Brian Callahan "very encouraged" by Cam Ward's preseason performance

Titans head coach Brian Callahan says first overall pick Cam Ward is showing everything a franchise quarterback needs to show in his first two preseason games.

Callahan said after the Titans played the Falcons Friday night that Ward played well, although Callahan wished the offense would have played better around him. Callahan noted a dropped pass by receiver Van Jefferson and a couple of penalties that were problems outside Ward’s control, but said everything Ward was asked to do, he did.

“I’m very encouraged,” Callahan said when asked how Ward played. “That ball he threw that got dropped was an unbelievable throw. He’s shown all the things that we needed to see from an operations standpoint. Certainly, the penalties put us in some unfavorable down and distances, would have liked to stay on the field a little bit. The holding, and a false start on a third-and-short that put us into a third-and-longer, not ideal, but that’s really not on him. Those are things that we’ve got to do better around him. Everything about Cam as far as handling the operation, being in the stadium, two road environments, all that’s great.”

Ward said he sees things the offense needs to clean up, including “not shooting ourselves in the foot with penalties.” But Ward sounded optimistic after the game about where the Titans are heading, saying, “I’m excited for the real football to start.”