All eyes were on No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward to open Week 2 of the NFL preseason.
Anyone who first looks at his box score — 2-for-7 for 42 yards — might assume it was a dreadful outing in more than a quarter of work. It certainly wasn't all pretty, but Ward made a strong throw on the run from pressure to Elic Ayomanor and layered a fastball over the top of two defenders to Van Jefferson, who couldn't hang on.
While neither the Tennessee Titans nor the Atlanta Falcons generated much offense early in Tennessee's 23-20 win, the teams turned it on as time wore on and went back and forth until a Joey Slye fourth-quarter field goal put the Titans ahead for good.
In the later stages of the second quarter, it was another Titans rookie making waves. Tight end Gunnar Helm caught four passes for 48 yards and a touchdown, which came on a contested catch where he outmuscled two defenders, in the second frame alone.
The Falcons kept their locked-in starters on the sideline for the second straight game. While first-rounder Jalon Walker was held out, too, his counterpart James Pearce Jr. logged 25 pass-rush snaps and tallied a game-high three quarterback pressures — his second straight outing with multiple pressures.
PFF's dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The comprehensive grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST.
In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.
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PLAYER OF THE GAME
Texas product Gunnar Helm was a reliable target for backup quarterback Brandon Allen, hauling in all four of his targets for 48 yards and a score. The rookie made two contested catches and finished the game with an elite PFF receiving grade, pending reviews.
Helm made just three contested catches in his college career, so the Titans have to be thrilled with what he showed in the preseason Week 2 win.
BOX SCORE
SNAP COUNTS & PLAYER PARTICIPATION
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