The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Broken leg in key defeat ends Mariota’s season
Jaguars stop nine-game skid, celebrate first home win of season.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA. — In a game where the Titans lost starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to a broken right leg, Blake Bortles threw for 325 yards and a touchdown and was also was on the receiving end of a 20-yard trick play with 5:25 remaining to lead the Jacksonville Jaguars to a 38-17 win.
The Jaguars (3-12) ended a ninegame losing streak.
It was a debacle for the Titans (8-7), who had won three in a row. Tennessee needed a victory to set up an AFC South title game next week against Houston. The Texans hosted the Bengals late Saturday.
It might not even matter because Mariota is out for the season.
Mariota broke his right leg late in the third quarter, with Tennessee trailing 25-10. Rookie Sheldon Day sacked Mariota as he scrambled on first down, grabbing him around the ankles.
Mariota signaled to the sideline as he pounded the ground. Trainers rushed to his side, put on the air cast and lifted Mariota onto a cart. Teammates and even some Jaguars patted Mariota on the shoulders before he exited.
“That breaks my heart, man,” Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan said. “Love him. That guy’s an awesome dude. For that to happen to him, it’s unfair.”
Bortles admittedly felt all the pressure of Jacksonville’s lofty preseason expectations.
Knowing the stakes included popular coach Gus Bradley’s job, Bortles played tight all season. He tried to do too much and then even more when losses mounted.
“I put way too much of it on my shoulders,” Bortles said. “Probably way more than anybody else.”
Bortles was finally able to let it go after Bradley was fired last week. And he responded by playing his best game of the season, maybe even his career.
“I just wanted to prove that he did the right thing by drafting me,” said Bortles, who completed 26 of 38 passes and won for the first time when throwing for more than 300 yards.
Bortles and the Jaguars played inspired football from the opening kick and won for the first time this season at EverBank Field. Their last victory at home came Dec. 13, 2015, against Indianapolis.
They rallied around interim coach Doug Marrone. They played for Bradley, who was awkwardly fired six days earlier. And they avenged an embarrassing loss to the Titans (8-7) on national television in late October.
“We showed that this is who we are,” defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks said.
“I think the whole ‘playing for Gus, playing for Doug’ thing was cool at the beginning. But it was gone once we took the field. They straight-up embarrassed us on national TV.
“We got a second chance and did what we had to do.”