Marcus Mariota made short work of winning round one on the field against fellow rookie Jameis Winston this past Sunday, and the resulting attention is already paying dividends for Mariota and the Titans.
According to an update count of jersey sales from Dick's Sporting Goods, Mariota has shot back to the top of the charts for rookies, and sits at number 11 across the league. In fact, his sales numbers have been so strong that the Titans have shot from 32nd to 18th in overall team sales over the past couple of months.
It's easy to dismiss developments like these as meaningless in the big picture, but I view it as indicative of the rare opportunity for the Titans: the chance to climb from the 'small market' irrelevance that's compounded by a lack of wins and a lack of star power.
For the first time in a long time, the Titans have a QB under center with a far-reaching fan base. He's a kid that a lot of people - many of whom who could care less about this team - are actively rooting for to succeed.
When was the last time that happened?
While the focus needs to stay on what happens between the whistle on Sunday, it's also fun to watch this franchise begin to win over the hearts and minds of new and old fans.