Marcus Mariota is coming off an up and down rookie season looking to turn around the league’s worst team in 2016. While Mariota has always been known as a team first guy, he really took it to a new level when talking about his two new running backs.
“I told Coach Mike (Mularkey) that I’ll hand the ball off 40 times a game if we win games,” he said, via The Daily Press in Virginia while appearing at the Colonial All-Pro Football Camp at William and Mary. “That’s what’s important to me, to giving us an opportunity to win. Having those two workhorses back there should help us out.”
Carolina averaged 33 rushing attempts per game in 2015 with a large portion of those being designed Cam Newton quarterback draws. Mariota can obviously run but his doesn’t posses the frame Newton has so protecting him will be a must. For the Titans to win leaning on DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry is a must. It became clear that Mariota is not a guy who is going to win games on his own contrary to most people’s opinions.
The Titans do not have a ton of great options at the receiver position. Instead they have a ton of young depth and hope that Kendall Wright, Justin Hunter, and Dorial Green-Beckham can really break out. All pro tight end Delanie Walker will also become a vital asset for Mariota. Head coach Mike Mularkey has stressed that he plans on using a ton of smash mouth football in 2016.
