The Titans’ loss to the Broncos on Sunday was tough to watch for Camward’s father.
Calvin Ward, the dad of this year’s first overall pick, looked quite tense during his son’s NFL debut in Denver.
In a brief moment on the field, Ward attempted a connection with wide receiver Calvin Ridley on a second and ten, but the veteran dropped the ball.
Fox’s broadcast caught Ward’s father in the stands at Empower Field at Mile High; he stood up and moved closer to the railing, perhaps hoping to see better.
The game was filled with errors, as the Titans made numerous drops and committed several penalties.
Ward, at 23, had his own struggles while playing, completing only 12 of 28 passes, with no touchdowns, no interceptions, and one lost fumble for a total of 112 yards. The previous Miami products had also been sacked six times during the game.
“We didn’t score any touchdowns—that’s definitely the main issue,” he mentioned after the match. “If you keep shooting yourself in the foot, you find yourself in tough situations. But it’s just Game 1, and we’ve got 16 more to improve.”
Coach Brian Callahan, who experienced a rough season last year with a 3-14 record, acknowledged the need for improvement.
“In the end, we didn’t do enough to win,” Callahan said. “I felt our team showed effort and had chances to take it, but we couldn’t find our rhythm on offense. Defensively, we did well, but those penalties on third downs were costly.”
After the loss, Callahan faced some criticism for not challenging an incomplete pass from rookie receiver Eric Ayomer.
“You have to consider the boundaries too,” Callahan explained, referring to the catch situation. “I didn’t closely examine whether both feet were down. His elbows, however, wouldn’t count as feet, so he needed to have gone down.”
The next day, Callahan changed his stance, admitting, “I misinterpreted the rules. We should have made the challenge. That’s pretty much my entire take on it.”
The Titans will face off against the Rams (1-0) this coming Sunday.
