Nov 19, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Titans running back
Antonio Andrews(26) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars middle linebacker
Paul Posluszny(51) and strong safety Johnathan Cyprien (37), Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle
Abry Jones(right) and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive tackle
Tyson Alualu(right) at EverBank Field. The Jacksonville Jaguars won 19-13. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
The Tennessee Titans got a chance to show off their young team and franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota to a national audience on Thursday Night Football, but come up short with more fourth quarter mistakes.
More at Titan Sized: Is the Lack of a Downfield Threat a Problem?
A last ditch effort at the end of the game to overcome a punting mistake by the usually reliable Brett Kern and a fumble by rookie Phillip Supernaw ended with a fourth Marcus Mariota sack on the night and a 13-19 loss to the divisional foe, Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field on the banks of the St. Johns River.
A win on Thursday Night would have given the Titans a chance in the woeful AFC South for a possible divisional berth in the playoffs, but with the loss and now owning a 2-8 record, they can get down to the business of getting ready for the draft and the 2016 season.
Interim head coach Mike Mularkey will be charged with this loss, but you can thank general manager Ruston Webster and former head coach Ken Whisenhunt for this one.
The decision to keep five tight ends on the roster and only four wide receivers finally caught up with this team when the injuries started to pile up.
With Kendall Wright inactive for the Thursday Night matchup and an unreliable Justin Hunter out for the rest of the season with a fractured ankle, I’m not sure what they were expecting.
The lack of a legitimate outside threat was the main topic for the pregame analysis, and it became the reason this game ended with another loss.
The Dick LeBeau defense performed admirably again, but when the offense can’t move the chains, and can’t score, this team is not going to win many games.
It’s a debate whether Benjamin Franklin of Albert Einstien coined the famous quote that “insanity was doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different out come”, but the Tennessee Titans have become poster child for this quote.
But that is what this franchise, and it’s owners continue to try to accomplish.
An organization of mediocre coaches and a hand full of very mediocre players will continue to keep this rudderless ship off course until there is major change.
The optimal situation is for some kind of local ownership with football knowledge to take this team over and start over from scratch.
They have a franchise quarterback and the makings of a pretty good defense. That’s a start.
Now they need to spend some of that $25 Million cap space to buy some pieces to help them out by scoring some points.
Next: The Myth that Bortles is better than Mariota
Mike Mularkey still thinks this team has a chance for the playoffs, but let’s get real. They have to play the emerging Oakland Raiders next week, and with the New England Patriots and New York Jets still to come, I think it’s time to pack it in for 2015.
Mularkey is now in the damage control mode to save third head coaching experience. If he thinks they have a chance to win this division, I think he has that insanity thing going on!