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Factoid

Tennessee Titans

Marcus Mariota -- goal-line trends

Let me put together a Marcus Mariota “twin spin”. I am very impressed but what he’s done as a passer around the goal line. At the same time, I don’t like what I’ve seen of him running in that area.

Mariota is a superior athlete – one of the top few in the league at his position. But I don’t think he wants to run. I think he wants to learn to do it from the pocket. So I don’t think he’s going to be running for 4 TDs in a season anytime soon.

Thus far in the pros, he’s run the ball only 1 time inside the 5-yard line in each of his first two seasons. One run in 2015, and just one last year (a 5-yard touchdown, at least, at Miami).

Strange but true: over the last two years, Zach Mettenberger has been Tennessee’s top rushing quarterback inside the 5 (3 yards ahead of Mariota).

QB RUSHING INSIDE THE 5 (2015-16)
PlayerAttYdsAvgTD2Pt
Cam Newton, Car.20462.3131
Tyrod Taylor, Buff.11-1-.112
Jameis Winston, T.B.8202.550
Andy Dalton, Cin.791.360
Blake Bortles, Jac.76.941
Kirk Cousins, Wash.74.650
Joe Flacco, Balt.54.840
Tom Brady, N.E.54.830
Aaron Rodgers, G.B.40.001
Alex Smith, K.C.3103.330
Colin Kaepernick, S.F.382.711
Carson Wentz, Phil.372.321
Matthew Stafford, Det.362.020
Drew Brees, N.O.331.030
Russell Wilson, Sea.331.010
Brock Osweiler, Den.-Hou.32.720
Ryan Tannehill, Mia.31.320
Ryan Fitzpatrick, NYJ242.000
Teddy Bridgewater, Minn.231.511
Matt Ryan, Atl.221.001
Marcus Mariota, Tenn.221.010
Blaine Gabbert, S.F.221.020
Case Keenum, L.A.21.510
Scott Tolzien, Ind.21.500
Zach Mettenberger, Tenn.155.010
Jay Cutler, Chi.144.010
Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt.144.010
Cody Kessler, Clev.133.000
Philip Rivers, S.D.133.000
Bryce Petty, NYJ122.001
EJ Manuel, Buff.122.010
Jared Goff, L.A.122.010
Robert Griffin III, Clev.111.010
Nick Foles, St.L.111.010
Trevor Siemian, Den.10.000
Matt Schaub, Balt.10.000

At the same time, Mariota is way ahead of schedule as a passer. He’s not perfect, but he’s been really efficient at closing drives with touchdowns. The Titans had the league’s best red zone offense last year, scoring on 72 percent of their possessions. And Mariota has been really good at hitting on the big throws down close.

In his first two years, Mariota has dropped back to pass 54 times when inside the 10. On 29 of those, who was able to successfully get it into the end zone. That’s 54 percent – way better than any other quarterback. Most of the other guys that have been successful in this part of the field are really good quarterbacks. (Bortles as the exception, but Rodgers, Stafford, Roethlisberger, Luck, Carr and Brady are the others that have been successful on 40-42 percent of their throws.)

On the chart below, I’m leaving out sacks. (I thought it would get too cluttered with another column). But Mariota had 1 sack. The notable number there would be Tyrod Taylor, who’s been sacked 6 times.

These are the quarterbacks with at least 40 plays in that part of the field …

PASSING INSIDE 10 (2015-16)
CompCompAttIntTD+2ptPct
Marcus Mariota3553026+354%
Aaron Rodgers63107241+542%
Matthew Stafford5278133+142%
Ben Roethlisberger4583124+1142%
Blake Bortles4582332+240%
Andrew Luck4058022+340%
Derek Carr3674024+640%
Tom Brady4574330+140%
Philip Rivers3871227+239%
Jameis Winston3878026+438%
Eli Manning366842738%
Carson Palmer3985232+138%
Drew Brees599223537%
Cam Newton2854220+137%
Andy Dalton285832136%
Alex Smith2951214+435%
Matt Ryan5493232+235%
Sam Bradford315421934%
Joe Flacco3360216+534%
Ryan Fitzpatrick286121931%
Russell Wilson2258018+131%
Brock Osweiler224511430%
Tyrod Taylor2040113+130%
Ryan Tannehill3165218+230%
Kirk Cousins4185224+230%
Jay Cutler2146210+122%

—Ian Allan

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