With The First Pick
Fansided

Marcus Mariota left to suffer for Ken Whisenhunt’s firing

By Carl Cockerham

facebooktwitterreddit

Sep 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) and head coach Ken Whisenhunt talk on the sidelines during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

In a stunning and largely unexpected move Tuesday morning, the Tennessee Titans fired head coach Ken Whisenhunt. Whisenhunt was the quarterback whisperer rookie Marcus Mariota needed but after just 23 games, he’s done. It’s hard to see any coach succeeding in Tennessee in the amount of time Whisenhunt had, especially with the roster the way it was in year one.

Titans owner Amy Adams Strunk told the NFL media, “After thoughtful consideration, the decision has been made to relieve Ken Whisenhunt of his head coaching duties. We have expected more progress on the field, and I felt it was time to move in a different direction. I would like to thank Ken for his efforts with our team, as he worked very hard to try to move us forward.”

Mike Mularkey is now the interim head coach as No. 2 overall pick Marcus Mariota will suffer the most. Whisenhunt will never be mistaken for Bill Walsh but doing that to rookie quarterback isn’t wise. He still has a lot to learn about being an NFL quarterback as Whisenhunt was trying to ease him in with some Spread Offense concepts.

Mariota’s first five games are a microcosm of the career of Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III. He started off like a scorched legend with eight touchdowns and two interception in his first three games. Then in his last two games, he threw for one touchdown and three interception before going out with his injury.

Now, Mariota is facing a head coach with a completely different philosophy on offensive football. Next year, he may have another head coach, meaning he’ll have to learn a new offense altogether. And this is a quarterback that didn’t even call plays in the huddle in high school or college.

I hope he makes it through with his confidence intact.

Home/Tennessee Titans