Marcus Mariota has arrived: Titans QB poised for superstardom
Marcus Mariota did it all for the Tennessee Titans in the comeback win against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Marcus Mariota would be the first one to tell you he didn’t have the type of regular season he wanted. It was an outright disappointment that saw the former No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft throw more interceptions than touchdowns. Nevertheless, he did help lead the Titans to the postseason for the first time since the 2008 season where they played the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday afternoon from a loud Arrowhead Stadium. When the clock hit triple zeroes, the loud crowd had turned to a hush as the Chiefs surrendered a 21-3 lead as Mariota led the Titans to their first playoff win since Jan. 3, 2004 over the Baltimore Ravens.
Mariota did what franchise quarterbacks did and put the team on his back, with the help of running back Derrick Henry, and an opportunistic defense, to pick up the win. And it’s a win that showcases how bright his future is in the NFL.
Mariota is a quiet leader, but his play on the field was deafening, as he did something not seen before in a postseason game before. Mariota threw a touchdown pass to himself. In the moment, it was a remarkable play that showed off his athleticism when he caught the deflected pass from Darrelle Revis and dove headfirst in the end zone for the score. It only cut the lead to 21-10 and it looked like the Chiefs were very much in control. However, that was the ignition Mariota needed to light the fire under his teammates.
The Chiefs wouldn’t score again after that play as the Titans scored 19 unanswered points to get the win and the fourth-largest postseason comeback win of all time.
The Titans are in such great shape with the former Heisman winner leading this team. During the regular season, I had to question my own belief about Mariota and whether he was ever going to reach his full potential in Tennessee, but I’ve never felt more convinced that he has everything a team looks for in a franchise quarterback.
You know all about his dual-threat ability to make plays with his arm as well as his feet and his exceptional leadership and the intangibles he brings to the table. The latter was fully on display with the Titans milking the clock in the final moments. Mariota handed the ball off the Henry who looked like he’d be stopped in the backfield and give hope to the Chiefs.
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There was no hope.
Mariota put himself in the play and delivered the key block to free Henry down the left sideline and pick up the first down and the Titans were able to take a knee and the game was over.
When was the last time a quarterback delivered a legitimate block? When was the last time it was in a playoff game? When was the last time it actually worked? Mariota did what no one has done before when he threw a touchdown pass to himself, but he did it again, on a play that won’t show up in the box score, but it was the most important play of the game.
It was also a sign that Mariota is ready to grow into a bona fide superstar.