Kyle Shanahan Shares 49ers' Game Plan For Slowing Down Titans Rookie Qb Cam Ward

Kyle Shanahan shares 49ers' game plan for slowing down Titans rookie QB Cam Ward originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

While the 49ers will be heavy favorites for Sunday’s matchup against the woeful Tennessee Titans, San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan isn’t taking rookie quarterback Cam Ward lightly.

Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, has dealt with tremendous adversity in his first professional campaign, being sacked a league-leading 49 times. Despite these challenges, Ward still has shown plenty of flashes that validate why he was the first player taken off the board in April.

During an interview with Matt Maiocco on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “49ers Game Plan,” Shanahan detailed how the 49ers’ defense plans to get the better of Ward and the Titans on Sunday.

“I think the main thing is not letting a guy get comfortable,” Shanahan told Maiocco. “Any time you got a talented guy, especially a talented rookie, they get in a rhythm, they get comfortable and you start to see why he was drafted No.1. You talk about his 49 sacks and things like that, one of the reasons I think that happens is they’ve been down two scores a lot. You look at all of his turnovers and stuff, his fumbles. They happen at a very high rate when he’s down two scores.”

The Titans have lost seven games by double digits this season, constantly leaving Ward in positions where he and Tennessee’s offense are one-dimensional, with opposing teams able to pin their ears back and tune up their pass rush.

While being a rookie with less experience certainly makes these situations difficult, Shanahan clarified his belief that any quarterback is going to be prone to more mistakes the more often they’re dropping back, creating a point of emphasis for the 49ers to get out to a lead and keep the Titans’ ground attack at bay early and often.

“When you can put rookie quarterbacks, or I feel any quarterback in a situation where they’ve got to drop back a ton, it’s hard not to make mistakes,” Shanahan explained. “It’s hard not to get a sack, it’s hard not to turn it over and that’s the goal as a team. Can we put this guy in a tough situation where he has got to do some things too much that they’re not necessarily going to want to. But if not and they can balance it out, he does have the ability that he can get after you.”

The 49ers’ defense has held each of their last two opponents to single digits and enters Sunday’s matchup with the Titans reinvigorated after San Francisco’s Week 14 bye.

While execution will ultimately determine the outcome of the game, Shanahan and his defense clearly have a plan in mind for the talented rookie quarterback coming to Levi’s Stadium this weekend.

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