Titans vs. Buccaneers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Tennessee
You couldn't have written the Week 1 script for the Tennessee Titans any better than how it unfolded in their 42-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Marcus Mariota could virtually do no wrong in his first NFL game, and the Titans' offense looked nothing like it did last season. Mariota finished with four touchdown passes to only three incompletions. He didn't even play in the fourth quarter.
Bishop Sankey's good showing to start off his second NFL season can't be overlooked. He rushed for a career-high 74 yards and also didn't play in the fourth quarter.
The strong defensive effort can't be ignored. The Titans racked up four sacks and two interceptions, and oftentimes Winston looked very confused in the pocket.
It was a very balanced game all the way around for the Titans. They basically took their foot off the gas for the entire fourth quarter, "allowing" the Buccaneers to get a touchdown in garbage duty.
The game was never really in question, something the Titans haven't had the luxury of enjoying in quite some time. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, because the Titans got an impressive road victory in Week 1 last season, and we all know how that story ended.
Position Grades for Tennessee Titans
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | A |
| RB | B- |
| WR | A |
| TE | B |
| OL | B- |
| DL | A- |
| LB | B |
| DB | A |
| Special Teams | A |
| Coaching | A+ |
As previously mentioned, this was an all-around great performance from top to bottom.
It all starts at quarterback. Mariota came into the game on his first career drive and looked like a crafty veteran. He seemed calm, cool and collected. His first touchdown on that opening drive was an excellent play call by Ken Whisenhunt, and Kendall Wright used his speed to race to the end zone.
Who knows what kind of numbers Mariota would've ended with if he had played the final quarter. However, it was another smart coaching decision by Whisenhunt to protect Mariota from injury in a game that was all but over.
The Titans' rushing attack was full of question marks heading into the game. Sankey ran much harder than I ever saw him run in his rookie season. He was breaking tackles and getting yards after contact.
Terrance West, who was just traded for earlier in the week, was a nice change-of-pace guy paired with Sankey. It looks like these two are primed to be the one-two punch for the early going.
Both West and Sankey each had a fumble, but they didn't end up hurting the Titans. They have slightly better ball security, because most of these games will not be blowouts.
It was a little bit of a shock that the Titans chose to take only four wide receivers into the regular season. This unit was about as balanced as you can get. Kendall Wright and Harry Douglas caught all of their targets, but we didn't see much of Dorial Green-Beckham or Justin Hunter.
Wright could be destined for a 1,000-yard season if Mariota continues to play like he did against the Buccaneers.
The Titans have five tight ends on the roster, and they were all featured to some capacity. Delanie Walker had 43 yards and a touchdown. He went down with an apparent hand injury late in the game, per Jim Wyatt of the team's official website:
"#Titans TE Delanie Walker has a cast on right hand but "no break" he said
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 14, 2015 "
Walker really had no business being in the game at this point, so this injury will hopefully not be long term.
The offensive line showed modest improvement from last season. It protected Mariota enough to help him make accurate mid-range throws. Run blocking was decent, but Titans rushers had to break a lot of tackles early in their runs as well. They will be challenged much more against better defenses.
Chance Warmack also had two holding penalties.
It was a strong showing from the defensive line. It had the luxury of going up against a very weak Tampa offensive line, and it took full advantage. Winston was hurried into bad throws for much of the game.
Jurrell Casey highlighted this group with a sack and three tackles for loss.
Derrick Morgan enjoyed a great game at outside linebacker with two sacks and a lot of pressure in the backfield. I had him as a strong candidate to really break out this season, and he showed that in this game.
The stats are misleading when you look at the Tampa passing yardage as much of that came when the Titans were running out the clock. I expected this to be the Titans' biggest weakness in this game, and they turned it into one of their biggest strengths.
I was also expecting Blidi Wreh-Wilson to be the starter, replacing injured Jason McCourty, but it ended up being Coty Sensabaugh. His pick-six in the first quarter was just what Mariota needed to take some of the pressure off and play comfortable from that point on.
Special teams units provided a clean effort. They avoided any game-changing mistakes, and they also pinned the Buccaneers inside their 1-yard line on one possession.
Finally, Whisenhunt's coaching could not have been any better. He also won his challenge on a Buccaneers drive that was on the move. The game was still close enough for that challenge to really make a difference in how this game ended.
He's also keeping his team grounded after just one game, as John Glennon of the Tennessean noted:
"Whiz has reminded team they started out1-0 last yr
— John Glennon (@glennonsports) September 13, 2015
"
Whisenhunt's game plan for Mariota was spot-on. He set his rookie up to be successful with a great game plan that was difficult for Tampa's defense to figure out.
