The Titans’ offense came out hot on Monday Night scoring 10 points in the first few minutes, but only 7 points the rest of the game. They came up short on a fourth-down try inside the five yard line and let many sacks and penalties kill drives. The team seemed to be on the verge of breaking through all game long, but couldn’t figure it out. There were some inspiring plays, but overall the offense didn’t do enough to win on Monday. However, there was one bright spot for the Titans, their quarterback.
Marcus Mariota
Mariota went 22/23 for 303 yards and 2 TDs. His completion percentage was good enough for the second highest all-time behind Phillip Rivers’ game on Sunday. He found Corey Davis downfield multiple times including a long touchdown to get the Titans back in the game. He made the right reads all game long and didn’t throw his first incompletion until the last drive of the game. Mariota faced pressure all night long being sacked six times. He definitely could have gotten rid of the ball faster at some points, but most of the issues were along the line. When under pressure, he had a perfect passer rating and made two plays by improvising and flipping the ball to a receiver in the flats.
Since the bye week, Mariota has looked like the franchise quarterback the Titans hoped he would be. He has thrown 6 TDs to just 1 INT in just 3.5 games. Mariota has not been the problem with this offense this year, despite what some may say. He has shown that he is the guy for Tennessee. The team lost, but fans should be excited that Mariota is getting healthy and finding his groove.
What’s Next?
The Titans face the Jets on Sunday in a game that could be an opportunity for Mariota to continue to improve. Two games ago, the Jets gave up 41 points to the Bills who were led by Matt Barkley. There are some good pieces in the secondary for New York including Jamal Adams and Trumaine Johnson, but this game should be another solid one for Mariota. He is going to need to be a big part of the Titans’ offensive success if the team wants to win out and get to 10-6. If he can continue to be smart with the ball and make good reads, the Titans will have a much better chance to sneak into the playoffs.
