In assessing the progress of Titans quarterback Cam Ward during his second NFL season, coach Robert Saleh won’t simply look at the traditional statistical numbers.
The most important sign of Ward’s development, in the eyes of Saleh and his coaching staff, will be revealed in the decisions Ward makes — even if the results don’t always pay dividends.
kAm“x7 J@F’C6 2D<:?8 23@FE J2C5D[ E@F495@H?D[ :?E6C46AE:@?D[ E96C6’D 6I2>A=6D E9C@F89@FE E96 9:DE@CJ @7 E96 =628F6 H96C6 8FJD 92G6 AFE FA 8@@5 ?F>36CD 2?5 E96J’C6 C62==J =F4<J :? E96:C AC@46DD @? 9@H E96J 8@E E@ E92E A@:?E[” $2=69 E@=5 C6A@CE6CD %F6D52J[ 2 52J 367@C6 E96 %:E2?D E2<6 E96 7:6=5 7@C E96:C 7:CDE EC2:?:?8 42>A AC24E:46]k^Am
kAm“$@ H6’C6 =@@<:?8 2E 9:D 564:D:@? >2<:?8] (6’C6 =@@<:?8 2E 9:D @G6C2== F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 5676?D6D[ @7 E96 @776?D6[ @7 H92E 96 ?665D E@ 86E 5@?6 A=2J :? 2?5 A=2J @FE E@ 36 2 8C62E BF2CE6C324< :? E9:D =628F6]”k^Am
kAmx7 @?6 >62DFC6 @7 2 BF2CE6C324<’D 564:D:@? >2<:?8 :D 9@H @7E6? 96 E9C@HD :?E6C46AE:@?D[ E96? (2C5 925 2 AC6EEJ C6DA64E23=6 C@@<:6 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmw6 E@DD65 D6G6? A:4<D :? `f 4@?E6DED[ A@DE:?8 2 `]b A6C46?E :?E6C46AE:@? C2E6 E92E H2D E9:C5 =@H6DE :? E96 }u{ :? a_ad]k^Am
kAmv@:?8 2 =:EE=6 566A6C[ (2C5 AC@5F465 2 b]f A6C46?E EFC?@G6C\H@CE9J A=2J C2E6[ A6C !C@ u@@E32== u@4FD[ H9:49 H2D DE:== D6G6?E9 =@H6DE :? E96 }u{ 2>@?8 BF2CE6C324<D H:E9 2E =62DE e__ 5C@A324<D]k^Am
kAm“%2=<:?8 23@FE E96 BF2CE6C324<[ ,8C@HE9 :D >62DFC65 :?. E96:C 564:D:@? >2<:?8[” $2=69 D2:5] “*@F H2?E E@ D66 E96> >2<6 8C62E 564:D:@?D] *@F H2?E E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E E96:C AC@46DD :D 8C@H:?8 :? 2 H2J E92E 2==@HD E96> E@ >2<6 E96 C:89E 564:D:@?D 2E E96 C:89E E:>6 E@ 8:G6 E96>D6=G6D 2 492?46 E@ DF44665]”k^Am
kAm(2C5’D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^DA@CED^7:G6\<6J\BF6DE:@?D\7@C\E:E2?D\2D\EC2:?:?8\42>A\DE2CED^2CE:4=60d5fcfe2_\gfb_\cdf7\32b3\4df6f4bh5f62]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmkDEC@?8m56G6=@A>6?E 2?5 DF446DDk^DEC@?8mk^2m H:== =:<6=J 36 E96 3:886DE <6JD E@ E96 %:E2?D :>AC@G:?8 @? E96:C b\`c C64@C5D @7 E96 =2DE EH@ D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 }@] ` @G6C2== A:4< :? E96 a_ad 5C27E A2DD65 7@C b[`eh J2C5D =2DE D62D@?[ E9C@H:?8 7@C `d E@F495@H?D G6CDFD E96 D6G6? :?E6C46AE:@?D[ 3FE 96 2=D@ C2?<65 ?62C E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 }u{ :? 2 ?F>36C @7 DE2E:DE:42= 42E68@C:6D]k^Am
kAm$2=69 D2:5 96 H:== 92?5 2=>@DE 2== @7 E96 C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ 7@C 36EE6C:?8 (2C5 E@ ~776?D:G6 r@@C5:?2E@C qC:2? s23@== 2?5 "F2CE6C324<D r@249 $962 %:6C?6J]k^Am
kAms23@==’D 6IA6C:6?46 H:E9 J@F?86C BF2CE6C324<D @G6C E96 =2DE D6G6C2= J62CD :?4=F56D qF772=@’D y@D9 p==6?[ E96 }6H *@C< v:2?ED’ s2?:6= y@?6D 2?5 E96 v:2?ED’ y2ID@? s2CE]k^Am
