That loss yesterday was brutal. The Titans had the perennial AFC South champs on the ropes, and in the words of Denny Green, "THEY LET THEM OFF THE HOOK!" A win would have been absolutely huge. It would have put the Titans in the driver's seat in the division at the quarter mark of the season. That would have been fun!
But take a step back and look at the big picture here. The 2015 Tennessee Titans are not a Super Bowl contender. The talent is not there. This season is all about developing Marcus Mariota....and that project is going very, VERY well. Through 3 games Mariota has 833 yards, 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions (and you could really debate that the Delanie Walker play yesterday should have been a fumble and not an interception). That puts him on pace for 4,442 yards, 43 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Those are ridiculous numbers and would break the rookie record for yards (4,374 Andrew Luck) and TDs (26 Peyton Manning). (h/t Kyle Q. Harris)
Mariota may not break those records, but he is a franchise quarterback. You can tell that through 3 games, and the really exciting part is that he isn't even using his legs yet. He is sitting in the pocket and making really nice throws.
There are going to be some bumps in the road. The 2nd pick yesterday was really bad. He is going to face some tougher defenses down the road- starting right after the bye with the Buffalo Bills, but Mariota has answered every question so far. He is the guy!
So don't be depressed. This team has a lot of potential, and with a good defensive draft they will be ready to compete in 2016. That is a hope that we haven't had in a very long time!