MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- It was painful to watch the Tennessee Titans try to muster an offense without Marcus Mariota. This team wasn't built for it, and Sunday's 16-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins proved its season will go downhill fast if the quarterback can't get healthy quickly and stay that way.
The Dolphins played poorly, but the Titans did even less offensively. They wasted a strong defensive and special-teams day because there were no answers to spark their offense outside of a 69-yard touchdown drive to start the second half.
The Titans' Matt Cassel looked hesitant, weak-armed and unable to intimidate a Dolphins defense that appeared to salivate every time he dropped back to pass. The Dolphins' first-quarter, strip-sack touchdown, which could just as easily have been ruled an incomplete pass, was a perfect example of a quarterback holding the ball too long in the pocket. It was the difference in an ugly, low-scoring game.
Mariota has the ability to scramble for several yards on that play, or at least use his mobility to get out of the pocket and make a throw downfield or out of bounds.
The Titans' 188 total offensive yards were their lowest output since their 2013 season finale. They averaged 3.2 yards per play and went 2-of-13 on third downs. They wasted a great performance by the defense, which allowed just 178 total yards.
"Might be one of the worst third-down games I can remember. Obviously, we couldn't get in a rhythm," Titans coach Mike Mularkey said. "I thought we were going to be able to turn that game around but just could not be consistent with our play offensively."
Cassel finished 21-of-32 for 141 yards and the second-half touchdown. It was a mix of checkdowns and intermediate throws. He also was the primary reason for the Titans' six sacks, frequently holding the ball too long.
Penalties made Cassel's job even harder. Left tackle Taylor Lewan's knee injury forced reserve Dennis Kelly into action, making the offensive line look ordinary, but Cassel's limitations had the biggest impact on Tennessee's offense.
DeMarco Murray had a rough start before finishing the day OK (14 carries, 58 yards, a lost fumble) while facing seven- and eight-man boxes, but the Dolphins weren't going to let the Titans' run game beat them. The Indianapolis Colts will have the same game plan next Monday night.
"We gotta run the ball better," Murray said. "Early on, trying to do too much, trying to make plays, me individually, I need to get downhill and take what's there."
There's not much reason for offensive optimism as long as Cassel is under center. It brings up the puzzling question of why the Titans didn't do more to upgrade their backup quarterback position this offseason. Cassel, 35, is a smart veteran who can provide guidance, but he's not a quarterback who should see meaningful playing time. Colin Kaepernick, a quarterback with a similar skill set as Mariota, would have seemed like a reasonable option, but the Titans were not interested when they worked out four quarterbacks this week and signed veteran Brandon Weeden.
So it appears they'll stick with what they've got until Mariota returns: Cassel and, if needed, Weeden.
The showdown against the Colts becomes a battle of two teams with injured franchise quarterbacks trying to find a way. Mariota appears a little closer to a return, and it's more important for Tennessee to get him back. A loss would send Tennessee to 2-4 and into the AFC South cellar.
Mariota threw stationary passes of about 15 to 20 yards in practice this past week, but he will need to show more mobility to play next Monday. It's too early to figure out if he'll be able to go, but this loss certainly increased the Titans' urgency.