NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Marcus Mariota’s performance off the bench in Jacksonville was better on a second viewing.
He dropped back to pass 18 times and hit on 12 for 100 yards. Nothing giant there.
But each of his first three series ended because of a third-down drop: Rishard Matthews, then Tajae Sharpe, then Corey Davis. Mariota also threw one away out of trouble. So five of the six incomplete passes were not accuracy issues.
His delivery was mostly on time and while the lingering elbow/hand/fingers/grip issues mean he couldn’t make certain throws, he was good with the ones he could make. The 17-yard pass interference call against A.J. Bouye was on a ball the gang in the press box calculated traveled 34 yards in the air.
