The Tennessee Titans were from good to grate – as in grating on the nerves and patience of their fan base with a terrible showing in an embarrassing 20-7 loss in Jacksonville Thursday night.
The Titans were pathetic in every phase of the game, as quarterback Marcus Mariota was sacked nine times by the Jaguars defense. When Mariota wasn’t being tackled or running for his life, he struggled to get into any rhythm, missing open receivers on several throws in the game. Mariota completed 23 of 40 passes for 304 yards, but while the overall numbers look decent, it was an empty stat as the Titans were unable to find any consistency on offense.
The Titans offense, already struggling on third downs, sputtered time and again with sacks and errant throws. Add to that nine penalties for 101 yards, and the fact that the Jaguars were keying on Derrick Henry, who had just 44 yards on 17 carries, and it was a complete disaster for Tennessee.
Will the Titans be tempted to replace Mariota with backup Ryan Tannehill in a desperation move to try and keep the season from slipping completely off the rails?
Can the defense, which was thought to be the strength of the team, find a pass rush that has been missing now for two straight games?
How does this team refocus and find any confidence after two dismal performances in a row?
Stay tuned. The Titans have nine days to try and find some answers before heading to Atlanta on Sept. 28.
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