Colts vs. Titans: Grades, Notes and Quotes for Tennessee
We have now officially seen the highest of highs and the lowest of lows for Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans blew a late 13-point lead to lose to the Indianapolis Colts, and gave up a golden opportunity to take a strong grip over the AFC South.
They're now on the same track that their 2-14 team was last season, which also surprised many by winning their season-opener.
What hurts most about this loss is that the Titans were clearly the better team for three quarters. The Colts still showed that they're the more clutch team and further along than the young Titans.
The Titans now enter their bye week at a very early and inopportune point in the season. They will have to make adjustments quickly and get key players healthy. A grueling 13-game stretch will follow the bye week with a home game against a very stingy Buffalo Bills defense.
Position Grades for Titans
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| Position | Grade |
| QB | B- |
| RB | C+ |
| WR | B- |
| TE | C |
| OL | B |
| DL | B |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | C+ |
| Special Teams | B |
| Coaching | C- |
The Titans were on the fast track to eclipsing their impressive performance from Week 1, but then the fourth quarter happened.
It was like a completely different game in the final quarter, and the youthful Titans seemed to fold under pressure against a team that has had their number for a decade.
The Titans linebackers had the most complete game. Zach Brown pulled in a big interception at a time when the game seemed to be coming completely undone for the Colts. Avery Williamson notched eight total tackles, and Brian Orakpo managed his first sack in a Titans uniform. This is an encouraging sign for this unit moving forward.
As for the secondary, it was a complete 180 in the final quarter. They couldn't stop Luck when crunch time came. If they could have made a couple more plays, then the Titans would have pulled this game out. They clearly need Jason McCourty back in a desperate way.
On the offensive side of the ball, it was a very disappointing outing for Titans running backs, but it was not solely due to the play of the players. It was puzzling that Titans running backs received just 22 total carries in a game they were in control of for much of the second half.
Antonio Andrews made his season debut by leading the team in rushing yards, with 49. That was good for an average of over four yards per carry.
Bishop Sankey surprisingly got just five rushing attempts, and Terrance West had zero rushes.
As for Marcus Mariota, we're seeing the roller-coaster ride that should be expected from a rookie quarterback. His numbers have been as impressive as you could have realistically hoped for, but he has made a couple of rookie mistakes. The interception Mariota threw with the Titans still up six points was a huge breaking point.
Mariota still finished with 367 passing yards and two more touchdowns, bringing his season total to eight.
This loss ultimately falls on coaching. The game plan abandoned the rush way too early. Sometimes you have to remain loyal to your running game to wear a defense down. It also didn't make sense to have fullback Jalston Fowler getting the ball on a two-point conversion attempt to tie the game. Other proven playmakers need the ball in that situation. The Colts also clearly knew that play was coming.
Dorial Green-Beckham Continues to Emerge
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There is a partial silver lining in this loss, believe it or not. One encouraging sign is Dorial Green-Beckham's emergence as a legitimate red-zone threat.
The Titans haven't had a dependable red-zone weapon in quite a while. Green-Beckham isn't going to rack up the receptions every game, but he's on a fast track to be a red-zone favorite for Mariota.
Green-Beckham's role in the offense should continue to grow, per John Glennon of the Tennessean.
You still want to see Green-Bechkam's targets to increase. He was targeted three times in this game, catching two of them. He needs to be that guy who can move the chains, while also being that threat inside the opponent's 10-yard line.
Expect Green-Beckham to keep getting more comfortable in this offense and to keep making his fair share of big catches this season.
Mariota Keeps Breaking Records
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It's easy to gloss over what Mariota is accomplishing now that he's been on the losing end for consecutive weeks. He still keeps managing to break records.
Mariota set the franchise record for passing yards in a game by a rookie with 367. As cool as that note is, it's unfortunate that he had to throw the ball 44 times to reach that milestone.
The game plan didn't make complete sense as the running game was given up on at a time when the Titans had the game under control. The Colts defense eventually made the game one-dimensional toward the end and made Mariota's job substantially more difficult.
Mariota still managed a very gutsy scoring drive, which got the score to 35-33. A questionable two-point conversion attempt with rookie fullback Jalston Fowler running up the middle was not the fault of Mariota.
