Daboll: Downfield passing needs to improve

Tate’s eight-yard fourth quarter score was the first of his career. He simply beat the defense to the spot in the end zone. Although the touchdown was great, it was Tate’s 19-yard grab early in the third frame that was the highlight of the day. He skied over CB Justin Walley. Playing much better football of late even as second-year QB Cam Ward struggles to return the favor, Tate has stabilized his WR3 value and will be pushing for WR2 status with injuries mounting and bye weeks in full swing.

Ward added just three carries for seven yards. Ward got the “quarterback win” as the Titans finally broke their five-game losing streak to begin the season, but this was more about the Colts imploding and setting up one short Titans field after another with turnovers. Ward did keep his connection with No. 4 overall rookie Carnell Tate going, finding him for 6/70/1 on seven targets. Ward didn’t find veteran Calvin Ridley for what would have been a wide open end zone grab, but we digress. His interception was a second quarter sail job as he was getting leveled by the blitz. Ward’s increasing chemistry with Tate is the Titans’ first real good news of the season, but today was not a particularly inspiring victory. They now get the Browns for a Week 7 home matchup.

Ward’s head, per Saleh, is in a “good place” ahead of the Titans’ Week 6 game against the Colts. Ward has been dreadful through five weeks, ranking 24th in EPA per drop back and 27th in drop back success rate. Only five quarterbacks have a lower adjusted yards per attempt than Ward this season. Daniel Jones and Tyson Bagent are the only QBs who average fewer fantasy points per drop back. Saleh has defended his second-year QB at every turn and does not seem close to benching him in favor of journeyman backup Mitchell Trubisky.

Is this doing anything for anybody? Ridley had a 23-yarder to open the game and vanished thereafter. He has not cracked more than two catches or three targets all year and does not need to be in fantasy consideration in the vast, vast majority of leagues.

Well, at least last week was good. He did have a 40-plus yarder pulled off the board because of a holding penalty. Next week offers a more welcoming Colts defense and Tate should have a path to low-end WR3 numbers there.

The Titans led off the day with a 58-yard field-goal drive that fell apart from a red zone first-and-5. They would not even flirt with crossing 30 yards in a drive for the rest of the game and crossed into Texans territory on only 11 more snaps all game, including just one inside the Houston 40. Ward took four sacks and avoided several others by turning Tyjae Spears into a PPR hero. The closest he came to actually putting points on the board was a double-covered bomb to Carnell Tate’s general area. It was, well, what you would have expected from both sides in the preseason. Ward remains a last gasp supeflex QB2 heading into Week 6’s game against the Colts.

The Titans had named him questionable despite Robert Saleh saying he’d play on Friday, so this outcome was no surprise. Inactive for the Titans are: RB Nick Singleton, RB Michael Carter, S Amani Hooker (concussion), CB Jaylon Jones, T Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE David Martin-Robinson (hamstring) and DT Jackie Marshall.

He was officially listed as questionable with two limited sessions on Thursday and Friday. Tate popped up on Thursday’s injury report with a back injury, but Titans coach Robert Saleh said it was just some random tightness that isn’t expected to slow him in Week 5. Tate has seen 21 targets over the last two weeks and has posted a 15-203-0 line over that span. He has some solid WR3/FLEX appeal against a Texans defense that has struggled against the pass early in the season.

Tate was limited today, suggesting he suffered a back injury in practice. That is not good. He, of course, still has a chance to play, but we will have to monitor this situation closely. For now, Tate must be viewed as questionable to play in Week 5 against the Texans.

Tate was targeted early and often in this one. The rookie first-rounder would lead the Titans in targets and found himself at the end of multiple big plays. Tate’s first reception resulted in a 22-yard gain, and he later popped up for a 35-yard catch in the second quarter, only to lose a fumble on the play moments later. Tate hauled in a clutch 33-yard reception on a fourth-and-10 play late in the fourth quarter as the Titans tried to mount a comeback, setting up a three-yard touchdown pass to Wan’Dale Robinson on the next play. Tate has been targeted 21 times over the last two weeks and will be a risky WR3/WR4 against the Texans in Week 5.