Titans vs. Jets: Tennessee Grades, Notes and Quotes

It was a matchup nightmare on Sunday for the Tennessee Titans heading into their game with the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium, and the outcome showed that.

The Titans were unable to generate any kind of flow on offense, and their defense was regularly pushed around by the Jets.

Don't let the final margin of 22 points fool you—the Jets entirely dominated this game on both sides of the ball. They took complete control in the first half and coasted to the 30-8 victory in the second half with a 27-point lead coming out of halftime.

This is a minor setback for Tennessee, but it doesn't change much. We knew the Jets were the more experienced and talented team, and they held serve. They avoided the trap game and sent a message to the Titans early on that they came to take care of business. 

With the loss, the Titans' odds of getting the No. 1 overall draft pick are growing steadily with three games remaining.

Position Grades for Titans

Al Bello/Getty Images

Quarterback: C

The odds were completely stacked against Marcus Mariota coming into this game. It was a matchup nightmare for an offense that doesn't have a lot of weapons on the outside.

Mariota was also under constant pressure from the Jets pass rush, and that led to a few rookie mistakes. He was never really able to get comfortable in the pocket.

For what it's worth, Mariota did catch a 41-yard touchdown that's definitely worthy of the highlight reel. 

Running Back: C-

There was no running game to speak of. You can't expect too much production from a unit when it only sees 10 carries for the entire game. It was a lackluster effort, but you can't blame Antonio Andrews or David Cobb when they saw so few carries (four and two, respectively).

We hardly saw any of Cobb, and Andrews found very little running room against the Jets' No. 1 rush defense. It set the tone early and forced the Titans to lean on the passing game exclusively for three quarters.

Wide Receiver: C+

This unit desperately missed Kendall Wright and his ability to create yardage underneath. It forced rookie Dorial Green-Beckham into the difficult role of being the lone threat on the outside. He had an ugly drop that would've led to a first down in a game where open throws were few and far between.

Harry Douglas had the lone big play from this unit with a 51-yard catch that nearly broke into a long touchdown. Douglas was narrowly caught by safety Calvin Pryor, and the Titans later turned it over on downs.

This was going to be a major uphill battle against the likes of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. There shouldn't be much surprise from the outcome. It's worth noting that a huge chunk of production from this unit came after the Jets seized their 27-point lead at halftime. 

Tight End: D

The Titans absolutely had to get production from the tight end position, and they got very little. Delanie Walker had a critical drop on the opening drive that would have led to a first down. It was his first drop of the season but still a backbreaker that killed the chance for momentum early on. 

Offensive Line: C-

There was poor protection from this unit, as Mariota was under duress the entire game. It's difficult enough for a rookie quarterback to find open receivers against a top-notch defense, but that challenge multiplies heavily when he's getting pressure from all different directions. 

The run blocking wasn't much better, and the Titans quickly abandoned their run game early on as the score got out of hand.

Defensive Line: C-

The Jets were able to balance their solid passing attack with a reliable running game behind Chris Ivory. He had huge lanes to run through for much of the game, and there were also a lot of missed tackles.

Interim head coach Mike Mularkey commented on the effort, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:

"

Mularkey said guys need to do a better job of "finishing tackles"

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 13, 2015"

Ivory averaged nearly five yards per carry on 22 rushes. 

Karl Klug had the lone sack from the defensive line, which put him at 3.5 for the season. 

Linebacker: C-

There's not much to speak of from Brian Orakpo and Company. They got very little pressure on Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, which is what they thrive off of to propel the defense. 

Zach Brown led the unit with six tackles and one for loss.

Secondary: F

It was a horrible effort from the secondary, and it was a collective effort. It not only struggled to pose any kind of resistance to Jets receivers, but it also whiffed on several routine tackles.

The big play that comes to mind was the short pass to RB Bilal Powell that put the Jets up 20-0. This was when the floodgates began to open, and multiple players from the Tennessee secondary missed tackles on this play. 

Addressing the secondary has to be the top priority when the offseason arrives. This aggressive defensive style stands no chance when teams can basically take target practice on the secondary. 

Special Teams: C+

There's not much to look at in this department. It was interesting to see Tre McBride retain his duties as the kickoff returner, while Dexter McCluster returned to his role as the punt returner.

Brett Kern never gets the credit he deserves for being the steady punter he is. He punted the ball six times in this game, averaging nearly 50 yards per punt and one inside the 20-yard line.

Coaching: D

It was clear the Titans were outmatched in almost every facet of the game, and interim head coach Mike Mularkey did not offer a solution. You can't put all of the blame on him for this lopsided loss, but you can fault him for not making any kind of adjustment that made a difference coming out of halftime.

You could argue that he abandoned the run game way too soon, as Titans running backs saw just 10 carries as a unit. There's no way Tennessee will beat anyone when it runs the ball just 10 times.

Mariota Catches a Touchdown

Once you overlook the lopsided loss, you have to appreciate the touchdown catch Marcus Mariota made. Yes, you read that correctly; Mariota caught a touchdown, and it was a 41-yard strike down the sideline from running back Antonio Andrews.

