Former Browns GM Michael Lombardi says Titans were split between Marcus Mariota and Ryan Tannehill ahead of 2019 season

The Titans weren’t even through Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos before they benched Mariota in favor of Tannehill.

The Tennessee Titans acquired former Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill ahead of the season to serve as an insurance policy for starting quarterback, Marcus Mariota.

But the Titans weren’t even through Week 6’s shutout loss to the Denver Broncos before they benched Mariota in favor of Tannehill.

The team hasn’t looked back since, and Tannehill has completed 97-of-136 passes for 1,161 yards, with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.

Before Tannehill took over, Mariota was 94-of-159 passing for 1,179 yards, with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

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According to former Cleveland Browns general manager Michael Lombardi on his “The GM Shuffle” podcast, the move to hand over the reins to Tannehill could have come much sooner than six games into the season.

He claims to have been informed of quarterback controversy earlier in the year, and that the decision to keep Mariota as the starter came down to the opinions of the front office.

“I was told this summer that the coaches really wanted to play Tannehill, but the front office was so endeared that they had to give this Mariota one more look,” he said.

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Regardless of whether or not this has any true substance to it, Tannehill is the man under center for Tennessee for the foreseeable future, and will be leading the charge as the Titans face the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars at 3:05 p.m. CT on Nov. 24.

Titans make jump in NFL power rankings after 35-32 win over Chiefs

The Tennessee Titans (5-5) shocked many analysts with a thrilling 35-32 win over the Kansas City Chiefs (6-4) last week in Nissan Stadium.

The team had answers on offense, and came up with the big plays they needed in all three phases of the game to secure the victory and even out their record against one of the NFL’s best teams.

Because of this, it’s not a surprise the team jumped significantly in the NFL power rankings of multiple networks.

The Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar ranked the Titans at No. 16 in this week’s edition — ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers and behind the Philadelphia Eagles.

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Here’s what he had to say about his placement of the team on the list.

“Don’t look now, but the Titans, once left at death’s door for the 2019 season, are starting to look a little frisky,” he wrote. “They certainly were in their 35-32 win over the Chiefs, which included a four-play, 61-yard winning drive that took less than a minute off the clock and continued to redefine Ryan Tannehill’s legacy as an NFL quarterback. Tannehill started the drive with a 18-yard scramble, nearly hit A.J. Brown on a deep throw down the left side, and then hit on a tight-window deep throw to tight end Anthony Firkser and the game-winner to receiver Adam Humphries.”

Farrar also made note of the stellar performances of running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

“Running back Derrick Henry was the real star of the day with his 188 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries, but this is a team that has not had a functional quarterback since Marcus Mariota became a shell of his former self over the past couple seasons,” he wrote. “Perhaps Mariota can experience a Tannehill-like rebirth with another team in 2020. Right now, it’s Tannehill’s story that’s one of the most surprising of this season.”

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The Titans will face the division rival Jacksonville Jaguars next at 3:05 p.m. CT in Nissan Stadium on Nov. 24 after the bye week.

Five standouts from Titans’ 35-32 win over Chiefs

Here’s a look at five of those names.

The Tennessee Titans (5-5) evened out their record and put on one of the most thrilling performances in Week 10 as they defeated the visiting Kansas City Chiefs, 35-32 in Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

It was a competitive game filled with big plays on both sides, and several players stood out.

Here’s a look at five of those names.

1. QB Ryan Tannehill.

Tannehill continues to be efficient with the reins of the offense in his hands, and was a crucial part of guiding the Titans to the win. He was 13-of-19 passing for 181 yards and two touchdowns. He also had three rushes for 37 yards.

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