One of the biggest, most unexpected questions, to come out of the 2017 season seems to be whether or not Marcus Mariota is the right man for the job in Nashville. After a breakout season in 2016, some outlets even pegged him as a dark horse candidate for NFL MVP in 2017. But, for a host of reasons, it didn’t work out that way at all. Many analysts claimed Mariota was among the bottom five of quarterbacks in the NFL. Yeesh.
I’m not sure that there’s one thing that really went wrong for Mariota in 2017. Part of it was, yes, a regression on his part. I’ll admit that – there were games in which he made questionable decisions and it cost the Titans. But, for the most part, it seemed to be a convergence of maladies that hindered the perception of Mariota as a franchise quarterback.
The injury concerns reared their ugly heads. Hamstring, ankle, knee, whatever – he missed time again in 2017 because of injuries. So, the durability factor in a franchise quarterback has been questioned. But, even after he returned, there was a stretch of the season when people questioned whether or not he was playing tentatively out of fear of re-aggravating an injury. It got better as the season ended, as evidenced by his strong performance in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
Then, there’s the coaching staff. I admire what Mike Mularkey was able to do for this team during a crucial transition period in its history. The players bought in and it fostered in a culture of champions. But, between Mularkey and offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie, it appeared the game had passed them by. In 2017, the Titans offense took a huge step back from 2016, in large part due to the staff’s inability to be creative. People figured out ‘exotic smashmouth’ after a year, and the Titans didn’t really add any wrinkles to it. I’m not entirely confident that they knew what to do with Mariota. Little harsh, I know, but I’m certainly not the only one to think Mariota could benefit from a cutting-edge offensive mind like Matt LaFleur.
And, the bottom line – that offense as a whole just played worse than they did in 2016. It wasn’t the bruising rushing attack from the year before. It wasn’t wild, dynamic trickeration coming from #8. None of that. It just didn’t work. But, lost in all of the naysaying regarding Mariota is that the qualities he did display in 2017 are qualities that every cornerstone quarterback has.
Marcus Mariota was one of the league’s most efficient passers when under pressure in 2017 pic.twitter.com/zq1BbDHvCu
— Pro Football Focus (@PFF) March 27, 2018
This is what we savvy vets in the journalism business call “good.” I’m no football scout, but I think you definitely want a quarterback who is good under pressure. I mean, just think about the nature of the opposition – they are instructed and bred to pressure the quarterback. So, it makes sense to say you’d want one that doesn’t fold under such pressure.
All sarcasm aside, “clutch” guys win Super Bowls – Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Eli Manning. With the exception of Brady, those guys don’t always have the eye-popping stats. They’re known more for their production in the postseason. So, we don’t even need a stats-monster at the helm. We just need a guy who can win.
And, during a bad offensive season, plagued with injuries and boring play-calling, Mariota was still among the best with the clutch gene. He took a team that should’ve been run out of Kansas City on the road and made magic. He’s willing to shoulder the load for his team. And, that’s promising.
Mariota is going to be just fine. It’s the little nuggets of information like this – his intangibles, his determination, his leadership, and his performance under pressure – that make me believe he’s not only the franchise, but that he truly can become one of the elite in the NFL.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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