Tennessee Titans: Mike Vrabel ‘not looking at a QB change right now’
Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t considering a change at quarterback right now.
After the Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that displayed a total offensive meltdown, Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t considering a quarterback change.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota had plenty of his own issues against the Jags. He held onto the ball for too long, leading to multiple sacks, and he missed open receivers on several occasions in the 20-7 loss on Thursday night.
In total, Mariota finished 23-of-40 for 304 yards, but failed to throw for a touchdown. On the bright side, Mariota didn’t turn the ball over and he did play better in the second half.
For those fans who were hoping to see backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill inserted into the game in Week 4 against the Atlanta Falcons, it doesn’t look like it’ll happen, per John Glennon of The Athletic.
#Titans' Vrabel: Not looking at a QB change right now, but something that's always considered ... Does mention there are some plays the team would like to have back in all areas, including QB.
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) September 20, 2019
If we’re looking at this thing realistically, Mariota’s struggles aren’t just on Mariota. The Titans’ offensive line has been bad to start the season, and it was at its worst in 2019 on Thursday night.
The Titans O-line allowed an astounding nine sacks and 12 QB hits. Granted, not all of those sacks were on the linemen — Pro Football Focus attributed six of the nine sacks to the O-line — but that’s still too many.
.@PFF directly attributed 6 of the 9 sacks surrendered by #Titans. The breakdown:
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) September 20, 2019
-Conklin (3)
-Jones (1)
-Douglas (1)
-Mariota (1)
Through three games, the Titans have allowed Mariota to get sacked 17 times, which is the most by any team since 2002.
Marcus Mariota has been sacked 17 times through the first 3 weeks of the 2019 season.
— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) September 20, 2019
That is the most a single QB has been sacked through Week 3 since 2002.
There is hope on the horizon for the Titans, though. Left tackle Taylor Lewan will return for the Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills, and rookie Nate Davis should be close to being ready to get on the field.
The Titans desperately need Davis — and Lewan, of course — after fellow guard Jamil Douglas posted an abysmal 12.4 pass-blocking grade in Week 3.
I wouldn’t expect the Titans to make a switch until Mariota gets a chance with his offensive line at full strength. If he still struggles after that with better protection, Tannehill could get the nod down the road.