The throw from Andrews was about as accurate as you could expect from a running back. You also can't discount the nice hands Mariota had to have to pull in that throw. It would be understandable to see a dropped pass on this play from a quarterback, and it was a catch in stride. 

Mariota joined Kordell Stewart in a unique category, according to Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info):

"

Marcus Mariota and Kordell Stewart: Only QBs in Super Bowl era to have 40-yard TD run and 40-yard TD catch in same season (via @eliassports)

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 13, 2015"

The game itself was one to forget for the Titans, but this was still a fun play to witness. It's something the coaching staff should keep in its back pocket for the future. 

Mariota now has touchdowns through the air, on the ground and as a receiver—a quirky stat that's worth some recognition even in a blowout loss.

No Answer for Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker

Al Bello/Getty Images

The biggest issue by a wide margin was how were the Titans going to be able to stop wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Tennessee found no solution to this issue, and it was the main reason why the Jets took complete control of this game from the start.

These two clearly dominated the offensive flow, as it looked like the Jets could go to them at will when they needed to.

Decker actually had the more dominant performance early on, but a wacky touchdown catch by Marshall padded his final stats. The Titans were completely confused as the Jets were starting a drive and left Marshall all alone on the sideline to run for a touchdown. 

There is absolutely no excuse for this coming out of a timeout, but the Titans found a way to let this happen. The route was on after this play, and everything after that play was in mop-up duty. The Jets took advantage of the strengths they knew they had coming into the game, and the Titans had no answer.

Defensive Lapse on Marshall Touchdown

Julie Jacobson/Associated Press

The game was already getting out of hand, but the touchdown by Brandon Marshall late in the first half essentially ended it before halftime.

It was a baffling play where the Titans looked confused coming out of a timeout and had no one covering Marshall on the sideline. Ryan Fitzpatrick made the easy throw to the sideline, and Marshall took it all the way for a 69-yard touchdown. 

The Jets would have most likely won this game regardless of this lone play, but it was still a play that simply can't happen. It sent a message to this team that it was being outplayed heading into the locker room and had little chance to make up 27 points.

Mularkey had a reason for the huge defensive lapse on this play, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:

"

Mularkey on #Titans not covering Brandon Marshall on long TD: "Our headsets went down that series. ... We had no defensive call." #NYJets

— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) December 13, 2015"

Psychologically speaking, a three-possession game is much easier to deal with heading into halftime. This score made it virtually impossible for the Titans to make a comeback in the second half, and the Jets put it on cruise control from there.

Marcus Mariota on Fumble in 4th Quarter

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Mariota has nine fumbles this season.

A ton of praise is owed to Marcus Mariota and how he's handled himself over his rookie season. With that said, an issue of holding on to the football is becoming a concern. 

Mariota has thrown just 10 interceptions, including one against the Jets. However, the bigger concern may be his numerous fumbles. He now has nine fumbles on the season, with one coming on a drive when the Titans were trying to make a comeback.

The odds of the Titans coming back at this point were bleak at best, but this fumble by Mariota squashed any hopes of that. It was the result of him trying to do too much, and it's an area he needs to work on. 

Mariota owned up to how costly the fumble was to the momentum built on the previous play of the drive, per Jason Wolf of the Tennessean:

"

Mariota says his 4th quarter fumble killed #Titans momentum after Douglas 50-yd catch.

— Jason Wolf (@JasonWolf) December 13, 2015"

The effort from Mariota with limited resources in this game is still commendable. He's excelling early on in a lot of areas, but he has to be better about securing the football when scrambling.

Mike Mularkey on 1st-Half Performance

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

The margin for error for the Titans was thin coming into this game, and it got out of hand early. The Titans have done a commendable job at keeping games close against teams that were heavy favorites this season . This game never had that feel. 

Mularkey was candid about the effort from the defense and how it will be handled, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com:

"

Mularkey said he saw some "loafs" on the field. Said it was addressed and will be further @titans

— Jim Wyatt (@jwyattsports) December 13, 2015"

The defensive effort has been something this team could hang its hat on consistently throughout the season, but it's fair to say it's been absent the last two weeks. Perhaps the rigors of a long season are taking a toll on this unit.

Dorial Green-Beckham on His Drop on Deep Throw

Alex Goodlett/Getty Images

Dorial Green-Beckham's progression throughout the remainder of this season is critical since he will be a big part of the offense going into 2016. 

A lot of pressure is on Green-Beckham with injuries to Kendall Wright and Justin Hunter. The Titans had very little depth at wide receiver coming into the season, and injuries have forced Green-Beckham to grow up fast.

We've seen flashes of good and bad from the 22-year-old in his rookie season. He had 53 yards in this game but also a key drop from a perfectly thrown pass by Marcus Mariota. Green-Beckham expressed the need for more focus, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com:

"

Dorial Green-Beckham on bad drop: I need to take more time to focus. I was just excited... https://t.co/rnMyIzX7fq pic.twitter.com/U4bgiwtWKE

— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) December 13, 2015"

With more weapons added around him, expect Green-Beckham to keep progressing into a valuable piece to this offense. Defenses are zeroing in on him as the lone threat on the perimeter, and it's stacking the odds against him as a rookie receiver.