QB Cam Ward's improvement offers hope for future amid Titans' struggles

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are starting to see more than a glimmer of hope from an absolutely miserable season with rookie quarterback Cam Ward growing up with each passing game.

Interim coach Mike McCoy couldn't praise Ward's performance enough even as the Titans lost their 10th straight home game in a 30-24 defeat to Seattle.

“It’s taking that next step, and that’s what he’s done,” McCoy said. “We’ve been saying it from day one, the way he competes, the way he works every day. When we first came in in the offseason program, the early mornings, staying late, things like that, it’s starting to pay off.”

The No. 1 overall pick helped Tennessee score a season high in points and run a season-high 68 offensive plays and holding the ball a season-high 37 minutes, 25 seconds.

Ward also scrambled for a season high in yards with his first rushing touchdown and threw for 256 yards with one TD.

Better yet, the rookie finished his third straight game without an interception and didn't fumble despite being sacked four times.

The Titans (1-10) have been blown out at times this season and even shut out Sept. 28 before coach Brian Callahan was fired. But they've strung together three straight losses by a touchdown or less.

Tennessee is 5-6 against the spread this season according to BetMGM.com.

“The only thing that matters the win or loss,” Ward said.

The rookie class. If anyone's looking to grade first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi, the Titans started a season-high five of their nine draft picks against Seattle. That's the most for any Titans' game since at least 2005 when five or more draft picks started six times that season.

Tennessee wound up playing a season-high 10 rookies in a season where nine have played in four other games. Rookie tight end Gunnar Helm had a team-high six catches for 51 yards, a season high. Safety Kevin Winston Jr. had a team-high 10 tackles.

“That gives a lot of hope,” Ward said of the production of the rookie class.

Self-inflicted penalties continue to help the Titans be their own worst enemy for a team with 102 penalties for 599 yards this season. They cleaned those up in McCoy's first two games as interim coach. But they had 10 for 63 yards against the Seahawks with two wiping out first downs.

Worse, plenty are penalties the Titans should be able to eliminate. Unnecessary roughness, a chop block, too many men in the offensive huddle after a 25-yard pickup on third down. The last came as the Titans were trying to recover an onside kick in the final minute only to be flagged for illegal touching.

Chimere Dike. The rookie from Florida continues leading the NFL in all-purpose yards with 1,760 after having 232 combined yards. He has topped 200 all-purpose yards in three of the past four games. Dike has a chance to threaten Darren Sproles' league record of 2,696 all-purpose yards in 2011 with New Orleans.

Derrick Mason is second all time in the NFL, and Mason has the Titans' record of 2,690 in 2000.

Dike also tied the franchise record for longest punt return set by Pacman Jones on Nov. 19, 2006, at Philadelphia, with a 90-yarder for a TD. He became the seventh rookie since 2000 with at least two punt return TDs, a group that includes Devin Hester (three) and Tyreek Hill (two).

Jihad Ward. The outside linebacker has 3 1/2 sacks this season, but he was flagged for a pair of penalties against Seattle.

LT Dan Moore Jr. played only 33 snaps before a knee injury, and C Lloyd Cushenberry missed nine offensive snaps with a late ankle injury. DL Shy Tuttle is in the concussion protocol.

9 — Teams currently with a winning record the Titans have played so far this season with a combined record of 76-46.

The NFL's lone one-win team wraps up a four-game homestand Sunday by hosting the Jaguars (7-4) for the first game between the AFC South rivals this season. The Titans already have been swept by Houston and Indianapolis inside the division.

Of the final six games, the Titans face only two teams with losing records in Cleveland (3-8) and New Orleans (2-9) in a season that could net Tennessee a second consecutive No. 1 overall draft pick.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu, bottom, breaks up a pass intended for Tennessee Titans tight end Gunnar Helm (84) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike, center, scores a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) gets a completed pass away during the first half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans interim head coach Mike McCoy congratulates quarterback Cam Ward (1) after a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — The 48-team field for FIFA ’s biggest ever World Cup is complete after a qualifying process that spanned more than two and a half years.

Iraq edged Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff at Monterrey in northern Mexico on Tuesday to secure the 48th spot, hours after Bosnia and Herzegovina upset four-time champion Italy on penalties in European playoffs. The result meant Italy was knocked out in qualifying for a third successive World Cup.

Eight teams from Europe were competing for four places on the last day of qualifying. The new intercontinental tournament staged in Mexico determined the other two remaining places. The next-to-last nation to advance was Congo, which edged Jamaica 1-0 in extra time at Guadalajara, Mexico.

Sweden, Turkey and the Czech Republic each qualified in European playoff finals.

Sweden beat Poland 3-2; Turkey edged Kosovo 1-0; and the Czech Republic beat Denmark in a penalty shootout.

The World Cup kicks off June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will feature 12 groups of four teams.

With its big upset victory of Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified to join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B.

Sweden will play in Group F with the Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. Turkey will be in Group D with the United States, Paraguay and Australia.

After reaching its first World Cup since 2006, the Czech team will play in Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.

The World Cup qualifiers for the 2026 tournament started Sept. 7, 2023 with matches in South America.

Group A

Mexico, Czech Republic, South Africa, South Korea

Group B

Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland

Group C

Brazil, Haiti, Morocco, Scotland

Group D

United States, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey

Group E

Curacao, Ecuador, German,y Ivory Coast

Group F

Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia

Group G

Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H

Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Uruguay

Group I

France, Norway, Senegal, Iraq

Group J

Algeria, Argentina, Austria, Jordan

Group K

Colombia, Congo, Portugal, Uzbekistan

Group L

Croatia, England, Ghana, Panama

This list has been corrected to show that Congo, not Jamaica, got the final spot in Group K.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

DR Congo's players and fans celebrate at the end of the World Cup playoff final soccer match between DR Congo and Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Bosnia's Esmir Bajraktarevic celebrates after winning a penalty shootout during the World Cup qualifying playoff final soccer match between Bosnia and Italy in Zenica, Bosnia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut)

Iraq's Aymen Hussein, left, is congratulated after scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Iraq's Aymen Hussein celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)