Blake Bortles leads AFC South QB rankings post-Week 2
By Luke Sims
Sep 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) gets the ball knocked loose while attempting a pass during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
2) Marcus Mariota, quarterback, Tennessee Titans
After a tremendous first start and taking the top spot in our AFC South quarterback rankings, Marcus Mariota has fallen back to earth.
There’s going to be a learning curve in the NFL, especially at the quarterback position. For Mariota, he got that lesson in a big way. With seven sacks in Week 2, Mariota felt that lesson in his entire body.
With a 56.8% completion percentage on 37 attempts, Mariota doesn’t come off as terrible in his first loss. He also had two touchdowns and no interceptions.
But in the NFL, it’s more than just the statistics, especially at the quarterback position. Mariota did not look like he was leading his team in Week 2. He looked lost and uninspired. It was as if he was the ball in a pin ball machine, being pushed around as the paddles saw fit rather than taking charge himself.
The Tennessee Titans continue to rave about their young quarterback, and they should. The talent is clearly there, but we all need to recognize that there will be lumps taken in year one and Week 2 was one of those weeks.
Next: Blake Bortles rises to the top