HEALTHY COMPETITION
Titans’ Carr, Raiders’ Mariota glad to be back
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota thinks Derek Carr, his Oakland Raiders counterpart, is one of the NFL’s better passers. The appreciation is apparently mutual, with Carr describing Mariota as accurate and dynamic while having the ability to make smart decisions.
Carr and Mariota have a less enjoyable bond, too, after they suffered season-ending injuries only hours apart last Christmas Eve. Mariota broke his right leg in a loss at Jacksonville, followed by Carr breaking his right leg in a win over Indianapolis.
Naturally, the NFL slotted the Raiders for a visit to Tennessee today on the opening Sunday of a new season, pitting young quarterbacks expected to lead their teams to the playoffs after recovering from setbacks.
“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Mariota said of the scheduling. “It’s good to see that he’s healthy. It’s good to see that he’s come back from that injury. Crazy how that happens. Again, looking forward to the game and can’t wait to be back.”
This is the final benchmark in the comeback for Mariota, who was limited until training camp with the Titans, who are eager to improve on a 9-7 record from last season. Carr was ready for the Raiders’ offseason program after Oakland went 12-4 and lost while making its first playoff appearance in 14 years.
Now they face off for the third time in as many years, and Carr — with his new $125 million contract — wants to build on a season in which he was one of only five quarterbacks in the league with more than 25 touchdown passes (28) and fewer than 10 interceptions (six). Mariota was one of the other four, throwing 26 touchdowns with nine interceptions in his second season.
Carr expects even more from Mariota in the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner’s third pro season.
“I hope he waits a week. That’d be nice,” Carr said.
“In all honesty, the game gets slower. He’s been able to play a lot of football, especially in a tough division with some tough defense. So again, another similarity. We both have seen a lot of things. A lot of blitzes. A lot of different coverages. As you continue to grow, I like to say that we get faster and the game stays the same.”
But the rosters don’t, and both teams made offseason changes in hopes of continuing their progress.
Former Buffalo and Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch came out of retirement for the chance to play for his hometown team in Oakland before the Raiders move to Las Vegas in 2020. Lynch carried just four times in the preseason, so this will be the first real test of whether he is back at the level that made him the NFL’s premier power back with 48 rushing touchdowns from 2011 to ’14. Lynch looked a step slower in 2015, his most recent season, when he averaged 3.8 yards per carry while also dealing with injuries.
He will face a Tennessee defense that ranked second in the NFL last season against the run. The Titans held opponents to an average of 88.3 yards per game, and they added Sylvester Williams at nose tackle in free agency.
As for the passing game, Carr has Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, the only duo in the NFL last season with at least 80 catches and more than 1,000 yards receiving, as his top targets.
The Titans added veteran wide receiver Eric Decker and also made Corey Davis the first receiver drafted at No. 5 overall to give Mariota more options in the passing game.
For all of the feel-good talk between Carr and Mariota, this could be a gritty matchup.
The Raiders beat Tennessee 24-21 on Nov. 29, 2015, then pulled out a 17-10 win last September after the Titans thought they had a chance to tie the game late. An unsportsmanlike penalty on Tennessee left tackle Taylor Lewan wiped out a gain to the 3, and Andre Johnson’s touchdown catch was erased for offensive pass interference.
Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo said the Titans learned from that and know how to hold their composure, including “our friend 77” — referring to Lewan’s jersey number.