James Kenney/Associated Press
The Tennessee Titans continued their late-season push for a playoff spot with a 25-16 victory over the Washington Redskins at Nissan Stadium on Saturday.
Blaine Gabbert played the role of hero by connecting with MyCole Pruitt for the go-ahead touchdown with 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. He finished the game 7-of-11 for 101 yards and one score after coming into the game.
Marcus Mariota left in the second quarter after suffering a stinger. The Titans starting quarterback went 10-of-13 for 110 yards prior to his injury.
While Washington struggles to find offense, Adrian Peterson did his best to carry the team. He finished with 119 yards on 26 carries. It was his third game this season cracking the century mark and first time since Week 8.
Since being outscored 72-27 in back-to-back losses against AFC South rivals Indianapolis and Houston, the Titans have won a season-high four straight games to reach 9-6 heading into Week 17.
Titans Must Rebuild Offensive Line in 2019 After Mariota Injury
The best season of Mariota’s NFL career came in 2016 when he threw for 3,426 yards, 26 touchdowns and had a 59.4 QBR.
It’s probably not a surprise that was also the season that the Titans had the NFL’s best offensive line, per Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson.
Just two years later, the Titans offensive line has become a liability that resulted in Mariota getting injured against Washington.
The 2014 Heisman Trophy winner has been sacked a career-high 42 times this season, including twice on Saturday, which prompted this question from ESPN’s Dan Graziano:
Dan Graziano @DanGrazianoESPN
These hits on Mariota, goodness. Are the Titans using five offensive linemen?
After last week’s games, Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner had Tennessee’s line ranked No. 13 in the NFL this season. Jack Conklin, who was placed on injured reserve after Week 14, owned up to his struggles this season after missing the first three games (recovering from ACL surgery).
The interior of the offensive line, in particular, has been a problem for head coach Mike Vrabel. Left guard Quinton Spain was benched in Week 13 against the New York Jets, leading to Ben Jones taking his spot and Corey Levin filling in at center.
Mariota’s stat line for the year leaves a lot to be desired, with a career-low 186 passing yards per game, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He still retains the ability to create plays with his legs, as evidenced by this third-down run in the first quarter:
NFL @NFL
Mariota making the defense look silly with that spin
#TitanUp
: #WASvsTEN on @nflnetwork https://t.co/kkvFIo2Ods
Mariota has acknowledged some of his shortcomings this season, including holding on to the ball too long.
“I can do a better job, though,” Mariota told reporters after a 34-17 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 12. “I didn’t help our guys up front—I was holding the ball too long. I got us in negative situations, taking some of these sacks. I’ll look back at the film and get better from it, and improve.”
If the Titans want to properly evaluate Mariota as their long-term answer at quarterback, their top priority this offseason has to be fixing the interior of their offensive line. They’ve seen on multiple occasions this season how the offense will fall apart when they are unable to protect Mariota.
Redskins Should Re-Sign Peterson to Ease Burden on Guice
Washington signed Peterson to a one-year deal for the veteran minimum in August because rookie Derrius Guice, who was on track to be the starting running back during training camp, tore his ACL during the team’s first preseason game on Aug. 9.
Peterson has turned into one of the NFL’s best bargains in 2018. The former NFL MVP eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark this season after his strong showing against the Titans and moved up another spot on the all-time rushing yards list:
Grant Paulsen @granthpaulsen
Adrian Peterson just eclipsed the 1,000 yard plateau. The 33 year-old has gone for 1K for the first time since 2,015 and the 8th time in his 13-year career. #Redskins
NFL Throwback @nflthrowback
.@AdrianPeterson’s not done yet.
The @Redskins RB just passed Hall of Famer @EricDickerson for eighth place all-time in career rushing yards. https://t.co/K8JMw0xwcC
This is going to be a crucial offseason for Washington’s front office and coaching staff. The uncertainty around Alex Smith’s playing career after breaking his leg in Week 11 against the Houston Texans will potentially force the team to draft a quarterback sooner than it may have liked.
As enamored as the Redskins were with Guice coming out of the 2018 draft and throughout training camp, there’s no telling how his knee will respond to an NFL workload next season.
After being limited to 601 rushing yards in 13 games over the previous two seasons, Peterson has re-established himself as a workhorse in Washington. The seven-time Pro Bowler ranks third in the NFL with 247 carries this season after his 26 attempts on Saturday.
Even with Peterson set to turn 34 on March 21, he’s proved to Washington all season that he’s a stabilizing force for an offense that faces significant questions. Giving him a contract extension this offseason gives head coach Jay Gruden much-needed insurance in the backfield.
What’s Next?
Washington will finish the regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. Tennessee will host the Indianapolis Colts in a potential playoff eliminator on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET.
from Viral News Show http://bit.ly/2T3QlZa
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