Titans Beat 49ers 19-13 as Cam Ward Struggles in Preseason Opener

What happened:

Watch the highlights:

Yahoo Sports reports that the Tennessee Titans beat the San Francisco 49ers 19-13 in Thursday night’s preseason opener for both teams. The result sits beside a more specific evaluation point: Cam Ward struggled across three drives for Tennessee against San Francisco’s backup defense.

Game shape:

Tennessee’s scoring came through Tony Pollard, who ran for a touchdown, and Joey Slye, who kicked four field goals. Three of Slye’s field goals were from at least 50 yards, giving the Titans enough special-teams production to control the scoreboard despite the uneven offensive note attached to Ward’s appearance.

The 49ers’ personnel context matters. Yahoo reports that first-year Tennessee coach Robert Saleh played most of his starters in his debut game, while San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan held out his top-line players after many of them worked during a joint practice Tuesday. That means the matchup was not a clean starters-versus-starters evaluation, and preseason conclusions should be weighted accordingly.

Why it matters:

For Tennessee, the win is less important than the data. Saleh’s first game gave the Titans a controlled look at many starters in live conditions. Ward’s three-drive struggle will draw attention because quarterback reps are always magnified in August, especially when they come against backups. Still, the source does not provide detailed passing numbers, play-by-play mistakes or coaching quotes, so the evaluation should stay limited to the confirmed summary.

Tournament impact:

Preseason does not affect NFL standings, but it does affect roster decisions, depth-chart confidence and coaching priorities before Week 1. Tennessee can take a positive from Slye’s long-range kicking and Pollard’s touchdown while still having offensive film to clean up. San Francisco’s night is harder to judge competitively because Shanahan chose to sit top-line players after joint-practice work earlier in the week.

What to watch:

Ward’s next preseason involvement becomes the obvious checkpoint. The question is not whether one rough three-drive sample defines anything, but whether Tennessee can produce cleaner rhythm when he is on the field. For Saleh, the balance is practical: evaluate starters enough to build timing without exposing them longer than needed in exhibition games.

Confidence:

Confirmed by the Yahoo Sports source: Tennessee beat San Francisco 19-13, Ward struggled in three drives against the 49ers’ backup defense, Pollard ran for a touchdown, Slye kicked four field goals with three from at least 50 yards, Saleh played most Titans starters, and Shanahan held out top-line 49ers players after Tuesday joint-practice work. Follow-up is needed for full box-score detail, snap counts and coaching reactions.