Titans vs. Browns: Tennessee Grades, Notes and Quotes
The Tennessee Titans just couldn't climb out of the hole they put themselves in on Sunday, as they fell 28-14 to the Cleveland Browns.
Three big plays were essentially the difference between the Titans getting to 2-0 and instead suffering another heartbreaking loss to the Browns. It was the Browns who had to stage the comeback last season, and they succeeded in doing that. The Titans came up short.
If the Titans could've found a way to win, it would've been their first 2-0 start since 2008.
This outcome cannot be blamed on Marcus Mariota. He actually put together some very impressive numbers considering how little time he had to make his decisions. He finished with 257 passing yards and two touchdowns, and entered the NFL record books late in the fourth quarter during his frantic comeback attempt.
The running game was able to do what was needed, thanks mainly to Dexter McCluster's career-high 98 yards on the ground. He also looked good on special teams.
Defensively, a couple of blown plays in the secondary changed the entire game. Those are always tough to swallow.
It's very difficult to stage comebacks on the road in the NFL, and that was proven in this loss. The Titans did show resiliency, but resiliency isn't always enough.
Position Grades
1 of 6
| Position | Grade |
| QB | B- |
| RB | B- |
| WR | C |
| TE | B+ |
| OL | F |
| DL | C+ |
| LB | C+ |
| DB | D |
| Special Teams | C- |
| Coaching | C |
Consider it a small victory that Mariota made it out of this game without suffering any significant injuries. He was under fire virtually every time he dropped back, and that seemed to send a shock to his system early on.
Mariota took shot after shot, which helped lead to three fumbles. Two of those were lost.
As bad as this was, Mariota settled down and showed a ton of grit. Take out a couple defensive lapses, and he gets the ball back to try to tie the game late. Simply put, there are many other areas you can put at fault before you look at Mariota.
The running game had its ups and down, but let's start with the positive play of McCluster. He ended up setting a career high in rushing yards for a game, and this gives the Titans something to build on in the future.
Bishop Sankey and Terrance West had underwhelming performances. They both averaged fewer than four yards per carry, and West killed a drive by fumbling early in the game. That type of poor ball security is simply unacceptable.
The four Titans wide receivers weren't able to contribute much, but Dorial Green-Beckham did give us a glimpse of how lethal he can be in the red zone. He made a great snag, and the ensuing extra point made the game 21-14.
One of the few bright spots came at tight end.
Anthony Fasano, Chase Coffman and Craig Stevens collectively hauled in 139 receiving yards. Fasano got the touchdown grab, and the unit did an effective job filling in for the injured Delanie Walker.
The ugliest part of the game came from the offensive line, and it wasn't even close. It was powerless against the blitz, and Mariota was never able to get into a rhythm. The fact that Mariota put up the numbers he did is very promising. Most young quarterbacks would've folded with that kind of poor protection.
Left tackle Taylor Lewan commented on the play of the offensive line, via Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:
"Taylor Lewan called offensive line production "disgusting." #Titans https://t.co/ssBk6CyndT
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) September 20, 2015"
Jason McCourty's absence finally showed, as Johnny Manziel burned the Titans on two long pass plays that essentially ended up being the difference in the game.
Coty Sensabaugh got beat on the Browns' first possession, and Blidi Wreh-Wilson got beat deep on the other touchdown pass that iced the game. They looked like they underestimated Manziel's arm strength, which was a huge mistake.
Derrick Morgan did tally another sack, giving him three for the season.
Special teams gave up a back-breaking punt return for a touchdown that drastically changed the outlook of the game. If they could have avoided that breakdown, the Titans would have gone into halftime only down 14 points and still very much alive.
The coaching gets an average grade in this one. It didn't seem like the team was well-prepared at the onset, but adjustments were made in the second half that kept the Titans alive.
The game plan wasn't all that bad.
Titans Secondary Gets Exposed
2 of 6
The Titans secondary definitely got beat up on Sunday, but it wasn't from start to finish. Instead, it came in the form of two haymakers from the arm of Johnny Manziel. He only threw the ball 15 times, and two of those were bombs that made the difference.
When you allow big plays like this, it gets the crowd instantly energized and gives all of the momentum to the opponent.
That's how Manziel was able to get into an early comfort zone and do just enough to lead his team to victory.
Both Sensabaugh and Wreh-Wilson just got completely lost on their respective plays. They were equally demoralizing, as one set the trend for the rest of the game and the other essentially put the nail in the coffin.
