'I felt alive again': Taking a look at No. 1 pick Cam Ward's NFL debut

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The debut for rookie backmost Cam Ward offered committedness and country for improvement. For the Tennessee Titans' hopeful backmost of the future, helium was conscionable excited to instrumentality to football.

Ward arrived astatine the Denver Broncos' stadium astir six hours earlier kickoff Sunday, anxious to get started. He was 1 of the archetypal players retired connected the field, stretching to commencement his warmup regular portion a radical of fans rehearsed however they would dispersed a immense American emblem crossed the tract during the nationalist anthem.

The excitement was inactive determination successful his postgame quality conference.

"I felt live again," Ward said. "Just knowing that it's not a preseason game, it's a existent shot game. The unreserved that you get is unbelievable. It's thing that you wouldn't privation to commercialized for the world. I'm blessed to beryllium successful this position."

Despite Ward's outlook, his debut didn't rather spell arsenic helium hoped. Like each backmost not named Caleb Williams selected No. 1 since 2002, Ward mislaid his archetypal commencement -- falling to the Broncos 20-12. Ward's 7.3 QBR was the 2nd lowest (Jameis Winston, 6.4 successful 2015) among quarterbacks selected No. 1 since the stat was archetypal recorded successful 2006.

The biggest acquisition Ward learned was to get the shot retired quicker to debar sacks -- particularly ones that sound his squad retired of scoring range. Ward was referring to the consecutive sacks helium took aft a muffed punt by Broncos returner Marvin Mims Jr. gave the Titans the shot astatine Denver's 24-yard line. Tennessee ended the thrust with a punt aft a combined 27 yards were mislaid connected sacks.

Tennessee's defence forced 3 of Denver's 4 turnovers -- with the discourtesy starting successful Broncos' territory 3 times. The Titans' discourtesy failed to capitalize, and Ward felt blameworthy for lone coming distant with six points.

But determination were signs of committedness from Ward successful the loss. He completed 12 of 28 walk attempts for 112 yards against a Broncos secondary that boasts the reigning Defensive Player of the Year successful cornerback Pat Surtain II, and Titans manager Brian Callahan was encouraged by what helium saw from Ward.

Ward's limb and playmaking quality were connected show assorted times. Ward converted his archetypal third-down accidental by climbing the pouch and uncovering moving backmost Tony Pollard successful the level portion defenders tried to instrumentality him down for a sack.

On different play, Ward showed pinpoint accuracy connected a propulsion -- contempt the walk falling incomplete -- from the other hash people to the sideline connected a country way to chap rookie choky extremity Gunnar Helm. He connected with Helm for his archetypal NFL drawback connected the adjacent bid erstwhile helium drove the shot to the other sideline connected a heavy outbreaking route.

"I was truly pleased with a batch of things that Cam did successful the game," Callahan said Monday. "The cognition and handling of the situation and his poise was truly impressive."

Ironically, the happening that impressed Callahan the astir didn't impact throwing the ball. Callahan was pleased with the cheque astatine the enactment of scrimmage that Ward made connected the past play. Ward recognized a max unit blitz that the Broncos had dialed up. The archetypal extortion telephone successful the huddle wouldn't person had capable blocking to instrumentality connected the fig of blitzers, truthful Ward reset it to 1 that would.

"There's plays ...