Things weren’t pretty for the Tennessee Titans offense in Week 3’s 20-7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But a lot has changed since then.
Ryan Tannehill has since replaced Marcus Mariota at quarterback, and has posted a 3-1 record as a Titans starter while doing so.
He’s completed 71.3% of his passes this year, throwing for 1,161 yards and eight touchdowns. Tannehill has looked much more confident and decisive in the pocket than Mariota did at the beginning of the season, and it’s clear the offense is running more efficiently with him at the helm.
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Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone expects to see the team at full force, and believes this is the best version of Tannehill he’s gone up against.
This is a team that will likely put points on the board much earlier than it did in the third week of the season, when the Titans remained scoreless until the fourth quarter.
“I think, obviously, they’re getting healthier,” Marrone said on a conference call.
“With Ryan (Tannehill), obviously I was in Buffalo when he was in Miami. Watching him now, I really think he’s playing the best I’ve seen him play. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. He’s putting the ball into tight windows, he’s able to run. Obviously, Derrick Henry is an outstanding runner behind a very good offensive line. You’ve got guys on the outside and four tight ends. I mean, there’s a lot of challenges. When you look at them on offense, it’s almost like pick your poison. If you try to stop one, the other guys are good enough to kick your butt. Our defense is going to have to play real good, sound football all the way around.”
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The Titans’ offensive line set a low bar for themselves the last time the team took on Jacksonville, allowing a total of nine sacks in one game.
Marrone looks to see better pass protection and overall more improved o-line unit overall this time around.
“Yeah. I mean, it’s always tough,” he said. “They’ve got one of the better offensive lines in the league, the quarterbacks playing really well, so it’s a challenge every week.”
The Titans and Jaguars are set to kick off at 3:05 p.m. CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.