Mariota Accomplishes Perfection
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When you put Mariota's career debut into perspective, you really understand how amazing this performance was. For starters, Mariota did something that only one quarterback accomplished last season, per ESPN Stats & Info:
"Not a bad debut for Marcus Mariota Only player w/ 4+ pass TD, fewer than 4 incomplete passes last season: Tony Romo pic.twitter.com/vS8iYTKzhJ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 13, 2015 "
Check out this historical accomplishment ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted out:
"Titans' QB Marcus Mariota joined Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton as only rookies in NFL history to throw 4 touchdown passes on opening weekend.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 14, 2015"
The historical context of his performance doesn't end there. He also becomes the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to accomplish a perfect passer rating in his first start, according to the Titans' official website:
"Mariota is the 1st in the Super Bowl era with a perfect rating in his 1st start (10 attempts).
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 14, 2015 "
After you put the incredible stat line to the side, you have to be impressed with how calm he appeared to be. He came in acting like he was a five-year NFL starter. The Titans are validated, at least for now, with their No. 2 draft pick.
Walker's Injury Status Unkown
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It was unfortunate to see Delanie Walker go down with an injury at a point when the game was virtually over. The Titans should've had one of their other four tight ends playing and not one of their most important offensive weapons.
Walker has an apparent hand injury, but it's being reported as not broken by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky:
"Despite no break, @delaniewalker82 has cast on right hand. #titans. pic.twitter.com/iV41uZ1SUC
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) September 14, 2015 "
It will be difficult for Walker to be back by next week against the Cleveland Browns. Luckily, the Titans have plenty of other options at tight end. Anthony Fasano figures to see the most playing time if Walker misses any games.
The Titans need Walker's veteran leadership to quickly return to the field.
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Titans Were Only AFC South Team to Win in Week 1
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It's obviously way too early to be talking division races, but the Titans were the only AFC South team to win. It will make that Week 3 meeting with the Indianapolis Colts a critical one, as the Titans will have a chance to extend their division lead with a win in their home-opener.
The Houston Texans suffered a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Jacksonville Jaguars lost to the Carolina Panthers. Neither team looked impressive in its respective games.
The Titans have another winnable game up next, as they take on the Cleveland Browns. They have a strong chance to hold onto the division lead for a couple of weeks.
The Titans might be ready to turn this division upside and give the Colts some stiff competition that most analysts aren't predicting.
Kendall Wright on How Marcus Mariota Plays the Game
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Mariota did an outstanding job spreading the ball around in this game, and Kendall Wright commented on that (via the Titans):
"WR @1kendallwright: "Marcus doesn't have a primary guy. He throws it to who he sees open." pic.twitter.com/ExsxXMC0bh
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 14, 2015
"
His decision-making was as good as you could have expected for a rookie's career debut. He kept the defense guessing by spreading the ball around to six different targets. It will also be a much-stiffer challenge to game-plan for Mariota if he's able to get all of his weapons involved.
Wright will still most likely end up being Mariota's favorite target, but don't be surprised at all to see multiple guys put up solid numbers. Mariota is just that type of player.
Marcus Mariota on His Debut
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It's hard to imagine even Marcus Mariota envisioned his NFL debut going this well. He commented on that after the game, per Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official website:
"Marcus Mariota: "It felt great." He said start exceeded his expectations @Titans pic.twitter.com/OPuGWtjnTU
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 14, 2015"
Mariota mentioning that the start exceeded his expectations shows you his humble approach to the game. He's not looking for headlines or quotes that will shatter the internet. He's all business, and the Titans have to love that their franchise quarterback carries himself that way.
He does have to quickly turn the page on this game and move on to the Cleveland Browns, who will be a much-bigger test defensively.
Whisenhunt on Not Being Completely Satisfied
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You would be hard-pressed to find something wrong with this nearly flawless Titans performance. However, the Titans were sloppy at times with their tackling. Whisenhunt commented on this to Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:
"Whisenhunt: "Hopefully we'll clean up some of the things that stopped us. ... We've got a lot to work on." #Titans
— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) September 13, 2015 "
Whisenhunt also reminded his team that they started off 1-0 last season, too. You have to keep this team grounded, and he seems to be doing that, as discussed on an earlier slide.
As for next week against the Cleveland Browns, the Titans have to contain another mobile quarterback in Johnny Manziel, that is if Josh McCown isn't cleared to play after suffering a concussion. Isaiah Crowell and rookie Duke Johnson are favorable matchups for the Titans defense. Better tackling will need to happen, but the Browns don't have a scary rushing attack by any means.
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