Music City Miracles
The Tennessee Titans dominated the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 16, beating the Patrick Mahomes-less team 26-9. The Titans outgained the Chiefs 376-133 on offense. The highlight of the afternoon was the performance by rookie quarterback Cam Ward.
Ward arguably played the best game of his rookie season. The No. 1 overall selection completed 21-of-28 passing attempts for 228 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Ward set season-high marks in completion percentage (75%) and yards per attempt (8.1).
Ward’s quarterback rating of 122.3 was also a career high. You’ll hear a lot about how the Titans “dropped” to sixth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft real-time order. The growth and development Ward displayed on Sunday means more to the Titans than draft positioning.
It marked the third consecutive game Ward threw for multiple touchdowns. Prior to Week 14, the former Miami Hurricanes standout hadn’t had a single multi-TD passing game. Since the bye week, Ward has eight touchdowns and one interception.
Ward’s completion percentage on the season is now above 60 percent (60.2%). He’s almost a 2:1 TD:INT ratio with 13 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. Ward’s on-field growth has been extremely evident and awesome to see.
Sure, it would’ve been nice for the Titans to possess the No. 1 overall pick, creating a trade-down scenario that could accelerate the rebuild. But what’s even better for the Titans is watching Ward’s real-time growth into a bonafide franchise quarterback. Mike Borgonzi doesn’t mind not having the top selection because Ward is playing the team out of the basement.
The 2026 NFL Draft has good prospects. The EDGE group has Rueben Bain Jr., Keldrick Faulk, Arvell Reese, and David Bailey. Wide receivers include Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, and Makai Lemon. Those positions happen to be the Titans’ biggest two needs. Quarterbacks will go early, which is good news for the Titans.
The Titans will probably end up picking somewhere between Nos. 4 and 10 overall. They’ll possess an opportunity to draft a good player. Ward’s growth means more.
