Marcus Mariota better in red zone than on rest of field

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans didn’t visit the red zone in their Week 11 game at Jacksonville.

That might account for part of why they lost a 19-13 games. Red zone defense is a Jacksonville weakness. The Jaguars allow touchdowns 67.5 percent of the time opponents cross the 20-yard line.

If the Titans can move into that territory Sunday in the rematch at Nissan Stadium, they should have a good chance at success.

Marcus Mariota has 13 touchdown passes and no interceptions in the red zone.

At 115.7, Marcus Mariota has the highest passer rating of any NFL quarterback down there, with 13 touchdowns, no interceptions and a 65.7 completion percentage.

“He’s just making good decisions down there,” interim Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "If you can make good decisions and you’re an accurate passer, then the scheme is going to allow you to get the ball out of your hands to some tight places, then you’re going to have some success. He’s doing that.”

Sunday in the Titans loss to Oakland, Mularkey said Mariota was smart to see when things weren’t there and to throw it away to get to the next play.

Often, young quarterbacks have to graduate to a place where their red-zone play matches what they do elsewhere on the field.

Mariota has turned that inside out, with red-zone numbers that are a great deal better than his stats on the rest of the field, where he has a 78.4 passer rating resulting from three TD passes, eight interceptions and a completion percentage of 62.5.

“You get down there, when the field gets tighter, sometimes the anxiety gets higher, and I’ve been some around quarterbacks like that,” Mularkey said. “Their percentages outside the red zone are much, much higher as far as completions. ... I think a lot of that is it’s more pressure that they are putting on themselves and the comfort zone is not as good as it can be.

“I don’t think there is a place on the field where Marcus is affected by where he’s at.”

The Titans top pass-catcher, tight end Delanie Walker, said credit for Mariota’s good numbers in the red zone extends beyond the QB.

“He makes smart decisions, I think that’s what helps him out, and probably the play-calling, they’re putting him in good situations,” Walker said. “He’s just a calm guy in general, it serves him well there. He doesn’t get too excited at all. He’s just calm and cool and collected.”