The Titans aren’t willing to say yet that Marcus Mariota will start on Monday. They’re calling him questionable on the league-mandated injury report.
Mariota did some work in practice all week – limited on Thursday, Friday and today. Most likely he’ll play. But the Titans aren’t making any promises (perhaps they want to keep Indianapolis guessing).
The practices alone don’t guarantee Mariota will be out there. Officially, he was limited in practice all of last week, but then didn’t play at Miami. If he plays, it will be a more limited role than usual – most likely with a lot less of the read-option stuff.
For fantasy purposes, if you’re stuck in a corner, I would go ahead and start Mariota. But in most leagues, there are quarterbacks sitting on the waiver wire that should be just as good in Week 6. Kevin Hogan and Josh McCown, for example, I believe will be a little better than Mariota, and if you go with those guys, you get out of worrying about Mariota’s hamstring (though they do come at the cost of taking up a roster spot).
There are no other surprises for either team.
Colts ruled out Andrew Luck long ago. They also won’t have starting guard Jack Mewhort (knee) – out not only for this game but for the bulk of the season (they placed him on IR).
Titans won’t have Corey Davis (hamstring) and it looks very unlikely he’ll be on the field again prior to their Week 8 bye. He didn’t practice all week. With him out of the mix, that works in favor of Rishard Matthews and Eric Decker seeing a few more balls. Taywan Taylor will be their third receiver; he looked good in the preseason but hasn’t done much in the real games.
Tennessee also won’t have safety Johnathan Cyprien. He also has a hamstring injury, and he also didn’t practice at all during the week.
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at TENNESSEE TITANS
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
OUT QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder), G Jack Mewhort (knee), LB Anthony Walker (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE LB Jon Bostic (calf)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: LB Anthony Walker (hamstring)
Friday: RB Frank Gore (not injury related), QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder), G Jack Mewhort (not injury related), LB Anthony Walker (hamstring)
Saturday: LB Jon Bostic (calf), G Jack Mewhort (knee), LB Anthony Walker (hamstring)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder)
Friday: WR Kamar Aiken (hip)
Saturday: QB Andrew Luck (right shoulder)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: QB Jacoby Brissett (left wrist), TE Jack Doyle (concussion, neck), CB Nate Hairston (quadricep), RB Matt Jones (knee), WR Chester Rogers (hamstring), CB Quincy Wilson (knee)
Friday: QB Jacoby Brissett (left wrist), TE Jack Doyle (concussion, neck), CB Nate Hairston (quadricep), RB Matt Jones (knee), WR Chester Rogers (hamstring), CB Quincy Wilson (knee)
Saturday: WR Kamar Aiken (hip), QB Jacoby Brissett (left wrist), TE Jack Doyle (concussion, neck), RB Frank Gore (not injury related), CB Nate Hairston (quadricep), RB Matt Jones (knee), WR Chester Rogers (hamstring), CB Quincy Wilson (knee)
TENNESSEE TITANS
OUT S Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring), WR Corey Davis (hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE LB Daren Bates (knee), QB Marcus Mariota (hamstring)
DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE
Thursday: S Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring), WR Corey Davis (hamstring)
Friday: S Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring), WR Corey Davis (hamstring)
Saturday: S Johnathan Cyprien (hamstring), WR Corey Davis (hamstring)
LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Thursday: T Taylor Lewan (knee), QB Marcus Mariota (hamstring)
Friday: LB Daren Bates (knee), QB Marcus Mariota (hamstring)
Saturday: LB Daren Bates (knee), QB Marcus Mariota (hamstring)
FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE
Friday: T Taylor Lewan (knee)
Saturday: T Taylor Lewan (knee)
—Ian Allan