Coming out of Oregon, many analysts saw Marcus Mariota as a quarterback who would have problems adapting to the professional game. Drafted second overall in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans turned down trade offers to get the quarterback they see as the future of their franchise.
Mariota worked hard before his rookie season to adapt. He trained under center, something that was a big problem for him. Mariota showed he was just more than a flashy system quarterback who could make plays with his feet.
The flyin’ Hawaiian had to make plays with his feet during his rookie season due to a lack of offensive weapons. This offseason, the Titans went out and got Mariota some help on offense. They traded for DeMarco Murray, drafted Derrick Henry and signed Rishard Matthews.
With Murray and Henry, Mariota now has legitimate running backs who can change his offense, that may mean handing it off more times than passing, but Mariota is open to those changes.
Mariota wants to win
Speaking to The Daily Press in Virginia, Mariota said he told Head Coach Mike Mularkey that he will “hand the ball off 40 times a game” as long as it means the Titans “win games.”
Mariota won in college and when you’re a high draft pick, it usually means that you’re going to an NFL team that doesn’t win.
Mariota is looking to change things in Tennessee. He said that is “important to me,” that he does everything to give his team an “opportunity to win.”
The quarterback continued to say that having two workhorses running backs like Murray and Henry “should help us (Titans) out.”
A difference in running backs
Last season the Titans ranked 25th on NFL.com in rushing, finishing with 10 rushing touchdowns, averaging four yards per rush and 92.8 yards per game.
Antonio Andrews finished with 520 yards, the most for any Titans running back last season, from 143 attempts and scoring only three touchdowns. The Titans have vastly improved their running back with Murray and Henry, two different backs who cause match-up problems.
Head Coach Mike Mularkey is looking to make the running game much more downhill, helping Murray improve on a poor season with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Murray can, if need be, line up as a receiving back but he is primarily a bigger rushing threat.