The Tennessee Titans changed coaches last week, and now they are expected to change some of their offense Sunday.
As the Titans prepare for the debut of interim head coach Mike McCoy, they also are expected to simplify their offense for No. 1 overall pick Cam Wardleague sources told ESPN.
McCoy referenced this during his news conferences last week, and it is expected to happen. The Titans want to make sure Ward is focused on doing a few things well rather than trying to grasp the many elements that the rookie quarterback often struggled to do in their first six games.
The Bills similarly simplified certain elements of their offense in 2018 during star quarterback Josh Allen‘s rookie season in Buffalo.
While the Titans (1-5) are planning to simplify their offense for Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots and beyond, they also will have to do it with a new rushing attack.
When the Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday, his father Bill — regarded as one of the top offensive line coaches in NFL history — also left the organization, leaving those responsibilities to assistant offensive line coach Scott Fuchs and offensive assistant coach Matt Jones.
This will be the first game in which Fuchs and Jones have an expanded coaching role.
The Titans now will have a simplified offense, with new coaches in charge of the blocking schemes, and Tennessee is hoping for a different result as it also embarks on a head coaching search.
Sources told ESPN that the Titans will not wait to commence their search for a new head coach. Research and conversations already are underway to help identify candidates.
After firing Mike Vrabel — who leads the Patriots into Tennessee on Sunday — and hiring Callahan, the Titans are more likely to go back to a head coach who has experience and strong leadership qualities.
Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, two former head coaches, will garner consideration, sources said. But so will many coaches, and Tennessee is planning to cast what one source described as “a wide net” in its search to identify its next coach; it is way too early in the process to have any real idea how it will shake out.
The Titans have experience in this area; team president of football operations Chad Brinker was a part of the Packers‘ last head coaching search, when Green Bay hired Matt LaFleur in 2019, and he will help spearhead this process for Tennessee.
Titans assistant general manager Dave Ziegler was a part of the Saints‘ head coaching search last offseason, when New Orleans hired Kellen Moore.
Tennessee believes it will have different ideas and perspectives as it looks for an experienced head coach. But before that search heats up, the organization’s first order of business is making life easier for Ward, giving him a simplified offense.
Ward, the first rookie in franchise history to start the first six games, completed a season-high 26 passes for a 68.4% completion rate in last week’s 20-10 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders.
But Tennessee ranks last in the NFL in total offense and 31st in both rushing and passing yards per game. The Titans have converted just 28.05% of their third downs this season, and they are also last in the league in first downs per game.
Ward ranks 30th in the NFL in passer rating (67.3), 22nd with 1,101 yards and is tied for 33rd with just three touchdown passes.
“I haven’t played my best ball,” Ward said Wednesday. “And I think just once I’m playing to my standards that I put on myself, we’ll be able to take care of a lot of stuff on offense.”
ESPN’s Turron Davenport and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
