When the Tennessee Titans took the practice field on Aug. 15 just a shade before 2:30 p.m., the AccuWeather "RealFeel" was 110 degrees and the heat index was a much-milder 104 in Nashville. So let's start off Titans observations by highlighting the real heroes of the day: the hydration squad. By The Tennessean's count, the Titans had at least a dozen water runners on the field at all times. After practice, one of the staffers estimated for The Tennessean that they went through the equivalent of 20-30 bags of ice to make everything work. This is part of an assembly-line process wherein the water runners bring caddies of four-to-six squeeze-top water bottles over to a golf cart with three multi-gallon coolers filled with ice water and a big green ladle. Some of the squeeze bottles are marked off with tape or elastic wristbands to signify they're the ones to be spiked with electrolyte powders and packets from companies like LMNT (specifically the raspberry flavor) and DripDrop. The cart is also stocked with dozens of fresh towels and mini bottles of Gatorade on ice to be used as needed. During the 10 minutes of the opening team period alone, staffers refilled 29 water bottles.
The all-hands-on-deck mentality was evident. One staffer joking asked media in the middle of practice to hop over the ropes and help "water the players." The Titans even took a 10-minute halftime in practice so players could go into the cold room and cool off. "You acclimate yourself to this weather," coach Robert Saleh said. "The first couple of weeks of September you don't know what the heck you're going to get. It could be 93 degrees with 90% humidity or it could be a cool fall day in the upper Midwest. You just don't know." Tennessee Titans practice observations: What did Cam Ward accomplish coming off preseason struggles? Throughout the week in Santa Clara, California, quarterback Cam Ward and the Titans' first-team offense built a trend out of thriving on timing-based rhythm plays but struggling when trying to push the ball downfield in a joint practice and preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers. Ward busted that trend early on Aug. 15. The Titans lined up for a four-minute drill, needing to go roughly 70 yards for the offense to win the session. Ward found 20 yards or so on the first play of the series, connecting with receiver Elic Ayomanor on a play-action rollout. On the next play, Ayomanor streaked down the sideline past the cover, getting behind cornerback Alontae Taylor, and Ward found him on a slightly-underthrown heave for the 50-yard score. On the first play of Ward's next series, he went deep again and found receiver Carnell Tate, then punctuated the series with a dart lasered into receiver Wan'Dale Robinson's chest in the corner of the end zone for a score. Ward was hardly perfect, but this felt like his most prolific day of training camp throwing downfield. It should be noted that the Titans weren't in full pads for this practice, so physicality might've been down a notch. But coming off a 5-for-12 showing in the preseason opener where Ward struggled to create for himself, finding a way to bridge the gap between thriving on timing passes and forging connections deep downfield was a welcome sign. More Titans observations
Defensive linemen John Franklin-Myers and Jackie Marshall were both in uniform after missing last week but didn't participate in team periods. Running back Tony Pollard took a rest day about which Saleh didn't seem concerned. Saleh admitted that rookie guard Fernando Carmona Jr. has seized the "inside track" in the competition for the starting role at right guard, the most decisive he's been about any position competition all summer. Ward's success meant more showcase struggles for the Titans' defensive backs, who caught flak for difficult moments in San Francisco. Speaking to reporters after practice, safety Kevin Winston Jr., explained that one emphasis the Titans have been keen on fixing is point-of-attack coverage, the process of trying to break up passes as the ball is arriving to a receiver. Though these situations can be simulated in individual drills, the only real way to instill these traits comes through scrimmage and game reps, per Winston. The Titans return to practice on Aug. 17. The Seattle Seahawks come to Nashville for a joint practice on Aug. 21.
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville felt like 110 degrees. Here's how Titans hydration staff pulled off practice