Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota, Adam Humphries show chemistry in preseason opener

Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and wide receiver Adam Humphries showed some serious chemistry on Thursday night.

There was one thing that was evident from the lone drive we saw Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota and wide receiver Adam Humphries play together in the preseason opener: these two have a connection.

Mariota looked for Humphries early and often during the pair’s first and only series of the night.

Of the eight passes Mariota threw, six of them were to Humphries. The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver hauled in four of his six targets for 24 yards, and those four receptions just so happened to be all of Mariota’s completions in the series.

Mariota also successfully connected with his slot receiver on two separate third-down conversions. The drive ultimately resulted in a turnover on downs, however Mariota unsuccessfully went to Humphries twice more before the Titans gave the ball back.

As expected, Humphries was targeted out of the slot and gave Mariota a sure target over the middle of the field. If offensive coordinator Arthur Smith uses Humphries like this during the season, the fifth-year pro could do big things.

One thing that no doubt helped the chemistry between the quarterback and receiver was the pair spending time together in Oregon prior to camp.

Granted, there was no tight end Delanie Walker or wideout Corey Davis on the field, but this was certainly an early indication that Mariota will look for Humphries plenty this season. As we’ve seen in training camp, Humphries is lethal at getting open.

Humphries will undoubtedly be a go-to target for Mariota on third downs, especially in short-yardage situations. According to Pro Football Focus, Humphries had the seventh-highest receiving grade in the NFL last season on passes of one to nine yards.

It’ll be interesting to see if things change a bit when Walker gets into game action. The veteran tight end was Mariota’s most-trusted target in years past, and the middle could get a bit clogged with both Humphries and Walker commanding targets in that area.

But that’s a bridge the Titans will cross when they get to it. For now, it’s clear Mariota and Humphries are on the same page, and that bodes well for Mariota, who historically has a poor passer rating to the slot during his career.