Buck Reising, host of Technically Foul and The Final Drive provides four items of note from Tennessee Titans coach Mike Mularkey’s Monday conference call.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans (8-7) have dropped their last three games and are in danger of missing the playoffs after an 8-4 start. Coach Mike Mularkey spoke to the Nashville media via conference call Monday to discuss what he saw on film from Sunday’s 27-23 loss against the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) and answer questions about his team’s upcoming wildcard play-in contest against their divisional rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars (10-5).
- MURRAY WATCH
- Veteran running back DeMarco Murray injured his right knee in Sunday’s loss to Los Angeles and had to be helped off of the field by two members of the Tennessee training staff. In his post-game press conference, Mularkey’s thoughts on his lead back’s health were not overly optimistic and that the injury “didn’t look good.”
- “He hurt his knee but I’m not going to rule him out just yet,” Mularkey said of Murray. “The thing with DeMarco (Murray) – based on some of the other things he’s had happen to him and how quickly he responds to treatment. So, I’d say he’s day-to-day right now and I just hope for the best. Maybe in a limited role, we don’t know yet.”
- Asked if he considered the news to be good based on his initially grim assessment, Mularkey said “No. Kind of what we expected from preliminary, before the MRI, with what the trainers at least explained to me after the game. Again, he’s just a different guy when it comes to coming back from injury so I just don’t want to rule it out yet. But, about what we expected.”
- Murray’s effectiveness has been the subject of much conversation all season long with the Titans running game being less of a threat than it was a season ago. The former Dallas Cowboy and Philadelphia Eagle leads his team in carries (184) and rushing touchdowns (six) but is second (659) in rushing yards to Heisman-winner Derrick Henry (693). Tennessee ranks 16th in the league with 1,717 yards of offense on the ground.
- ONSIDES OFFICIATING
- One of the most controversial topics of discussion to emerge from Sunday’s contest at Nissan Stadium was a confusing sequence of events that started with an apparently successful Titans onside kick late in the third quarter that was wiped out by the game’s officiating crew. Per The Tennessean, Michael Signora, the NFL’s vice president of football communications admitted that there had been an officiating error on the play. Mularkey did not seem particularly comforted by the League’s admission of referee fault.
- “I had called them Sunday night and they hadn’t spoke to the officiating crew yet,” Mularkey said of the NFL. “Once they did, they got back to me and I’m – I just didn’t want to waste my time, to be honest with you. It would be more frustrating to continue to follow up with it knowing the answers I’m going to get.”
- Following Tennessee’s lone offensive touchdown, a six-yard rush by Murray, special teamer Brynden Trawick recovered an onside attempt before the Rams were in position to field the kick. A flag was thrown, picked up without any explanation, Walt Anderson (the lead official) announced that Los Angeles had called a timeout prior to the kick (which they had not) and the ruling was made that the ball was never technically put into play and the Titans would have to re-kick.
- MARIOTA’S DECISION-MAKING
- Tennessee’s offense and, specifically, quarterback Marcus Mariota have come under scrutiny during the 2017 campaign because of inconsistencies and underwhelming performances. Mariota’s first pass against the Rams was intercepted by linebacker Cory Littleton, his 15th pick of the year.
- “I saw what (Mariota) saw once I saw the tape,” said Mularkey of the turnover. “When he’s about to let it go, he saw that corner fall off of Corey (Davis’) route, just as he’s letting it go. He tried to sail it to get it over but he just couldn’t do it. But, it was right in the middle of the throw when that corner turned on him. It was too late then, when he let it go.”
- In his third NFL season, Mariota has the highest completion percentage of his career at 62.3 so far this season (62.3%) and has thrown for 3,098 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has a QBR of 55.4 and a career-low passer rating of 78.6.
- JAGS: PART DEUX
- With the 2017 finale looming against the Jaguars at Nissan Stadium, the Titans are in a win-and-in playoff situation for one of two wildcard spots. With the Pittsburgh Steelers clinching a first-round bye on Monday, the prevailing thought by most is that Jacksonville will not have much to play for and may rest starters in order to preserve their health moving into the wildcard round.
- “I would expect a full game plan, just like a game they have to win,” Mularkey said of the Jags. “I think coming off a loss, I’m sure they don’t want to go into the playoffs with another one. I would expect we’re going to get the best from them knowing Doug Marrone and Tom (Coughlin). I wouldn’t think anything less than that.”
- Jacksonville was handled with relative ease in a 44-33 road loss to the surging San Francisco 49ers in Week 16. Nine of the 12 playoff teams have been determined and seven of the eight divisions have been clinched. Tennessee will lock up a postseason trip with a Week 17 win or losses by both the Buffalo Bills (8-7) and the Los Angeles Chargers (8-7).
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