Heading into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, it’s pretty much a must win for the Tennessee Titans. They find themselves at 1-3 on the season and have lost two consecutive games, both by one score.
For the Tennessee, the biggest issue thus far this season has been the passing game. It ranks in the bottom six of the NFL in passing offense and has seen Marcus Mariota regress from a solid rookie season.
Attempting to point out exactly where it’s gone wrong, Titans head coach Mike Mularkey put most of the onus on the team’s wide receivers.
“We really haven’t been efficient outside,” Mularkey said, via The Tennesseean. “We haven’t been very precise. We haven’t been very detailed. That starts with those guys outside. They need to carry over what they’re being taught in the classroom and what they’re doing on the practice field. … It needs to carry over into games, and it will function better.”
There’s definitely a point to be made here. The Titans’ top four receivers have caught a combined 39 passes while tallying a 50 percent catch rate on the season. When Mariota himself doesn’t target DeMarco Murray out of the backfield, his already low 58.8 completion percentage drops to 53 percent.
Through four games, this has impacted the Titans overall success on offense. Despite boasting the fourth-most rushing yards in the NFL, Tennessee has scored the second-fewest points in the league.
Taking on a bad Dolphins pass defense this upcoming Sunday should benefit the Titans’ passing attack. It’s in this that Mariota needs to find a way to connect with rookie Tajae Sharpe as well as veteran free agent additions Rishard Matthews and Andre Johnson.
If not, the Titans will find themselves at 1-4 and in the midst of yet another lost season.