‘Pretty good’ chance Marcus Mariota plays Sunday
By Bryan Arnott
Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota told reporters there’s a “pretty good” chance that he plays on Sunday.
An MCL sprain won’t hold Marcus Mariota back. Mariota told reporters that there is a “pretty good” chance that he will play this Sunday, according to team reporter Jim Wyatt.
Mariota suffered a sprained MCL in a 38-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday after what many consider a late and dirty hit by Olivier Vernon.
Vernon has since been fined an undisclosed amount though he plans to appeal. Vernon maintains that it wasn’t intentional.
Head coach Ken Whisenhunt sang a different tune about his 2015 second overall pick, saying that when the injury has healed, he will play. This can be expected from a head coach, though, as it forces the Titans next match-up, the Falcons to game plan for two different quarterbacks.
Mariota had an immediate impact on the team, throwing four touchdowns in the first half of his first NFL game – an NFL record. Since their Week 1 win versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Titans have gone 0-4 to give them a 1-4 record on the season.
Mariota has thrown for 1,239 yards this season, ranking him 20th in the league. His 64% completion rate is good enough for 18th in the league while his nine touchdowns has him tied for 9th with four other players.
The Titans are currently tied for last place with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a weak AFC South this season. With a Week 8 win against the Texans, the Titans could vault themselves into second place behind the lackluster Indianapolis Colts. The team will need their starting quarterback healthy, though, to have any hopes of sniffing a wild card berth this season.