Early in the fourth quarter, the rookie lined up in the shotgun for a third-and-7 play, with his team trailing by four. The Jaguars blitzed and at the tail of his three-step drop there was not much of a pocket left, so Mariota took off.
The left third of the field was open, and Mariota tucked the ball away when he got to the 20. Fellow rookie Dorial Green-Beckham had a great block near the 40, and Mariota was off. It was the second rushing touchdown of the season for Mariota, and put the Titans ahead for good.
The win broke an 11-game home losing streak for Tennessee that stretched back to Oct. 12, 2014. That win, perhaps not surprisingly, also came against the Jaguars.
Titans fans have to be hoping the game served as a positive glimpse into their future. Mariota continues to play well, as he completed over two-thirds of his passes on Sunday and accounted for 112 yards rushing on nine chances, thanks in large part to his touchdown. Green-Beckham, a second-round pick this year, had by far the best game of his young career, with five catches for 119 yards and a touchdown.
Now 3-9, the Titans remain in last place in the AFC South, but while the division-leading 6-5 Indianapolis Colts (who play on Sunday night against Pittsburgh) aren't completely out of reach, Tennessee has a tough stretch to finish out the year, with three of four games on the road: They travel to play the Jets next week, then to New England in Week 15, host the Texans and wrap up in Indianapolis against the Colts.
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