Tennessee Titans: Negligent, liars or none of the above

Should Tennessee Titans fans be mad?

So, it looks like after a week of false optimism Marcus Mariota will not play in the Tennessee Titans finale.

To start the conversation, let’s look at what Adam Schefter had to say this morning on Mariota’s availability.

More on the news that Titans’ QB Blaine Gabbert, not Marcus Mariota, is expected to start in tonight’s playoff-deciding game be. Colts.https://t.co/VeHjgG5Nkf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 30, 2018

In that article, Chris Mortensen says:

“But one source said that it is the physical contact of a football game that would subject Mariota to the risk of permanent damage, according to the opinion of the independent spine specialist that has been shared with team officials and the medical staff.”

Wait, what?! So after a week of pretending that he is fine we are just now hearing that a spine specialist is saying he could have permanent damage if he takes another bad hit? Hold on, that can’t be right. Maybe I am imagining things, maybe the Titans didn’t actually say anything to suggest that Marcus Mariota would start on Sund-

#Titans OC Matt LaFleur on Marcus Mariota: “I think he’ll be good to go (Sunday).” #Colts
— Justin Beasley (@JBeasleyOpinion) December 27, 2018

Nope, that is definitely what they said.

So how can this happen? As far as I can tell right now there are three options.

1. Negligence

If this is the case, the Tennessee Titans let Marcus Mariota go through a full week of practices without consulting a spine specialist?

I find this very hard to believe, but maybe the team doctors told Mariota it was up to him and then at his agent’s behest he went to an independent spine specialist to make sure?

If we operate under that assumption then it would make sense why the coaching staff and sources inside the locker room through that Mariota would play, only to have the rug pulled out from under them.

Still, the fault here doesn’t fall on Mariota, the agent or the doctor, this is a huge problem for the Titans coaches and medical staff. How the heck was this not priority #1 when they got finished with the Redskins game. Hell, if he wasn’t playing in the 2nd half why didn’t he just go to the independent doctor then?

2. Lies

More from Titan Sized

The Tennessee Titans have been wanting packed stadiums and big atmospheres ever since seeing how much the Nashville fan base got behind the Predators during their runs over the past two years.

Crowd emphasis has been a huge talking point for everyone on the Titans payroll from Mike Vrabel, to Mularkey, to the players themselves.

In an attempt to sell tickets and pack out the house on Sunday did Vrabel and those who talked to the media lie to fill seats?

Technically they aren’t violating team rules as Mariota was correctly listed as a limited participant in practices and we have videos of him practicing. Still, this is a dirty thing to do for a fan base that has largely supported the Titans despite having many bad seasons before the Jon Robinson era.

Another take is maybe they weren’t lying to the fans, but to the Colts. Forcing them to prepare for Mariota only to give them Blaine Gabbert at the last second. Gabbert is a more of a vertical passer and can’t dink and dunk like Mariota can.

Maybe this was their attempt to get an edge in the gameplan?

Either way this feels dirty to sell the idea of fans NEEDING to be at the game and by teasing them without Mariota to buy tickets only for this to happen.