Four and out: Surprises from the NFL in Week 2
By Dani Bostick
Night and day
Marcus Mariota was the Week 1 darling of the NFL. He made the Titans look really, really good. Unexpectedly good.
In Week 2, we saw a different side of the Marcus Mariota, one that involved being subjected to seven sacks and fumbling the ball three times, losing the ball twice. This is not an indictment of Mariota. The Titans are one of the worst teams in the entire NFL, and it’s probable that last week’s surprise performance was an anomaly.
Still, it was unexpected to see the Titans look so competent in Week 1 only to make the perennial inept Cleveland Browns look like superstars in Week 2. The Titans first two weeks were completely bipolar.
If Mariota is going to help the Titans, the Titans need to help him. Tight end Anthony Fasano said via ESPN, “Mariota is a tough kid, a great player. We didn’t give him a ton of room to succeed in the passing game.” Left Tackle Taylor Lewan was more direct, calling the pass protection “disgusting.”
In Week 1 against the Buccaneers, the Titans rushed for 124 yards and accrued 209 receiving yards. That week there were two fumbles and two interceptions. Tampa Bay only had two sacks against the Titans.
Mariota did fairly well against the Browns, but his offensive line did not hold up as well as it did in Week 1. With 257 receiving yards and 166 rushing yards, the Titans could have positioned themselves to win had it not been for so many turnovers and sacks. Mariota’s role in that debacle was that he occasionally held onto the ball too long. Most of that loss, however, was due to factors largely outside of the quarterback’s control.
Which Titans team will we see in Week 3? With both extremes on the table, neither outcome will be particularly surprising.
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