Tennessee Titans: What Stood Out at Camp Day 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Temperatures rose markedly at Saint Thomas Sports Park for Day 2 of Tennessee Titans training camp and so did the level of competition. Each day, we will analyze the biggest takeaway, individual stand-out or topic du jour that came out of practice and what it could mean for the upcoming season. Let's take […]
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Temperatures rose markedly at Saint Thomas Sports Park for Day 2 of Tennessee Titans training camp and so did the level of competition.
Each day, we will analyze the biggest takeaway, individual stand-out or topic du jour that came out of practice and what it could mean for the upcoming season. Let's take a look at the Red Zone Drills…
Training camp play-by-play tweets might actually be the death of me. But when the starting and back-up quarterbacks are in contract years, they become a necessary evil. The primary focus of today's work was offense in the red zone. All three units went through two seven-on-seven periods and one with eleven-on-eleven.
For the former, the offense started the first few go-arounds from 15 yards out of the end zone and then moved up to the the 9-yard line. On the whole, the starters were competent:
Mariota and the ones were markedly more effective from inside of the 9 than they were starting out at the 15. Too often did they rely upon yards after catch, throwing short of the end zone, rather than finding an open receiver already poised to score points. It happened only once, but every time Mariota holds the ball in a seven-on-seven I cannot help but cringe.
It should be mentioned, though, that safety Kevin Byard was holding receiver Tajae Sharpe on the aforementioned play.
Full-team red zone work was overall more consistent and better today than we have seen to this point in the year. Mariota was effective both passing and running for scores, Corey Davis was active with diving touchdown catches, Taywan Taylor put a beautiful move on Malcolm Butler for another would-be six and the pace of the session was what one wants to see in the heat of July.
Overall, Saturday was a practice where we saw Marcus Mariota at his most comfortable: in the red zone.
Mariota has only thrown one red zone interception in four years as a pro and had eight passing touchdowns inside the 20-yard line in 2018 to maintain one of his most admirable traits. Titans fans should be comforted to know that they can rely on Mariota when their team gets in position to score.
Their trouble, though, has been overcoming the first 80 yards it takes to get there.
