Tennessee Titans riding an underdog wave to return. The Cougars’ rookie class is hugely contributing, headlined by quarterback Cam Ward and former Badger wide receiver Chimere Dike. Unfortunately, this season has been a rollercoaster. Despite all these changes, these newcomers have spread hope and excitement through fans and the organization.
Ward’s two incredible passes in a recent game illustrate why. These helped create a very important 1-yard Dike touchdown on the first series of the third quarter. This key scoring play showcased Ward’s poise under pressure and his developing on-court chemistry with some of his new teammates. Just the possession before, he flaunted his accuracy. He notched completions of 34 yards combined on three of the team’s first six plays.
Ward’s skills were further showcased when he found Elic Ayomanor on a play-action pass, culminating an eight-play drive with a 14-yard touchdown. On another remarkable play, he connected with Dike for 30 yards while scrambling to his left, showcasing his ability to adapt in challenging situations.
Since joining the Titans Ward has taken on more of a leader role. He called for 5 a.m walks through with his rookie pass catchers, getting them ready and developing on the same page chemistry. Clearly his commitment has paid off! He’s tossed six touchdown passes over his last three games, with three straight games of multiple touchdown tosses.
Chimere Dike, who has become something of a revelation performer. He currently leads the entire NFL in kick return and all-purpose yards. On top of that, he became the first Titans rookie in franchise history to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Marc Mariani in 2010. In terms of the season record, Dike already broke the single season franchise record with 1,535 yards this season, breaking Mariani’s former record of 1,530 yards.
Elic Ayomanor has been a game changer. He had a 25 yard catch from Ward on a go route that showed their booming chemistry so far. At the same time, Gunnar Helm, as well as the rest of this gifted rookie class, has knocked coaches and fans’ socks off.
“They’ve all done such an outstanding job from Day 1,” said offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. What impressed Williams most was how well the rookies all paired off and complemented each other, revealing that their chemistry reaches far beyond Sundays. “It’s a special rookie class. Just the way that they work in conjunction with each other, it’s cool to see. After all, in this new game, it’s more than just your Sundays or whichever day of the week you all play on.
Being successful hasn’t been an issue lately for the Titans as they’ve won two out of their last three games. A large part of that success is due to contributions from rookies like Ward and Dike. When it has been most important, they have risen to the challenge and taken on that challenge.
“We were blessed to come in and make a substantial amount [of impact] to the offense,” Ward remarked. We understand that we’re going to need to be the folks who are going to have to step up. As a firefighter rookie class, we’re proud to answer people’s calls when they’re at their most vulnerable. We love creating the hype plays that are best for our teammates!
Further, the team’s core of grizzled veterans — including former Jazzman silk-smooth offensive operator Bojan Bogdanovic — have been great. Rookie running back Tony Pollard is coming off three straight games of over 100 rushing yards. He provides even more firepower to an already explosive offensive attack.
Xavier Restrepo, another rookie player, has been working closely with Ward to study film and understand the playbook better since their time at Miami. This collaborative effort is a testament to the team’s commitment to getting better and evolving.
The Titans have a lot of hope in their rookie class. They hope that all three of these newcomers will excel and improve the quality of the team’s performance as a whole. With impact players like Ward and Dike making their mark, the future of the franchise looks brighter than ever.
Leave a Reply