Going to Jacksonville
Titans want better memories this time
NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota said he only wants to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars to grab a pivotal division victory against the AFC South’s early leader.
He has no concerns about returning to the field where his season ended last Christmas Eve after he broke his right leg.
The injury came late in the third quarter with the Titans trailing 25-10 in a game they needed to win to keep their division title hopes alive. A victory against the Jags plus another the next week against the Houston Texans, and the Titans would have clinched the franchise’s first AFC South title and first playoff berth since 2008.
That’s something Mariota will talk about.
“We didn’t play very well,” Mariota said Wednesday. “Left a bad taste in our mouth. You know that’s something I think for a lot of guys lingered throughout the offseason. Obviously, we want to play better. We want to play to our potential.”
Mariota has left Jacksonville with a loss in each of his first two seasons, though the last game was easily his worst yet against the Jaguars.
He was pressured from the start and was 8-of-20 passing for 99 yards and a touchdown. Then Sheldon Day got the Jaguars’ second sack late in the third quarter, grabbing Mariota around the ankles and taking him down. Mariota immediately signaled to the sideline and pounded the ground. Trainers put an air cast around his right leg and ankle, then put him on a cart.
“Once he was carted off, I knew he was hurt,” Tennessee tight end Delanie Walker said. “Usually Marcus can take a hit, and if he’s hurt, he’ll still get up and play. When he couldn’t get up, it hit me. That’s our leader, and to see him down and get carted off the field, that hurts.”
Mariota needed surgery and couldn’t put weight on his right leg for weeks, but he was ready for the start of training camp this summer.
Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone — who got his first win, 38-17, in his first game as interim coach against the Titans — said Mariota looks great coming off a 26-16 loss to Oakland in Sunday’s opener.
“I think he continues to get better and better with the system,” Marrone said. “He’s operating at a very high level. He’s a very dangerous player because he can beat you with his arm, beat you with his feet, does well on his progressions. There’s really not any type of flaw that I see in his game.”
That may be why Titans coach Mike Mularkey sees no need to dwell on any negatives from the last trip to Jacksonville. He prefers a history lesson only when something good happened.
“We have guys that already know for a fact that they made a mistake or they didn’t play good — they don’t need me to reinforce it. He’ll be ready to go,” Mularkey said of Mariota.
The Titans have too much on the line trying to avoid an 0-2 start in a crucial game after spending the offseason talking about needing to do better inside the AFC South.
“Obviously a goal for us is to win our division, and it’s got to start somewhere,” Mariota said. “Sunday’s a great opportunity for us.”
Injury notes
Defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (lower back), safety Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring) and cornerback Tye Smith (broken hand) did not practice Wednesday for the Titans, and linebacker Wesley Woodyard was sent home because of illness. Cornerback LeShaun Sims (groin) practiced fully after missing the opener.