Clint Stoerner of Cox Sports TV is yet another failed quarterback who has trashed Tennessee Titans signal-caller, Marcus Mariota.
Another day and yet another failed quarterback is ripping Tennessee Titans signal-caller, Marcus Mariota.
Former Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback and failed NFL signal-caller Clint Stoerner, who now works for Cox Sports TV (Edit: a previous version of this article stated Stoerner is with ESPN’s SEC Network, but he’s no longer there. Apologies for any confusion.), did a breakdown of the Houston Texans’ schedule for 2019.
Harmless enough, but in his breakdown of the Titans’ AFC South rivals’ schedule, Stoerner trashed Mariota in what amounts to nothing more than beating on the drum of a lazy narrative that is getting played out to say the least.
Texans 2019 sched is tough but let’s look at it from a diff angle
— Clint Stoerner (@ClintStoerner) July 3, 2019
KC no Hill
NE no Gronk
Car post surgery Cam
Jax Foles? X 2
Den Flacco?
Tenn Mariota scares no one X2
Balt Jackson?
Raiders
Bucs
Indy X2
NO, ATL & LA@SeanTPendergast @SethCPayne
Now, it’s one thing to criticize or critique a quarterback, but to show blatant disrespect by saying nobody fears Mariota and linking that to downgrading the Titans as an opponent is another thing.
We took a look at Stoerner’s stats in college and the NFL. Let’s just say, to put it lightly, they are underwhelming (college stats and pro stats). That’s especially true when you compare them to Mariota’s stats and accomplishments from college, which include a Heisman Trophy.
Not to mention, Mariota actually has a career in the NFL.
Media’s Marcus Mariota narrative is lazy
Stoerner isn’t the first failed quarterback to disrespect Mariota. We’ve gone over every angle of NBC Sports’ Chris Simms’ disrespect of the Oregon product (here and here) and broken down why, again, it’s just lazy.
None of these “experts” seem to want to be fair in this discussion. They don’t want to talk about how Mariota was constantly under pressure last season (sacked 42 times), yet had one of the highest completion percentages in those situations in the entire league.
They don’t want to talk about the revolving door of Titans offensive coordinators in Mariota’s tenure, nor the lack of depth at receiver he’s had in four years.
Even with all those issues, Mariota has seen his completion percentage rise each of the last two seasons, culminating in a career-high 68.9 percent completion rate in 2018. He threw a career-low eight picks and likely would have surpassed 3,000 yards for a third-straight year if not for health issues.
Not bad for a dual-threat quarterback in a run-first offense.
How many guys who are athletes who play quarterback as opposed to quarterbacks who are good athletes (Simms’ description of Mariota, not mine) can flirt with a 70 percent completion rate?
Who knows, the optimism around Mariota from those who know the real ins and outs of his time with the Titans could be misguided. Even if that eventually turns out to be the case, it’s time to start calling out these lazy media narratives about Mariota and let’s see what he can do with what is undoubtedly the best supporting cast he has had in his young career.