Report: Marcus Mariota Will Play on Monday Night Football

Reports are saying that Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota will suit up this week against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.

According to a report from Paul Kuharsky of PaulKuharsky.com, quarterback Marcus Mariota is set to be the Titans’ starting quarterback in Monday’s primetime showdown against the rival Indianapolis Colts.

Mariota has missed the last six quarters the Titans have played. He was inactive in last week’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Against the Dolphins, the Titans offense struggled immensely to get into any sort of rhythm. Backup QB Matt Cassel was free of interceptions, but he often looked overmatched against a Miami secondary that is not incredibly talented. Additionally, most of Cassel’s throws throughout the game massively lacked velocity. They often were barely able to wobble their way past the line to gain on third downs.

Mariota did not get off to a great start statistically this season, throwing for only 792 yards with a 1:1 TD/INT ratio in 3.5 games. However, it isn’t debatable that his return will provide a massive spark to the struggling offense.

If nothing else, Mariota’s arm strength will give offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie a plethora of new options when calling plays from the booth. Whereas Cassel’s inability to work the football downfield forced the Titans to rely on vanilla run plays and short passes in Miami, Mariota allows the Titans to do anything they want when it comes to calling plays.

Even if Mariota’s legs are not at 100% and he is without some of his elite mobility, his presence under center makes the Titans a significantly better team. Todd Fuhrman, host of the Bet the Board Podcast, wrote on Twitter that the Titans are favored by seven (-7) with Mariota at the helm. With Cassel, he estimates that number would drop to three (-3).

With QB DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans and the defense of the Jacksonville Jaguars heating up, the Titans cannot afford to fall behind in the AFC South race this early in the season. Ending their eleven-game losing streak against the Indianapolis Colts could be a key to winning the division.

The Colts will be without their star quarterback, but it appears the Titans will have theirs.