The real test for rookie quarterback Cam Ward will come in Week One in Denver. But Ward passed another quiz in the preseason finale on Friday night. In two series of action, Ward completed 3-of-4 passes for 35 yards, with a 102.1 rating. He guided a 13-play, 90-yard touchdown drive that took 8:33 off the clock, completing passes to Jefferson, Chimere Dike and Tyler Lockett on the drive. Other than being sacked, it was a pretty good last night out for Ward in the preseason. “It was exactly what we wanted to see,” Callahan said. “(Cam) led a long drive, he was efficient, he was accurate. … It was good to have that last experience.” Ward finished the preseason with confidence. “I know what I am capable of doing on the football field,” Ward said. “Coach Callahan knows that, so I am excited. He is going to put the ball in my hands, and I’m glad he’s doing it.”
Running back Tony Pollard didn’t play, and neither did Tyjae Spears. Another back, Kalel Mullings, left the contest with an ankle injury. It was a night for running back Julius Chestnut to shine, and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Not only did Chestnut score the game’s first touchdown, he also electrified the crowd with a beautiful hurdle of Vikings safety Jay Ward on a 16-yard run. “It was good to see him get up and over a couple of tackles,” Callahan said of Chestnut. “He ran well, and he’s really ran well all preseason, and proven himself a viable ball carrier, and he can protect, too. So, happy with his performance over the course of camp and the preseason.” Chestnut carried the ball five times for 28 yards in the game.
Officially, kicker Rob Bironas still holds the record for the longest field goal in Nissan Stadium history, his 60-yard game-winner against the Colts in 2006 is etched in Titans lore. That’s because, according to the record books, preseason field goals don’t officially count. With an asterisk, Titans kicker Joey Slye can stake claim to the longest kick, after making a 63-yarder last night. Slye sailed his kick through the uprights, and he had plenty of room to spare. Slye later added a 30-yard field goal, and a 53-yard field goal, to finish the night 3-of-3. “That’s real range right there,” Callahan said of the 63-yarder. “That was an impressive kick, and I think it hit the net, too. So it had some room to spare on it. That’s a weapon – if we can get points on those ranges, that’s huge deal for us from a points perspective, so that was really good to see that kind of range show up, that was pretty cool.”
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