We won’t know Titans’ ceiling till regular season
NASHVILLE — It was pretty much what any NFL coach hopes to see, whether the game is a meaningless August exhibition or a November nail-biter with playoff implications.
But for second-year Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey, whose employer hasn’t reached the postseason since 2008, the early minutes of Saturday’s exhibition against visiting Carolina provided the best sign yet that the Titans’ playoff drought might soon end.
With less than six minutes gone, Tennessee already up 3-0 on the Nissan Stadium scoreboard, the Titans forced a fumble, soon turning it into points when third-year quarterback Marcus Mariota found tight end Delanie Walker for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Just like that, the Titans led 10-0 with more than five minutes left in the opening period. Just like, or at least because of that, Mularkey was later happy to observe, “That’s what good teams should do.”
It is somewhat difficult to determine just how good these Titans were against Carolina in their eventual 34-27 win, because the Panthers’ most important player, quarterback Cam Newton — who also just happens to be quite often one of the best players in the NFL — didn’t play a single, solitary snap.
In fact, he may not play until the regular-season opener at the earliest, which means no one can determine accurately the worth of a win over Carolina until then.
But Mariota did play. Not a ton. Seventeen snaps total. But he ran once for 9 yards, completed six of eight passes for 61 yards and a touchdown and looked more and more like the Heisman Trophy winner he was at Oregon before coming to the Music City.
“It was fun just to go out there, be an athlete and make plays,” said Mariota, who broke his leg late in the 2016 season after showing much promise throughout November and December.
This is not the only reason the Titans drafted Mariota. Not all of quarterbacking in the NFL is making plays. Some of it is managing teammates. Some of it is knowing how not to make plays that help the other team.
Perhaps that’s why offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said of his quarterback: “The guy is poised. That guy is ready to be at the top of the game. I think he is definitely capable of being the best quarterback in this league. That’s up to him. He is one of the hardest workers on the team.”
It can’t be only about hard work, of course. It has to be about performance and hard work. And performance in the clutch, when it matters most.
But the final score was also more the result of numerous subs and many more (running back DeMarco Murray again was held out) who never played at all. Still, when needed, the young guns came through, including former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga standout Corey Levin, who once again shone on the second-team offensive line at center.
“We’re moving the ball pretty good,” Levin said inside the rookie locker room. “We’re all on the same page. I’m feeling a little more comfortable.”
The Titans fans should feel more comfortable after Saturday, which was a far better performance than last week’s 7-3 road loss to the New York Jets.
“We just executed better,” Mularkey said. “We picked it up today. It’s amazing what happens when you do the right things and you execute.”
Here’s an example of doing things right: Linebacker Aaron Wallace didn’t get any contact practice this past week. So, in his words, “I made sure I was locked in at practice, getting mental reps, watching extra film and going over notes.”
Come Saturday, the Titans suddenly in an ugly tie that might have forced an overtime, which means more full-speed minutes for doing nothing more than risking injuries to your reserves, Wallace was on the field. He forced a Panthers fumble in the shadow of their own goal. With the help of a Levin block, running back David Fluellen scored the winning touchdown with 1:55 to go.
Said nine-year veteran linebacker Brian Orakbo of Wallace’s effort and preparation: “I know what A-Wall is all about. It’s nothing new. He’s always been very consistent, works hard, closes his mouth shut and just comes to work each and every day to get better.”
That’s the mark of Mularkey. He wants consistency. He wants teamwork. He wants professionalism. And when he doesn’t get it, the player often doesn’t get to remain a Titan.
Again, a home exhibition win against a team playing without its potential Hall of Fame quarterback shouldn’t be overly celebrated. But a win beats a loss, especially when you’re still learning how to win.
“That,” Mariota said, “was a blueprint for how we can be successful this year.”
Now the trick is to execute that blueprint when the games count and the opponent is playing its starting quarterback at least as many snaps as yours is.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com