NASHVILLE – The Titans hit the field on Tuesday for their eighth day of organized team activities.
Today's OTA was open to reporters.
Here's a look at some observations from today's session:
-There were ups and downs on both sides of the football on Tuesday, and that once again included the play of quarterback Cam Ward. Ward was 3-of-4 in the first team period, but was intercepted by cornerback Micah Robinson for his second pick in as many days. Ward threw a strike to receiver Chimere Dike in the first 7-on-7 period, and later connected with receivers Xavier Restrepo and Elic Ayomanor for touchdowns in a "Strikezone" period, just outside the 25-yard line. The second score resulted in push-ups from the defense. I tallied up all of Ward's throws once again, and I had him 3-of-6 in the 7-on-7 and 9-of-16 in the team periods for a combined 12-of-22 on the day. In the four open OTAs, I have Ward at 49-of-88 in 7-on-7 and team periods combined. Can Ward be better? Yes. Has he been bad during OTAs? No.
-Rookie receiver Carnell Tate did not practice on Tuesday, and that allowed others to make plays.
-Dike was one of the stars of the day, as he caught four passes, including the strike from Ward and several completions from quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. I had Dike with two touchdowns catches from Trubisky, but officials ruled him short of the goal line after one reception. So, two plays later, Dike got into the end zone when he beat cornerback Jalen McMurray to the corner for a score. Earlier in practice, Dike scored on a 60-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Will Levis.
-Ward and receiver Wan'Dale Robinson are still working on their connection in these practices, and on Tuesday they had some issues connecting. Ward threw a strike to Robinson for a completion, but it was sandwiched between an overthrow to Robinson and another ball that was broken up and nearly picked.
-Receiver Xavier Restrepo's chemistry with Ward is regularly on display, and that was the case on the 27-yard touchdown strike late in the practice. Restrepo caught a practice-best five passes on Tuesday – two from Ward, and three from Mitchell Trubisky. In the four open OTAs, no one has caught more passes than Restrepo, who has 14 receptions.
-K.J. Osborn, Kylen Granson and Ayomanor all had three catches on Tuesday in the competitive periods.
-Defenders made plays on Tuesday, with Micah Robinson coming up with the day's only interception. But linebacker Sean Brown had a forced fumble from receiver Tyren Montgomery that he ran in for a touchdown going the other way.
-Mason Kinsey made a pair of nice catches.
-Cornerback Keydrain Calligan had two pass break-ups, and linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. had one as well. Calligan was also called for a DPI on a play when Ayomanor got open and made a catch.
-Linebacker Cody Barton had a PBU himself.
-Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky has come out firing after missing some time following the birth of his daughter. Trubisky completed 15-of-18 passes on Tuesday, one day after completed 13-of-15 passes in the 7-on-7 and team periods combined on Monday. Trubisky has done a good job of buying himself more time on some plays, and then making throws downfield. He's now 28-of-33 in the two sessions.
-Quarterback Will Levis had a good day on Tuesday as well, completing 6-of-6 in the 7-on-7 and 8-of-12 in the team period for a combined 14-of-18. The Levis-to-Dike touchdown was arguably the biggest highlight of the day, but Levis also connected with receivers Lance McCutcheon and Hank Beatty for scores.
-Offensive players lifted Beatty into the air following his score at the end of practice.
-Rookie running back Nick Singleton has been getting more and more work, and I've been impressed by what I've seen so far. I'm looking forward to seeing Singleton in pads.
-Safety Kevin Winston was called for a DPI on a ball intended for receiver Bryce Oliver.
-Keldric Faulk had a nice pressure on one play that would have resulted in a sack.
-Defensive back Marcus Harris also came on a blitz and put himself in position for a sack.
-When the Titans worked on punt returns, Chimere Dike, Mason Kinsey, Hank Beatty, Courtney Jackson and K.J. Osborn all took turns.
-Once again, these OTAs are voluntary, so I'm not keeping attendance. Some guys are recovering from injuries, and others have personal business they're taking care of. In addition to Tate, I didn't see JC Latham, Dan Moore, Amani Hooker, John Franklin-Myers, Femi Oladejo, Alontae Taylor or Cor'Dale Flott on the field on Tuesday. Jeffery Simmons was spotted, but not in uniform. But again, these are voluntary, and some have been in and out. These are just some of the guys who weren't on the field today, so they didn't make observations.
-The Titans will be back on the field on Thursday for OTA No.9. The team is also scheduled for an OTA on Friday, but it will be closed to media. Minicamp begins next week.
