Titans take two steps back in loss to Raiders
Instead of building off a resilient win over the Detroit Lions in Week 2, the Tennessee Titans reminded us of their youth and weaknesses on Sunday against the Raiders.
On the bright side, the defense played well enough against a high-powered offense to keep the Titans in the game and like Week 2, give them a shot to win the game in the 4th quarter. The running game also picked up where they left off, with DeMarco Murray and Derick Henry totaling 181 yards and a score on just 29 carries.
The issue was with Marcus Mariota and the passing game. 17 or 33 for 214 yards and two picks just isn't going to cut it for any team. There are going to be bad games, but the bigger issue is the sophomore quarterback still isn't where he should be. Just when we thought he had turned a corner last week, Mariota failed to keep composure under pressure.
The Oakland Raiders defense is among the worst in the league, but you wouldn't have known it on Sunday.
Regardless of the pressure, Mariota has to learn to be a better game manager and make better decisions. He was without his top threat in Delanie Walker, but that can't serve as an excuse. Take a look at teams like the Patriots and Cowboys. Both Dak Prescott and Jacoby Brissett have a fraction of Mariota's experience, yet have been able to manage their offenses even without top playmakers being available. Mariota has also failed to show us he is capable of throwing the deep ball. Some of it might be the playcalling, but when they have taken shots, they have failed.
Mariota needs to make that turn and show that composure on a consistent basis. He gave us a glimpse against the Lions. With a divisional game against the Texans this week, he needs to show us if he can take two steps forward.
