Titans vs Colts: Why not Marcus Mariota ?
By Les Bailey
Sep 27, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) scrambles out of the pocket during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium. The Colts won 35-33. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans second comeback at the end of their home opener on Sunday afternoon against the divisional foe, Indianapolis Colts came up a two-point conversion short of tying the game and sending what was already an exciting ball game into overtime.
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With 47 seconds left on the clock and needing two point to tie the game, head coach Ken Whisenhunt sent fullback, rookie Jalston Fowler back on the field to run a play that had already been run three times.
The Colts recognized the play and stopped it where it started at the one yard line, with Fowler retreating as the clock ran out.
Titans lose the game 35-33!
The question on my mind and on the minds of most of the partisan hometown crowd was why not put ball in the hands of your franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota and let him either throw or run the football in?
With an eight-point deficit and 2:51 on the clock, the rookie quarterback answered the bell and drove his team 80 yards in nine plays and capped it off with a 1-yard touchdown Fowler run to get within two points of the lead.
€œ”We just wanted to go down and score points,’’ Mariota said. “Wanted to give our team an opportunity to tie it up and hopefully win the game. My mindset wasn’t any different.
Mariota looked like a seasoned vet marching his team down the field.
He hit Delanie Walker for a big third down conversion, He hit Kendall Wright for a 20-yard gain and used his legs to escape the pocket and hit rookie Dorial Green-Beckham for a pass that got them to the two yard line.
€œI don’€™t see much bothering Marcus,€™ Wright said. €œI think he played a great game. For him to be a rookie and show that poise in such a pressure situation, it says a lot. He is one player I want on my team and will always go to battle with.
Even after setting a franchise rookie passing record, hitting 27 targets on 44 attempts for 367 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, Mariota took responsibility for the interceptions, and took responsibility for not getting the job done.
€œI felt the coaches did a great job calling the plays,€™ Mariota said when asked about the play-calling. €œMyself, I’€™ve got to do a better job of executing them.€
€œThe defense played well,€™ he said of the defensive support. €œUnfortunately, I put them in a bad spot in the fourth quarter€
Mariota ended his day with an 84.2 passer rating. In his first three NFL starts, the rookie has connected on 61 passes in 97 attempts for 833 yards and eight touchdowns. With only the two interceptions, he has a combined passer rating or 109.2 for his brief NFL career.
That young man has a lot of character,€™ guard Byron Bell said of Mariota. He gave us a fighting chance, and we all gave ourselves a fighting chance. He is going to be one of the top quarterbacks in the league one day and he continues to prove it.
So at the end of the game with 47 seconds left on the clock and a chance to tie the game, a chance to change the culture of a franchise and a chance to send Andrew Luck, Chuck Pagano and the Indianapolis Colts home with a third loss on the young season.
Why do you give the ball to a rookie fullback?
Why didn’t you dance with the one that got you within two points of sending the game into overtime?
Why didn’t you give the ball to Marcus Mariota?
Quotes are courtesy Titansonline.com
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