NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Through his first two games, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward came close to setting an NFL record. Unfortunately, it's a record no one would want to be associated with.
Opposing teams have sacked Ward 11 times, four short of the record 15 sacks taken by fellow No. 1 draft pick David Carr through the first two games of his rookie season in 2002.
Titans coach Brian Callahan admitted to leaning on the run game to slow down the pass rush.
"Some of the commitment to trying to run the ball is the defenses we were playing," Callahan said Monday. "How do you keep the defense from teeing off? You've got to be able to run the football and put yourself in more manageable spots on third down, in particular."
A manageable spot on third down is typically 6 yards to gain or fewer. The Titans have found themselves with 7 yards or more to gain on 21 of the 31 third downs they've faced this season. That's the most in the NFL. Tennessee's average third-down distance is 9.9 yards, third highest in the NFL.
"We've put ourselves in some tough third downs over the course of these two games on a first-down sack or a penalty or things of that nature," Callahan said.
Throwing a rookie quarterback into predictable passing situations is a recipe for disaster. Callahan pointed out how falling behind the chains and being in third-and-long makes it easier for opposing defenses to rush the passer: the ball isn't coming out quickly because longer-developing routes are needed.
"Once you get to those third-and-longs, the defensive ends are licking their chops," Titans receiver Tyler Lockett said.
Given those circumstances, Callahan feels asking Ward to throw the ball 45 times in a game wouldn't be a wise idea. But the success of the passing game can get better as the Titans show balance on offense.
"You want to run the football well," Callahan said. "That's how you help your line, too. Keep it balanced and work your play-actions off of it. So it's still an evolving process, and he's getting better from a footwork and timing perspective."
Titans running back Tony Pollard has seen the bulk of the carries while his running mate Tyjae Spears rehabs from a high ankle sprain that landed him on injured reserve ahead of the season. Pollard has 152 rushing yards in two games, including 92 in Sunday's 33-19 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.
As teams key on the run, it opens things up in the passing game. Sunday was a good example of that. Ward's average per completion against Los Angeles jumped from 4.4 yards without play-action to 11.8 with it.
"It starts to set up play-actions, and that's when you start to be able to see some of the explosives," Lockett said.
Penalties have also been an issue for the Titans. Tennessee's 23 penalties were the most in the league by Sunday's end. Eight of the penalties came on offense.
"We just got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot," Ward said. "Offensively we have got to stay on schedule. I think the biggest things is us staying behind the sticks. It's hard to overcome that. We've got to stay on schedule. The more we do that, the more successful drives we have. Every time we don't stay on schedule, it's always a bad drive."
Ward had 28 pass attempts in the season opener and 33 in Week 2. It's reasonable to want the Titans to open up the passing game and create more pass attempts for Ward. But that won't happen unless the Titans can decrease the penalties, run the ball effectively and get in more favorable down and distances.
Only then will Callahan be able to fully open up the playbook to showcase Ward and the passing game. The Broncos and Rams presented significant challenges for Ward. At 0-2, the Titans need get their issues fixed before the season spirals out of hand. They'll get a chance to do so when the Indianapolis Colts (2-0) come to Nissan Stadium on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) for Tennessee's first AFC South action of the season.
"We've got to turn it around fast." Ward said. "That's a must-win game. Every game is a must-win game, but especially in the division."