Jason McCourty was obviously missed, unlike in Week 1 against the Buccaneers. The Titans need to get him back quickly because Andrew Luck will shred this secondary next week if they have lapses in coverage like they had in this one.
Mariota Was Limited in 2nd Half
3 of 6
You have to love the toughness that Mariota showed in this loss. He was under duress the entire game, and it turns out a tweaked ankle had him limited in the second half. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt confirmed this postgame, via Jason Wolf of The Tennessean:
"Whisenhunt: Mariota injured ankle on sack where he lost his shoe. Battled through it. #Titans
— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) September 20, 2015 "
With everything working against him, Mariota still made several key throws that kept the Titans in the game. You can't blame Mariota for two lapses on defense and the special teams unit allowing a touchdown just before halftime.
Mariota should be ready to go next week against the Indianapolis Colts, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:
"Mariota said his ankle is fine, will play next week vs Colts @titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 20, 2015"
Now we'll get to see how Mariota bounces back from a loss as he prepares for the first divisional clash of his career. It will also be his first opportunity to play in front of the home fans.
Mariota missed some throws on Sunday, which didn't happen against the Buccaneers in Week 1. Once again, you can thank the nasty Browns pass rush for those miscues.
Mariota still managed to become the first player in NFL history to throw six touchdown passes in just his first two career games, according to NFL director of AFC Football Communications Jon Zimmer:
". @Titans' Marcus Mariota now has 6 TD passes, most in 1st 2 career games of any player in @NFL history. #TENvsCLE
— Jon Zimmer (@NFLhistory) September 20, 2015"
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Chance Warmack Goes Down with Knee Injury
4 of 6
The offensive line was dismantled against the Browns, and Chance Warmack getting injured was salt in the wound. He was seen after the game on crutches due to a knee sprain, via Kuharsky:
"Titans RG Chance Warmack is on crutches and in a brace. Says it's a Grade 2 sprain. More... http://t.co/kSl7IAHE3T pic.twitter.com/nIS3Km0LAM
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) September 20, 2015"
It looks highly probable that the Titans will be without Warmack for an extended amount of time. My early guess is that he'll miss a few games, as it's being reported as just a Grade 2 sprain. This means that it's not a full tear. We won't know the full details until Monday.
This is a very tough blow to an offensive line that still has a lot of questions around it. Now it'll have to lean on its depth to keep Mariota from suffering through another game like this one.
Jamon Meredith filled in for the injured Warmack and was ineffective like the rest of the offensive line. Meredith does at least have some veteran experience to bring to the table.
Ken Whisenhunt on Marcus Mariota's Toughness
5 of 6
Despite the loss, you can't help but be a little impressed by the toughness that Mariota showed. He kept his team fighting until the bitter end.
Ken Whisenhunt commented on Mariota's toughness, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:
"Ken Whisenhunt on Marcus Mariota: "I was incredibly impressed with how he handed himself. The man's a fighter." #Titans
— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) September 20, 2015"
This is what you want to see from your franchise quarterback. Tough times are going to happen, and you want a quarterback who can battle back through adversity. Mariota definitely did that.
If anyone within the organization was lacking respect for Mariota, he gained it all back with his resiliency in a game where he got pummeled early and often. He kept pushing forward, even with an injury that kept him limited in the second half.
Mariota does have to improve on his ball security, as he fumbled three times. The Browns defense also deserves a lot of credit for its excellent game plan and execution.
Taylor Lewan on the Offensive Line's Performance
6 of 6
Taylor Lewan is the unofficial leader of the offensive line, and he wasn't pleased with its poor showing against the Browns:
"T @TaylorLewan77: It's disappointing. Marcus is the kind of guy you want to block for. We didn't do that well enough. pic.twitter.com/GcdMBmBNjQ
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) September 20, 2015"
Rookie Jeremiah Poutasi stood out as one guy who struggled to protect the quarterback, per John Glennon of the Tennessean.
There aren't too many quarterbacks who can put together strong outings with that kind of blocking. The Titans will make very little progress if this is a sign of things to come.
They'll now have to weather the storm of losing Chance Warmack for at least a couple of games. Who knows if their depth is solid enough to avoid another disaster next week?
It's fair to say that the Browns have a very stingy defense that lived up to its reputation. The Titans still have to be much better to have any chance against aggressive defensive teams in the future.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
