Cam Ward struggles in the Titans' 19-13 preseason win over the 49ers

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Cam Ward struggled in three drives for Tennessee against San Francisco's backup defense and the Titans went on to beat the 49ers 19-13 in the exhibition opener for both teams Thursday night.

Tony Pollard ran for a touchdown and Joey Slye kicked four field goals for the Titans, with three coming from at least 50 yards out.

First-year Tennessee coach Robert Saleh played most of his starters in his debut game, while 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan opted to hold out his top-line players after most of them got work during a joint practice on Tuesday.

The Titans drove 95 yards on their opening possession with Ward completing two passes and Tennessee doing most of the work on the ground by controlling the line of scrimmage. Pollard capped it with a 5-yard TD run.

Ward, the No. 1 overall pick last season, then went 3 for 8 for 23 yards on the next two possessions as the Titans netted just 15 yards total on those drives.

“It it looked like his mechanics were a little bit more sped up than it has been," Saleh said. "Which is good because we can go correct it, which is what the preseason’s for. But I’m sure they’ll look back at it and see that the protection was pretty good, and he could have moved through the process a little bit.”

Ward was unable to connect with No. 4 overall pick Carnell Tate, who was targeted three times. All fell incomplete, including a pass near the goal line that was broken up by San Francisco rookie Ephesians Prysock.

“Got to continue to clean up things in the pass game, with myself and my receivers seeing eye to eye,” Ward said. "I got to continue to give them better chances, making plays. I think once we get that we’ll be really good.”

Kurtis Rourke, a seventh-round pick in Ward's draft in 2025, looked much sharper in his professional debut after missing all of last season recovering from knee surgery. He went 12 for 14 for 101 yards with three rushes for 14 yards on three drives. His final possession ended in a 1-yard TD run by Patrick Taylor Jr., and he left the game after that with a rib injury. X-rays were negative but Rourke had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital.

Rourke had a good rhythm with Niners rookie receiver De'Zhaun Stribling. The first pick of the second round caught seven passes for 63 yards on his three drives, including two impressive catches on the TD drive. He caught a 32-yard deep pass on the sideline and then had an 11-yard catch with a broken tackle to convert a third-and-6.

“It was it was fun being out there against them,” Stribling said. "Just trying to keep building, building and building. Taking all the coaching points that I can take and just trying to get better."

Shanahan was back in his usual spot on the sideline for the 49ers in his first game since a car crash last month that left him with a concussion that has limited him in training camp. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak called plays in the game like he did last year in the preseason.

“(It felt) the same as it has in practice," Shanahan said. “Everyone knows I missed some things and I haven’t been calling plays as much but I don’t really do that in the preseason anyway so it felt pretty normal.”

Corliss Waitman showed why he won the San Francisco punter battle over Jack Bouwmeester, who was cut earlier this week. Waitman's first two punts were downed inside the 10-yard line. He averaged 43.5 yards on his four punts with no returns.

Titans: DE Jaylen Harrell (knee) and TE Jaren Kanak (pectoral) left the game.

49ers: CB Jack Jones left the game on the opening drive with a right hand injury. ...CB Nate Hobbs didn't play after hurting his groin this week and will miss a few weeks. ... LB Nick Martin (stinger) and S Marques Sigle (oblique) also left the game.

Titans: Host Seattle on Aug. 23.

49ers: At the Los Angeles Chargers next Thursday.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Kurtis Rourke walks off the field during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L. Cox)

San Francisco 49ers defensive back Ashtyn Davis (29) breaks up a pass intended for Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches from the sideline during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Kelley L. Cox)

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver De'zhaun Stribling, right, catches a pass against Tennessee Titans defensive back Cor'Dale Flott during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes against the San Francisco 49ers during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

PARIS (AP) — Firefighters across France and in central England struggled against multiple fires Friday as a new wave of record-breaking heat baked a swath of Europe, their task further complicated by exceptionally parched landscapes.

With France experiencing its driest year ever, a new fire raced through woodlands overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast. The blaze forced more than 500 people to evacuate their homes in the town of Luglon as hundreds of firefighters deployed to the area, the regional administration said Friday.

It’s one of several fires scorching forests around France this week, including in normally cooler and wetter regions in the north and Brittany. A historic fire devoured forests near Bordeaux last month and pushed a quarter of a million people from their homes.

After the U.K. recorded its hottest day of the year, wildfires raced across the West Midlands and saw several houses burned to the ground. They have been “one of the most significant” incidents the region’s fire service has ever dealt with, chief fire officer Simon Tuhill said.

Some 1,017 wildfires have been recorded in England and Wales this year, according to data from the National Fire Chiefs Council.

The fires came on the hottest day of the year, when temperatures reached 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in west London.

In France, temperatures Thursday approached 41 C (106 F) in several areas, from Aquitaine in the southwest to the Rhone River valley in the east, according to the national weather service. They were forecast to reach similar levels Friday before dropping over the weekend.

The historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change, and are hitting countries more designed for long cold seasons and ill-equipped for this sort of heat, with limited air conditioning.

In Croatia, seven people remained in life-threatening condition early Friday from a fire that raged overnight by the coastal town of Omis and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes.

The fire erupted late Thursday in an Omis suburb and quickly spread because of strong wind. Public broadcaster HRT said the blaze came close to the town’s center, and parts of Omis were left without electricity while many cars were burned.

Croatian media published photos from a crowded sports hall in Omis where people crammed on beds and on the floor. Witnesses told HRT that people were jumping into the sea after boats also caught fire.

Firefighters put out the blaze by Friday morning as other crews in planes headed further south toward the Peljesac peninsula where another wildfire broke out overnight.

Altogether, 36 people from Omis sought medical care. Fourteen were hospitalized, including the seven with life-threatening injuries.

Meanwhile, in northern Greece, more than 300 vacationers and residents were evacuated by sea Thursday after a wildfire swept through a pine forest and threatened seaside homes, authorities said.

A pharmacy sign displays a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A woman splashes water on her face at a public fountain on a hot day in Bordeaux, France, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, as a heatwave affects much of the country. (AP Photo/Caroline Blumberg)

A safety signage to avoid fires is seen at Baitings reservoir near Sowerby Bridge as water levels drop throught the country, in Sowerby Bridge, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

A person holds an umbrella and walks through dry grass at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)