First Down and Tenn: Tennessee Titans Sunday News Links
By Les Bailey
If the Tennessee Titans 31-24 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night didn’t get your football fix excited, you might want to have yourself checked by a doctor…or a bartender! After rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota was able to turn his conspicuous start around with his “pissed off” demeanor, he brought the rest of the team with him. It was a loss in the Georgia Dome, but the new team brought more excitement to the first preseason game than we saw during the entirety of the 2014 season.
Get you coffee and let’s see what others are saying about this exciting young football team.
Marcus Mariota took big step on third-and-long pass – David Climer the Tennessean
The biggest story line out of the Titans’ 31-24 loss at Atlanta in their preseason opener Friday night was how rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota rebounded from two early turnovers.
And one play pretty much summed up his response.
After an interception and a fumble ended the Titans’ first two possessions, Mariota faced a third-and-12 situation from the 18-yard line. If the Titans failed to convert, it probably would have been his final play of the evening.
RB David Cobb earned some first-team reps for Titans – Paul Kuharsky ESPN
Rookie runner David Cobb’s play in the Titans’ preseason opener will earn him chances with the first team, and the Titans aren’t married to the idea of a running back by committee, coach Ken Whisenhunt said Saturday.
“That’s really up to them,” Whisenhunt said at his news conference the day after a 31-24 preseason loss in Atlanta. “I don’t think we were necessarily a running back committee in the third quarter last night [with Cobb carrying the load]. That was a lot of what you would hope to envision we could run the ball like.
Jameis Winston has uneven preseason debut – Gregg Rosenthal Around The NFL
One night after Marcus Mariota‘s uneven debut, Winston had his struggles. Playing the entire first half, Winston completed 9 of 19 passes for 131 yards with an interception and a fumble. Like Mariota, he finished strong with a touchdown drive against backups. Winston’s 8-yard touchdown run gave him something to build off for next week.
Winston appeared balltoo amped up to start the night. His first three throws were high and off target. He settled down on his third drive to connect with Vincent Jackson on a 40-yard bomb while getting hit, but was picked off to open his fourth drive when he forced a pass to Mike Evans.
Falcons 31, Titans 24 – Thoughts and Review – Stoney Keeley ProFootSpot
Primarily, we learned that quarterback Marcus Mariota is indeed a rookie. The hype surrounding the first year signal-caller out of Oregon was reaching a fever pitch. He was yet to have thrown an interception going into Friday’s game. His accuracy and poise being consistently praised, fans and media alike were excited to see what he’d do in a game situation.
That ended quickly – Mariota’s first two drives ended in turnovers off of his hand.
Ken Whisenhunt press conference recap – Will Lomas Music City Miracles
Tennessee Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt had a press conference today, and here are some of the highlights.
All quotes are from ESPN beat writer Paul Kuharsky (although I had to fill in some of the grammar where he was limited by 140 characters):
Titans one of 5 teams with 3 1,000-yard receivers Paul Kuharsky ESPN
The Tennessee Titans‘ receiving corps is filled with promise and potential and question marks.
Kendall Wright ranks as the team’s No. 1 guy, but roles and the rotation after that will be sorted out over the next month.
Per ESPN Stats and Info, the Titans are one of only five teams in the NFL with three players who have had 1,000-yard receiving seasons. They are one of only three teams from that list whose 1,000-yard guys are all wide receivers.
Note to local fans: Sunday will be the last open practice for the Tennessee Titans. 3:10 to 5:20 PM at Saint Thomas Sports Park.
Next: Five Observations from Game One