Mariota returns in must-win for Titans
The Tennessee Titans might still have any number of pains in the neck, but Marcus Mariota’s isn’t one of them anymore.
The quarterback is expected to start Monday night’s game at the Houston Texans (6:15 p.m., TSN via ESPN).
After being limited in Thursday’s practice with a neck injury he suffered a week ago Sunday at Indianapolis, the fourth-year passer practised fully on Friday and Saturday, and on Saturday afternoon the Titans removed him from their injury list, meaning he’s expected to play and start.
“He’s ready to roll,” Titans offensive co-ordinator Matt LaFleur said late in the week.
Backup QB Blaine Gabbert replaced Mariota early in the blowout loss to the Colts, and would play should Mariota suffer any setbacks.
Tennessee has had a strange season, playing better on defence than probably most expected under first-year defensive specialist head coach Mike Vrabel, but still experiencing massive struggles on offence most of the time.
If Mariota can play as he did in wins earlier this month at Dallas and against New England — his standout performances in an otherwise disappointing year — the Titans have a good chance of knocking off the Texans.
This is a huge game in the AFC South, with the final month of the NFL regular season only days away.
The Texans lead the division with a 7-3 record, and are the first team in NFL history to win seven straight after opening 0-3. The Titans are at 5-5. With a loss, the Titans would fall three games behind the Texans; with a win, they’d be only one game behind, with five games to play.
Expect a solid, emotional performance from the Texans. They’ll be highly motivated to honour the franchise’s founding owner, Robert McNair, who died Friday after battling cancer for several years. Tributes poured in from present and past Texans players.
Star defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted: “Rest in peace, Mr. McNair. Thank you for giving myself and so many others an opportunity here in Houston.”
Affixed to the back of each player’s helmet as they try to set a franchise record with their eighth straight win will be a small decal in the shape of a football with simple white block letters bearing his initials, “RCM.”
McNair battled both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma in recent years before dying in Houston on Friday. He was 81. The team said he died peacefully with wife Janice and his family by his side.