In that situation, you have to put the game in Mariota's hands. Let him make a play with his arm or use his athleticism to get outside the pocket and make a play.
The great franchise quarterbacks always personally take the fall for their team's loss, and Mariota did just that after the game (via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com):
"#Titans QB Marcus Mariota: "Defense played well. Unfortunately I put them in a bad spot in the fourth quarter." @titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 27, 2015"
Mariota's game will keep evolving, and you should still be very optimistic about his future. He's the competitor you want in a franchise quarterback. You could see how personal he takes losing in his eyes and personal demeanor.
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Four-Way Tie in AFC South
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The AFC South is going to end up being very competitive for all the wrong reason. There isn't a true elite team in the division. Even though the Colts are right back in business, they're clearly not the contenders some experts thought they were. They have a whole lot more to prove before they regain that reputation.
The Texans got their first win of the season in Week 3, but they're still a mess at quarterback. Their defense will keep them from being completely irrelevant.
Even though they have improved somewhat, the Jacksonville Jaguars still have a long way to go before being anything more than mediocre. They're capable of occasional upsets, but probably won't sustain any kind of winning streak.
This still leaves the Colts as the team to beat by default until the Titans can get over the hump. Winning in Indianapolis in their second meeting will be much more difficult.
Losses are always hard to swallow, but the Titans are good enough to turn this division race into a dog fight until Week 17. However, these close losses have to start turning into narrow victories. There is still plenty of room for optimism.
Brian Orakpo on the Tough Loss
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Brian Orakpo tallied his first sack in a Titans uniform against the Colts, and it got the crowd very energized when it happened.
He commented on the tough loss (via Jason Wolf of the Tennessean):
"Brian Orakpo: “Man, this one hurts. We had it. This is the defending AFC South champs, and we definitely had this game.” #Titans #Colts
— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) September 27, 2015"
You should be encouraged by what you're seeing from Titans linebackers over the first three weeks. They're maybe the most complete unit on the team, and certainly on the defense.
Orakpo is making a big impact on the players around him. He may only have one sack so far, but signing him has panned out early on.
Mariota Takes Blame Off the Defense
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You don't have to worry about teammates not showing up to battle for Mariota. He has been everything you could want from a leader and franchise quarterback.
You can certainly point the finger at many other areas before blaming Mariota for the Titans' last two losses. Sure, he hasn't been perfect. He's still a rookie, and mistakes are going to happen.
Mariota took the blame off the defense and put the spotlight on himself after the team's fourth-quarter collapse (via Jim Wyatt):
"#Titans QB Marcus Mariota: "Defense played well. Unfortunately I put them in a bad spot in the fourth quarter." @titans
— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) September 27, 2015"
It's easy to panic after two heartbreaking losses, but you have to sometimes look past the end result. Wins eventually need to happen, but be encouraged by the leader Mariota appears to already be after just three career games.
Ken Whisenhunt on Two-Point Conversion Attempt
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The two-point conversion still baffles me. It's always easy to be that "Monday Morning Quarterback," but the play didn't make sense as soon as it happened.
Whisenhunt commented on the plays, per the Titans' official website:
"You never [know] how those plays are going to come up. I would have to see it on the tape. It’s a play where we are trying to establish our identity there, that we are a physical football team and we know that we can get it in. And we didn’t."
It's understandable what Whisenhunt was trying to do. What is puzzling is why he chose the last play of the game to establish that identity. It needed to be established earlier in the game.
Sankey had just five carries, while Antonio Andrews led the team with a modest 12 carries. Andrews has the talent to emerge as the top option in the rushing attack, but he shouldn't be getting that role fresh off an injury and making his season debut.
This is not a knock on Jalston Fowler, but a rookie fullback shouldn't be the guy with the football in his hands to tie a critical division game. Figuring out a way to get the ball to your playmakers is what you have to at least attempt to do. A simple fullback dive was something the Colts knew was coming, and they easily stuffed it.
Whisenhunt has to start producing some wins after the bye week. These players are too talented to hang their hats on moral victories and valiant efforts.
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