kAm“s23@== :D AC6EEJ 52>? 8@@5 2E H92E 96 5@6D[” $2=69 D2:5] “$962 :D C62==J 8@@5 2E H92E 96 5@6D] x’= AC@G:56 D@>6 5676?D:G6 :?D:89E 2?5 x’== 2D< BF6DE:@?D] qFE D:EE:?8 :? >J 492:C 2?5 >J A@:?E @7 G:6H[ x’> `__ A6C46?E ,ECFDE:?8. :? 9@H ,E9@D6. 8FJD 86E r2> E@ H96C6 96 ?665D E@ 36]”k^Am
kAm$2=69 D2:5 96 H2?ED 2 4@?DE2?E 5:2=@8F6 36EH66? (2C5 2?5 s23@==[ 2?5 E92E 5@6D?’E >62? E96 C6=2E:@?D9:A 92D E@ 36 4@>A=6E6=J D>@@E9]k^Am
kAmw6 H2?ED 6249 E@ 92G6 E96 4@?7:56?46 E@ DA62< 7C66=J H:E9 @?6 2?@E96C]k^Am
kAm“*@F H2?E 962=E9J 5632E6D[” $2=69 D2:5] “*@F H2?E D@>6 EJA6 @7 7C:4E:@?[ H96C6 E96J’C6 92G:?8 4@?G6CD2E:@?D 23@FE 46CE2:? A=2J 56D:8?D 2?5 C625D … x E9:?< E9@D6 2C6 E96 962=E9:6DE C6=2E:@?D9:AD]k^Am
kAm“xE 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 36 4@>32E:G6] qFE :E’D 8@E E@ 36 4@>7@CE] %96C6 92D E@ 36 6?@F89 4@>7@CE H96C6 E96J’C6 7C66 E@ DA62< E96:C >:?5D]”k^Am
kAmw2G6 E96 %:E2?D 5@?6 6?@F89 H:E9 BF2=:EJ A6CD@??6= >@G6D E@ 96=A >2<6 (2C5 2 36EE6C BF2CE6C324< :? a_aenk^Am
kAm%96 E62> 5C27E65 ~9:@ $E2E6 C646:G6C r2C?6== %2E6 H:E9 E96 }@] c @G6C2== A:4< 2?5 D:8?65 C646:G6C (2?’s2=6 #@3:?D@? 2D 2 7C66 286?E[ 255:?8 E9@D6 A=2J6CD E@ 2 C646:G6C C@@> E92E 2=C625J :?4=F565 r2=G:? #:5=6J[ r9:>6C6 s:<6 2?5 t=:4 pJ@>2?@C]k^Am
kAm%96C6’D =:<6=J E@ 36 >@C6 5632E6 2D E@ H96E96C E96 @776?D:G6 =:?6 92D :>AC@G65[ H:E9 v6?6C2= |2?286C |:<6 q@C8@?K: D:8?:?8 46?E6C pFDE:? $49=@EE>2? 2?5 C:89E 8F2C5 r@C56== '@=D@? 2D A@E6?E:2= DE2CE6CD]k^Am
kAm“x 766= 8@@5 C:89E ?@H ,23@FE E96 =:?6.[” q@C8@?K: D2:5] “(6’== 7:?5 @FE H96? E96 A25D 4@>6 @?[ E9@F89] (6’G6 25565 2 4@FA=6 8FJD :? E96 5C27E[ D@>6 :? 7C66 286?4J] qFE J@F H@?’E C62==J <?@H F?E:= H6 86E E96 A25D @? 96C6]”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m}~%t$ik^DEC@?8m xE =@@<D =:<6 E96 %:E2?D H:== 36 2=>@DE 4@>A=6E6=J 962=E9J 7@C E96 7:CDE AC24E:46 @7 EC2:?:?8 42>A] q@C8@?K: D2:5 E96 E62> H@F=5 36 E2<:?8 D276EJ p>2?: w@@<6C @77 E96 A9JD:42==J F?23=6 E@ A6C7@C> =:DE] #:89E E24<=6 yr {2E92> WA64E@C2= DEC2:?X C6>2:?D @? !&![ 3FE :D 52J E@ 52J … q@C8@?K: D2:5 E96 %:E2?D 2C6 DE:== H@C<:?8 E@H2C5 2 =@?8\E6C> 562= H:E9 DE2CE:?8 =67E 8F2C5 !6E6C $<@C@?D<:[ H9@ :D 6?E6C:?8 9:D 7@FCE9 D62D@?] %96 86?6C2= >2?286C 925 ?@ 4@?4C6E6 FA52E6 @? E2=<D[ 3FE D2:5 96 H2D 9@A67F= 32D65 @? 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 $<@C@?D<:’D 286?E … $2=69 D2:5 96 92D DA@<6? @? >F=E:A=6 @442D:@?D C646?E=J E@ $2? uC2?4:D4@ 9625 4@249 zJ=6 $92?292?[ H9@ DF776C65 2 4@?4FDD:@?[ 3C@<6? =67E 92?5[ E9C66 3C@<6? C:3D 2?5 2 3C@<6? ?@D6 :? 255:E:@? E@ C646:G:?8 c_ DE:E496D :? 9:D 7246 7@==@H:?8 2 yF=J `c 42C 4C2D9[ A6C t$!}] $2=69 D6CG65 2D $92?292?’D 5676?D:G6 4@@C5:?2E@C =2DE D62D@?] $92?292? H:== 36 =:>:E65 62C=J :? EC2:?:?8 42>A F?E:= 9:D 4@?4FDD:@? DJ>AE@>D 4=62C] %96 E62>D H:== AC24E:46 282:?DE @?6 2?@E96C ?6IE >@?E9 =625:?8 FA E@ E96 %:E2?DV AC6D62D@? 82>6 282:?DE E96 ch6CD @? pF8] `b ]]] $2=69 D2:5 |:E496== %CF3:D<J 2?5 (:== {6G:D H:== 4@>A6E6 7@C E96 }@] a BF2CE6C324< ;@3] xEVD F?4=62C H96E96C E96 E62> H:== <66A EH@ @C E9C66 "q @? E96 db\>2? C@DE6C]k^Am

