Seahawks vs. Titans Preseason Preview: What Friday’s Joint Practice and the Coaching Angle Tell Us
Preseason football isn't always about the final score. Sometimes, the most useful information comes from what happens during the week leading up to the game.
That was certainly the case when the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans met for a joint practice in Nashville.
With both teams preparing for their preseason matchup, the joint session provided a closer look at quarterback development, starter workloads, coaching philosophies, and the different priorities each team has heading into August.
For Tennessee, the focus remains heavily centered around developing young quarterback Cam Ward. For Seattle, the emphasis appears to be more about getting meaningful work from established players while managing their preseason workload.
Here's what Friday's joint practice told us.
Cam Ward Continues to Make Progress
Cam Ward's preseason debut against San Francisco wasn't particularly impressive. The young quarterback completed just 5 of 12 passes for 57 yards.
Since then, however, Ward has shown signs of improvement.
He completed 76.7% of his passes over the following four practices before putting together another encouraging performance against Seattle.
Ward was charted at 22-of-28 overall, including 20-of-26 during team periods. He also finished the session by leading Tennessee on a successful two-minute touchdown drive.
There was still a mistake to clean up.
Ward threw a pick-six to Seattle safety Ty Okada, showing that there is still plenty for the rookie quarterback to learn.
But the response was encouraging.
Rather than allowing the mistake to derail the rest of his practice, Ward continued moving the football and finished the session by putting together a successful scoring drive.
For a young quarterback learning a new offense, those types of responses can be just as important as the highlight plays.
Seattle Put Its Starters Through a Heavy Workload
One of the biggest takeaways from Friday's practice was the amount of work Seattle's starters received.
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald estimated that his starters took roughly 40 to 50 quality physical reps during the joint session.
That's a significant workload for established players during the preseason.
The circumstances made it even more notable.
The practice took place in Nashville heat, with cramping becoming an issue as the session continued. Tennessee is accustomed to practicing in those conditions throughout August, while Seattle had to travel into an environment that isn't part of its normal routine.
That doesn't mean the Seahawks were unprepared for the heat.
But it does add context to the amount of physical work they completed.
Seattle may have already accomplished much of what it wanted from its starters during the joint practice, potentially reducing the need to give those players an extended workload when the teams meet again.
Tennessee Still Needs Meaningful Repetitions
The Titans are approaching the preseason from a different perspective.
Robert Saleh has emphasized the importance of meaningful repetitions, particularly for Ward.
Tennessee isn't simply trying to get through August without injuries. The team is installing a new system while developing a young quarterback.
That requires repetition.
Ward needs to see different defensive looks. He needs to improve his timing with receivers. He needs to experience disguised coverages and learn how to respond when a defense changes the picture after the snap.
A joint practice against Seattle provided an opportunity to get that type of work without relying entirely on a preseason game.
For Tennessee, that's valuable development time.
And it could be one reason the Titans may still have more they want to accomplish when the two teams meet again.
Tennessee's Quarterback Depth Also Stood Out
Ward wasn't the only Tennessee quarterback to have a productive afternoon.
Mitchell Trubisky completed 17 of 22 passes, while Will Levis went 6-of-8.
Trubisky also led the second-team offense on a successful two-minute touchdown drive.
That matters in preseason football.
Once the starters leave the field, games quickly become opportunities to evaluate backup quarterbacks, young offensive linemen, receivers fighting for roster spots, and players competing for larger roles.
Quarterback depth can become especially important during the preseason because the second and third units often play the majority of the game.
Tennessee therefore came away from Friday with encouraging performances throughout its quarterback room.
The Coaching Factor
Another interesting part of this matchup is the preseason history of the two head coaches.
According to the preseason coaching database referenced for this matchup, Robert Saleh has an 11-2-1 straight-up record and a 10-4 record against the spread in preseason games.
That's a 71.4% ATS record.
Mike Macdonald enters the matchup with a 3-3-1 straight-up record and a 3-4 ATS record.
These numbers aren't predictions.
Preseason records can be influenced by roster construction, player availability, coaching changes, and how aggressively a team approaches individual games.
Still, coaching history can provide some insight into how a staff tends to approach August.
Saleh's preseason record suggests his teams have historically been competitive in these situations.
His approach with Tennessee also appears consistent with that history.
He wants his starters getting meaningful work.
He wants Ward taking repetitions.
And he wants the Titans to continue building their system before the regular season arrives.
What Friday's Practice Really Told Us
The biggest takeaway isn't necessarily which team "won" the joint practice.
It's what each team appeared to prioritize.
Tennessee received encouraging work from Cam Ward and the rest of its quarterback room. Ward showed improvement, responded after an interception, and finished with a successful two-minute touchdown drive.
Seattle, meanwhile, put its established starters through approximately 40 to 50 physical reps in Nashville conditions that Tennessee is more accustomed to handling.
That workload could influence how aggressively Seattle uses its starters in the preseason matchup.
Then there's the coaching angle.
Saleh's preseason history is considerably stronger than Macdonald's in terms of both straight-up results and ATS performance.
That doesn't guarantee anything on game day, but it adds another layer to the matchup.
Seahawks vs. Titans: What to Watch
When the Seahawks and Titans meet, several storylines deserve attention.
Cam Ward's Decision-Making
Ward's development remains the biggest storyline.
The physical tools are only part of the equation. His ability to process defensive looks, make quick decisions, and bounce back from mistakes will be worth watching.
Seattle's Starter Usage
After a heavy joint-practice workload, the number of snaps Seattle gives its established players could be one of the most important factors in the game.
Tennessee's Backup Quarterbacks
Trubisky and Levis both had productive moments during the joint session. Their performance in the preseason game could provide another look at Tennessee's quarterback depth.
Coaching Philosophy
How aggressively each staff approaches the game could matter more than the final roster comparison.
Preseason games are evaluation opportunities, and coaches don't always have the same objectives.
Final Thoughts
The Seahawks and Titans enter this preseason matchup with different priorities.
Tennessee is focused on development, especially with Cam Ward. The Titans need repetitions, experience, and opportunities to evaluate how their young quarterback handles different defensive situations.
Seattle has already given its starters a significant amount of physical work during the joint practice, potentially changing how much those players are used in the game itself.
The coaching history adds another interesting layer, with Robert Saleh bringing a strong preseason track record into the matchup.
Ultimately, the final scoreboard may not tell the entire story.
For preseason football, the more important questions are often:
Who played?
How much did they play?
What were the coaches trying to accomplish?
And which players showed meaningful progress?
Friday's joint practice gave us some answers.
The preseason matchup should provide a few more.