NFL Analyst Preaches Patience With Cam Ward as Titans Face Jameis Winston's Giants

Tennessee's second-year quarterback hasn't thrown a pick in six straight games, and a Giants team without Jaxson Dart gives him a real shot at a first win.

by Neal Coolong

Sep 26, 2026

Tennessee's second-year quarterback hasn't thrown a pick in six straight games, and a Giants team without Jaxson Dart gives him a real shot at a first win.

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Patience is a tough sell in Tennessee right now, but that’s exactly what one national voice is asking for with Cam Ward. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox ranked the Titans’ quarterback room 30th in the league this week, calling the second-year passer “a work in progress” whose “development remains slow and steady.”

Knox isn’t writing him off, though. He pointed out that the Titans spent the offseason adding center Austin Schlottmann, receiver Wan’Dale Robinson and rookie wideout Carnell Tate while pairing Ward with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, and he still believes Ward’s “upside remains high.” The production just hasn’t caught up yet. Through two games, Ward has thrown for 323 yards with one touchdown and an 85.7 passer rating while adding two scores on the ground.

Sunday offers Ward a real opening

August 13, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

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The timing of Sunday’s trip to MetLife Stadium couldn’t be much better. The Giants lost Jaxson Dart to a knee injury and will turn to Jameis Winston, who posted a 37.7 passer rating in Monday night’s loss to the Rams and has gone 3-9 as a starter since 2021. Knox ranked New York’s quarterback room dead last. For a Titans team sitting at 0-2, this is a game that can’t slip away, especially with Baltimore, Houston and Indianapolis waiting on the other side.

Ward’s best trait so far might be the one that matters most against a turnover-prone opponent. He hasn’t thrown an interception in six straight games, and over his last 11 games, he has just one pick against 11 touchdown passes and four more scores on the ground. Head coach Robert Saleh has noticed.

“He’s kind of earned the right to be trusted with regards to taking care of the football,” Saleh said, per the Associated Press.

The Titans don’t need Ward to be a star Sunday. They need him to protect the football, hit the shots when they’re there, like his 41-yard strike to Elic Ayomanor against Philadelphia, and let Winston be the one making mistakes. Beat the Giants, and patience gets a lot easier to preach. Lose, and the conversation around the Titans’ 3 percent playoff odds gets a lot louder.