Isaiah J. Downing/USA Today Sports
Answer to quarterback question will wait
The questions came – as expected – immediately following the game.
The answer will be provided at a later date.
For the first time in more than four years there is legitimate uncertainty about who is the Tennessee Titans’ starting quarterback. Coach Mike Vrabel called on Ryan Tannehill to replace Marcus Mariota in the third quarter of Sunday’s 16-0 loss to the Denver Broncos. Afterward, he refused to call either one his starter for the next contest or beyond.
“I will evaluate with [general manager] Jon [Robinson] and the coaching staff, but I will let you know as soon as I figure it out and do what is best for the team,” Vrabel said following the contest. … Every decision we make we try to do in the best interest of the football team at every position. That one will be no different.”
Statistically speaking, Tannehill was the better player against the Broncos. He completed 13 of 16 passes for 144 yards with one interception. He did all of that over the final 19:56, much of which Denver’s defense was content to trade yards for time off the clock as Tennessee tried to rally from a 13-point deficit. Six of the Titans’ 12 first downs came on their final three possessions.
Mariota was seven for 18 for 63 yards with two interceptions. Between them they were sacked seven times (Mariota three, Tannehill four) and neither threw a touchdown pass or directed any type of scoring drive.
“I just wasn’t good enough,” Tannehill said of his performance. “I think we were down two scores, 13 points when I came in and we failed to put points on the board. You’re not going to win any games if you can’t put points on the board. We have to be better all the way around, and I have to be better.”
Vrabel agreed and characterized Tannehill’s performance – his first for Tennessee – as “OK” but “it wasn’t good enough.”
The more pressing determination must be which one gives the Titans the best chance to snap a two-game losing streak that has dropped them to 2-4 on the season and to inject life into an offense that has been shutout in the first half of three of the last four games and has averaged 11.0 points per contest since the opener.
Mariota, who had taken every snap this season up to the point that he was benched, has completed 59.1 percent of his passes, on pace for the worst of his career. He has been sacked 25 times and has missed open receivers more than any NFL quarterback should.
“No matter what, I’m a team player,” he said. “And if they call my number, I’m going to be ready to go and I’m going to make the most of that opportunity. … I’ve got a bunch of great guys in that locker room.
“For me, I’d love to be the guy.”
Tannehill is new to the role of the guy behind the guy. In seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins he played – and started – 88 games. He has a losing record (42-46) and was a part of just one playoff team in Miami (2016) but never has played in the postseason because of an injury that sidelined him at the end of that year.
“Coach Vrabel hasn’t told me anything, and at this point nothing has changed for me,” Tannehill said. “We have to go back and look at this tape and see how we can improve as an offense and how I can improve. I’m sure there are several plays where I could have done something differently. We need to look at those and I need to take a look in the mirror and go back to the drawing board in whatever position that is and get myself ready for next week.
“… These situations are tough for everyone.”
