QB Mariota hopes to be healthy for Sunday
Tennessee Titans starting quarterback Marcus Mariota was held out of Wednesday’s practice, but still hopes to make the start in Sunday’s win-and-in game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Mariota exited last Saturday’s pivotal win over the Washington Redskins with a neck stinger and did not return. Backup Blaine Gabbert rallied the Titans to a second-half win to help set up the winner-take-all scenario against the Colts this week.
Mariota, who received treatment for his injury Wednesday, is just hoping to be able to play and play effectively in a game where the winner of Sunday night’s game punches a ticket to the postseason, while the loser begins offseason plans.
“I just want to make sure we have the best option to win. I’m going to do everything in my power to be available, so that when it’s all said and done, if I’m able to be out there, I’m giving it my all. All I want is this team to win. However I can do that, however I can help, I’m going to find a way to do that,” Mariota said.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said he was hopeful that Mariota would be able to practice Thursday.
“We’re hopeful that he can practice tomorrow. We’ll see where he’s at and how he feels after a day of treatment and some rest. We’ll see where that goes and try to work him back in,” Vrabel said.
The Titans re-signed veteran backup Austin Davis earlier in the week as insurance at the quarterback position.
Mariota has been dealing with the nerve situation on and off on three different occasions this season, beginning with the season opener at Miami, and again in a November loss to the Colts.
He initially missed Week 2 against Houston following the initial injury in the season-opening loss to the Dolphins. He came off the bench at Jacksonville after Blaine Gabbert suffered a concussion in Week 3 and played for several games with a half glove after he lost feeling in his fingers following the initial injury.
While the Titans have said the stinger is not necessarily related to the other incidents, Mariota did not want to get into comparisons of how bad the injury is this time versus previous incidents.
“I don’t want to give any comparisons, really I’m just focused on trying to get healthy. I don’t want people to think one way or another. So, to be honest with you, I’m just focused on doing everything I can to help my team out,” he said.
SERIES HISTORY: 48th regular-season meeting, Colts lead series, 32-15. The Titans know all about having never beaten Andrew Luck. They lost 38-10 in a Nov. 18 meeting at Lucas Oil Stadium this year. Of course, before that, the Titans didn’t have much luck (pardon the pun) with Peyton Manning either, which is why there is such a discrepancy in the series in favor of the Colts.