Expect Marcus Mariota To Have A Career Year

In 2015, the Titans drafted their quarterback of the future when they selected Marcus Mariota. The Oregon Duck won a National Championship, a Heisman Trophy and was known for his throwing accuracy and agility. His new offensive coordinator, Matt LaFleur, will want to call more play-action and short-pass plays. Since Mariota has mobility and has had his struggles with deep passes, this could be a tremendous opportunity.

I’ve always been a believer in Mariota despite his doubters. The  Ducks offense, while Mariota was there, was known for running a different attack. They called mostly option plays, short pass patterns and they loved to run the ball out of the gun. NFL offensive schemes have adapted to this style.

However, for whatever reason, the Titans refused to buy into that trend. Now that LaFleur is on the sidelines, I expect the Titans to change their ways.

Mariota will need to learn from his 2017 recklessness

The flat offensive scheme from 2017 caused Mariota to have a horrendous season after a prosperous 2016. Two seasons ago, Mariota threw 29 touchdowns and only threw nine interceptions. In 2017, Mariota threw just 13 touchdowns, but he also threw 15 interceptions. His completion percentage and passing yards were pretty much the same.

So why did Mariota’s touchdown-to-interception rate drastically regress? Analysts believe Mariota was forced to air the ball out more because of the offensive scheme.

To get the most production out of a player, the right offensive game plan should be in place. The previous coaching staff tried to force a square peg inside of a round hole. It was nice for Mariota to win a playoff game. Hopefully, for his sake, the playoff win could be a stepping stone for his young NFL career.

I’m predicting success for the 2018 version of Mariota, but here are some more bold predictions for the Titans QB.