The first preseason game for a rookie quarterback is always tough. Add in the pressure of being the No. 2 overall pick just a few months before and it’s understandable that a lot of eyes were on Titans rookie Marcus Mariota. Right off the bat, Mariota struggled in his first appearance against the Atlanta Falcons. After completing his first couple of passes, Mariota threw his first interception—not just of the game, but of the entire preseason—to Atlanta’s Justin Durant, who returned the ball inside the Titans’ 10-yard line.
Then, on the next possession, Mariota had the ball stripped when he dropped back to pass, which was picked up and recovered for a touchdown:
https://twitter.com/CharlesRobinson/status/632335439190429696
It was tough to watch, especially considering Mariota made it look so easy in college at Oregon. However, these kinds of early struggles are to be expected. For as prolific as he was in college, the knocks on Mariota coming into the league included ball security, pocket presence and taking snaps from under center. It’s better for Mariota to experience these mistakes now when they don’t mean anything as opposed to the regular season when every game counts.
Additionally, there’s an argument to be made that the Titans’ predictable play-calling didn’t help their future quarterback:
How not to call plays for young QB: conservative runs on first and second down followed by obvious pass on third and long. Pathetic, Wiz.
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) August 14, 2015
However you want to look at it, Mariota was able to rebound and finish the night 7-of-8 passing for 94 yards. It’s a salvageable box score, but Mariota has some room to grow, to be sure.
(Via JDZ44, Charles Robinson)
