 road victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
"I think the second half, I really saw the field better in terms of just getting the ball out, letting my guys make plays," said Ward, who threw for a career-high 265 yards that day. "I wish I would've started better personally, but at the end of the day, it don't matter how you start. It's how you finish."
The win wouldn't have happened if it weren't for two fluke plays. Cardinals running back Emari Demercado broke off a 72-yard run that should have been a touchdown, but he released the ball before he got to the end zone. Instead of being down 28-12 early in the fourth quarter, the Titans got the ball on the 20-yard line.
Then, Ward's pass was intercepted by Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, who fumbled the ball as he tried to return it, and Tyler Lockett recovered it in the end zone for the touchdown to cut the Titans' deficit to 21-19. Ward led Tennessee on an 11-play drive that covered 72 yards and was capped by Joey Slye's game-winning 29-yard field goal.
"Cam did a hell of a job of controlling that offense and getting us down to be able to kick that field goal," Simmons said. "I told him that's why we drafted you No. 1 overall. His calmness in that pocket. I don't know how many rookie quarterbacks could have that type of poise."
Oct. 13: Callahan fired
Callahan was fired the day after a 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in which the Titans fell to 1-5.
Ward's connection to Callahan started at the scouting combine in March, before Tennessee drafted him, and took off during Miami's pro day a couple of weeks later. Ward was so comfortable with Callahan that he suggested plays for his new coach to add to the Titans' playbook.
But after a 4-19 overall record and averaging only 13.8 points per game this season -- the second worst in the league -- Callahan was let go. Senior offensive assistant Mike McCoy was named as the interim head coach.
"You feel for [Callahan]," Ward said. "Just because what he's done for me to get to this point. Just through the draft prep, the offseason training camp work, how he's helped me get to this point."
Nov. 23: Complete day
Ward's most complete game up to that point occurred during a 30-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Ward went 28-of-42 for 256 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled for a career-high 37 yards and had his only rushing touchdown of the season.
It was the first time this season Ward seemed in rhythm for an entire game.
"He's gotten better from week to week," McCoy said. "I think it's a great example, yesterday's game, of not only taking what they give him but then taking off and running. That was the next part of it and the growth of him, but he made some really nice plays for us."
Dec. 7: Cam vs. Shedeur
The Titans were powered by the run game (184 rushing yards) in their 31-29 win over the Cleveland Browns, with Ward completing 14 of 28 passes for 117 yards, but this was his first game with multiple passing touchdowns.
Fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders, whom Ward trained with in the offseason, was the headline, though, and he accomplished two feats Ward hasn't done yet: Throwing for 300 yards (he had 364) and three touchdowns.
Before this game, Ward had seven touchdown passes and was among the league leaders in turnovers, including six interceptions.
Ward threw an interception in this game, but he hasn't had one since. Despite his second career win, he wasn't overly excited during his postgame news conference.
"I treat the wins the same; I treat the losses the same," Ward said. "It's always something I have to do better. It's a lot of plays that I missed out there, just from not giving my receivers a chance. And when I wake up tomorrow, I'm going to do the same thing I did last week. Try to get better."
Dec. 30: Prepping for the finale
A rocky rookie season has allowed Ward to face adversity on the pro level and get a taste of the NFL. But he's showing progress as he continues to grow as a leader. He has remained calm and weathered the storm, and his coaches and teammates have taken notice.
"When things are kind of going crazy, he's not that up-and-down kind of guy. At the end of the Saints game, there's some of those crazy scrambles, which are impressive," Holz said of Sunday's game. "Ninety-nine percent of people would be losing their minds running around like that. He still had the calmness to keep his eyes downfield and make a good throw."
Ward enters the finale against the Jaguars having thrown two touchdowns in four straight games -- a streak that's more than doubled his touchdown passing total, leaving him with 15 for the season. It's the kind of positive step that a team wants out of a rookie.
"The people we have in the locker room is what motivates me to keep going and to motivate the building," Ward said. "You see the same smiling faces no matter whether we win a game or lose a game. Everyone has the right mindset. Everyone's approach is the same every day.
"I'm just excited that I can be a difference-maker and be a part of the change."
