As the season unfolds, Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, has encountered a mix of highs and lows in his performance. He’s been accurate on 57.6% of his attempts with 1,760 total yards passing. As his advanced stats indicate, it’s been an uphill battle. Ward has now passed for five touchdowns vs. six interceptions on the year. This amounts to a cumulative total of 11 turnovers, five of which were lost fumbles. The second-year quarterback‘s education this season would make Baby Yoda proud. He’s committed to getting better every single weekend.
The hurdles that have confronted Ward this season have certainly been seen. Even during this time of struggle, there have been promising indicators that things are getting better. His on-target throws have actually plummeted on play-action passes. They dropped from 21.5% in normal pass attempts to just 12.5% when he takes this approach. Brady Hoke/TSN Ward has been under a ton of pressure this season. He’s been sacked often, mostly due to holding on to the ball too long.
One of the core sources of Ward’s frustration is his tendency to miss opportunities to check down, swing out and go for the shorter, safer pass. It’s obvious that he’s trying to take his game to another level. He is committed to making more impactful plays with his legs. This year, his longest run was a 12-yard scramble. It couldn’t have been more timely than on a vital third-and-13 conversion against the Houston Texans in Week 4. This willingness to extend plays demonstrates his ability to make an impact on games beyond the stat sheet or conventional passing.
“I’ve got to get the ball in my playmakers’ hands.” – Cam Ward
The coaching staff clearly sees a long-term future for Ward and have made stylistic adjustments on his behalf to maximize his success. On multiple occasions, including last night, new offensive coordinator Mike McCoy has stressed that they’ll take the checkdowns when they’re there. He noted the need to reduce the number of sacks taken by the offense, pointing out that “we’ve taken too many sacks as an offense.” This acknowledgment highlights the team’s focus on improving their offensive line play and Ward’s decision-making process.
Ward’s efficiency on play-action plays is most impressive considering he’s at the bottom of the league in other metrics. He has a 62.5% completion rate when throwing with play action over a long stretch of time. Remarkably, he hasn’t even thrown a pick yet on 66 play-action tries. In fact, he’s only been sacked six times on those plays. That means that when he’s using play-action well, he’s capable of playing at an elite level.
Nick Holz, one of Ward’s coaches, commended his ability to adapt to the offense: “I think he’s done a really nice job kind of taking the checkdowns.” Holz noted that play-action allows for deeper concepts reminiscent of what Ward executed in college: “With the play-action you kind of get some of those deeper, longer-developing concepts that he had in college where you can see some of those big three-level throws.”
In light of recent developments, including the dismissal of head coach Brian Callahan after a 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 6, McCoy has taken steps to support Ward’s growth. He has doubled the individual practice periods with an emphasis on technique from eight minutes to 12 minutes. This additional time should allow for the adjustment of Ward’s mechanics. Most importantly, it will get him back to correcting the off-target, scattershot throws that have haunted him all year.
“Reps are the biggest thing that can help you.” – Cam Ward
As the season unfolds, it is evident that Cam Ward is not afraid to get better and learn from every game. His ability to adapt under pressure and embrace feedback from coaches will be crucial as he strives to refine his skills. McCoy and Holz continue to play this critical role. With their aid and consistent work on mechanics, Ward has a legitimate shot for a performance bounce-back.
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