Titans to name Ryan Tannehill Week 7 starter: Report
The Tennessee Titans have reportedly made their decision at quarterback and will name Ryan Tannehill as the Week 7 starter.
The Ryan Tannehill era has begun in Tennessee, as the Titans will reportedly name the former Miami Dolphins quarterback their starter for the Week 7 home game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has the latest.
The #Titans are making a QB change. Ryan Tannehill has been informed he’ll get the start Sunday against the #Chargers, sources tell me and @TomPelissero. Former No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota goes to the bench.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 16, 2019
Tannehill made his Titans regular season debut in Week 6 against the Denver Broncos after head coach Mike Vrabel made the decision to insert him into the game in the third quarter in place of starter Marcus Mariota.
While he was unable to help the Titans score any points en route to a 16-0 shutout loss to the Broncos, it was clear that Tannehill played better than Mariota in the less than two quarters he was behind center.
Tannehill completed 13-of-16 passes for 144 yards and one pick, as compared to Mariota completing just 7-of-18 passes for 63 yards and two picks.
On top of the raw numbers, Tannehill showed better accuracy and arm strength, and the Titans moved the ball better than they had when Mariota was in the game.
This is no doubt a sad end to the Mariota era, but it’s a move the Titans had to make even though the offensive ineptitude wasn’t all Mariota’s fault. The offense had hit its lowest low of the 2019 season in Denver, and Mariota was clearly struggling, only making matters worse.
In its last 10 quarters, the Titans offense has scored just seven points.
Now Tannehill takes the reins of this troubled offense and gives the Titans some new hope. However, it must be said that Tannehill still has to overcome the same poor offensive line and play-calling that certainly led to some of Mariota’s problems.
With their franchise quarterback hopeful almost certainly out of the picture for the future with this move, the Titans will be looking for a new quarterback in 2020.
What's next for Titans after end of Marcus Mariota era?. dark. Next
Tannehill, who will be a free agent after this season, should get a 10-game audition to prove that he could be the temporary solution for Tennessee beyond this season.