The Titans knew Marcus Mariota might not be 100 percent.
But they were still amazed at what he was able to give them Monday night in beating the Colts.
“Credit to Marcus,” Titans running back Derrick Henry said, via Jim Wyatt of the team’s official website. “Now that’s a leader. That’s a tough guy. To come out here not even 100 percent, and to play against a good division opponent, that shows what type of leader he is, what type of guy he is.”
Mariota had been limited with a hamstring injury, and they weren’t sure he’d play until late in the week of preparations (not all game-time decisions happen at game-time). All he did was go 23-of-32 for 306 yards and a touchdown, hitting a number of deep balls as they handily beat the Colts. He was given instructions not to run to not risk aggravating the injury, and once when he found the open field he slid. though he did convert a fourth-down with a low-risk sneak.
“The guy is a complete stud,” tackle Taylor Lewan said of Mariota. “That guy is pretty all-time.”
Of course, the low-key Mariota wasn’t going that far, or anywhere near it, sending the praise elsewhere.
“I wanted to be out there last week, and unfortunately I wasn’t able to do that,” Mariota said. “So I was happy to get the green light. It just comes down to everyone just going out there and executing, and we were able to make the plays we needed to win.”
Listening to him say it completely undersells the experience. Listening to his teammates gives you a better picture of what really happened.