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          NFL Nation

          Marcus Mariota gets Titans offense rolling early with 3 TDs in 24-10 win

          • Turron Davenport, ESPNSep 29, 2019, 08:50 PM
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              Turron Davenport covers the Tennessee Titans for ESPN. Turron is a former collegiate football player at Cheyney University and is a native of Philadelphia, and he has authored/co-authored four books. You can catch Turron on ESPN Radio on his show "Talking with TD" and you can follow him on Twitter: @TDavenport_NFL.
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          ATLANTA -- The Tennessee Titans' offense got rolling early and scored two first-quarter touchdowns to fuel a 24-10 win over the Falcons on Sunday. QB Marcus Mariota found a groove -- connecting with rookie WR AJ Brown on the two early scores -- and stayed on schedule with his throws despite facing plenty of pressure in the pocket.

          QB breakdown: Mariota was on point and more decisive as a passer. He ended the day having completed 18 of 27 passes for 227 yards, three touchdowns and a 129.7 QB rating. Mariota delivered a perfectly placed ball on the first touchdown to Brown, which went for 55 yards. The second score was a drop-in-the-bucket throw to Brown in the corner of the end zone.

          Mariota stared down the pass rush, avoiding sacks (no sacks on Sunday after getting sacked nine times in the last game against the Jaguars) to distribute the ball to multiple receivers. One of Mariota's best throws came on a timing pass that was released well before WR Corey Davis made his break and led to a 23-yard score.

          Buying a breakout performance: Corey Davis finished with five receptions for 91 yards and a touchdown. That came on six targets. The only incompletion was a dropped pass in the first quarter. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith dialed up a few plays to get Davis early touches, including a call for him on the first offensive play. That's a good sign and shows the Titans know Davis has to get involved in the passing game. He was targeted more than any other pass-catcher.

          Promising trend: Smith drew up a lot of quick passing plays to get the ball out of Mariota's hands and trust the receivers to do the bulk of the work. The quick passes and play-action throws helped keep Mariota from being sacked despite Atlanta getting consistent pressure on the quarterback. Smith found a way to get both Davis and Brown involved to build an early lead.

          The Titans protected their lead with a series of runs by Derrick Henry to put the game away in the fourth quarter. Paired with a strong defensive outing, the Titans regained their winning formula.

          Pivotal play: Brown got the scoring started for the Titans' offense when he caught a 12-yard pass across the middle from Mariota and outraced the defense for a 55-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.