Mike Mularkey to return for Titans in 2018

The Tennessee Titans have confirmed that head coach Mike Mularkey will be coming back in the same capacity in 2018.

The Titans have gone 9-7 in consecutive seasons, but despite that, we’ve seen ample speculation that head coach Mike Mularkey would be fired at the end of the year. However, according to a statement from ownership, Mularkey will return for a third season at the helm.

Mularkey might have saved his job by winning in Week 17 over the Jacksonville Jaguars, getting Tennessee into the playoffs for the first time in a decade. Mularkey furthered his cause by pulling off a stunning comeback at Arrowhead Stadium on Saturday afternoon, rallying for a 22-21 win by scoring 19 unanswered points in the second half.

The main reason for Mularkey being on the hot seat was the play of third-year quarterback Marcus Mariota. Mariota looked to be blooming into a star going into 2017, but he has sputtered some, throwing 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in the regular season. Mariota has also made some key plays down the stretch, though, throwing for two scores (including one to himself) in the win over Kansas City.

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The Titans have an old-school mentality under Mularkey, who made his bones in the Pittsburgh Steelers system. Tennessee loves to run behind two tight end sets, something that can be viewed as plotting in the current pass-centric NFL schemes.

Going forward, Mariota will need to improve and the Titans will have to throw the ball more to keep Mularkey safe.