The Tennessee Titans (2-2) came into Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday desperately looking to even out their record against the Atlanta Falcons (1-3) on Sunday.
They were able to accomplish that goal in a game in which they looked much-improved on both sides of the ball. Perhaps the most important aspect to look at is the rhythm on offense the Titans established, and Marcus Mariota’s sharp quarterback play.
Here’s a look at eight players who particularly stood out on the 24-10 road win.
1. WR A.J. Brown.
We knew Brown could be a huge factor on offense if the Titans got him more involved, and he showed that on Sunday.
He not only recorded his first NFL touchdown, but accounted for two of the Titans’ three scores. Brown finished the afternoon with three receptions for 94 yards with two touchdowns.
2. WR Corey Davis.
Davis has been one of Marcus Mariota’s favorite targets, and he certainly made an impact this week.
Aside from a bad drop, Davis was golden. He totaled five receptions for 91 yards and one touchdown, finishing right behind Brown as one of the Titans’ top offensive players of the day.
3. LB Rashaan Evans.
Hardly anyone shined as much of the defensive side of the ball as Evans did on Sunday.
He finished with more tackles than any other Titans players (10) and half a sack. Matt Ryan couldn’t get comfortable practically all game, and Evans was a chief reason why.
4. DE Jurrell Casey.
The veteran Pro Bowler forced and recovered a fumble on Sunday to give the Titans further momentum in a game they stayed strong in all day. He totaled four tackles and one sack by the end of the game.
5. QB Marcus Mariota.
These are the kind of performances we consistently need to see from Mariota. He looked like the quarterback the Titans originally drafted on Sunday, coming off of a string of two poor performances.
He was 18-of-27 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns.
It’s clear Mariota still has the ability to be successful at the helm, but the question remains as to whether or not he can deliver like this every week.
6. LB Harold Landry.
Landry had a bigger role to step into in 2019, and he’s done a good job of it so far. Landry registered four tackles and two sacks, more than any other defensive player in the matchup and was a crucial part of maintaining the pressure on Ryan.
7. Offensive line.
This unit has struggled a lot over the years, and came into this game allowing an NFL-high of 17 sacks. With the addition of rookie Nate Davis in the lineup, the Titans didn’t allow a single sack on Mariota on Sunday.
The Titans will need to see more of this in the future to continue opening up the offense.
8. P Brett Kern.
When is Kern not reliable? The punter is a consistently steady force for the Titans, and almost never fails to do the team a huge favor in field position.
Sunday was no different, as Kern looked good even under duress, pinning all five of his punts inside the 20.
