JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Marcus Mariota came off the bench and directed three scoring drives, including one in the fourth quarter, and Tennessee beat Jacksonville 9-6 Sunday for their third straight victory in the series.
Mariota replaced Blaine Gabbert in the first quarter after Gabbert was knocked out of the game with a concussion. Mariota sat out last week’s victory against Houston because of an elbow injury sustained in the season opener.
Mariota had been experiencing arm weakness along with numbness and tingling in two fingers. The injury affects the velocity and spin he gets on the football. Mariota wore a glove on his injured right hand and was able to do just enough to beat the Jaguars (2-1) for the third straight time and fifth time in the past six meetings.
Mariota completed 12 of 18 passes for 100 yards and ran for 51 more, including a 15-yard gain on a third-and-1 play late. The Titans (2-1) milked the clock from there and ended up celebrating an early lead in the AFC South.
The Titans talked openly about feeling as if they should have been division champs after sweeping Jacksonville last year. The Jags won the division and ended up advancing to the AFC title game.
Jacksonville welcomed a chance to make a statement about the division, but flopped on the field. Bortles was mediocre at best, and the Jaguars mounted little on the ground. Bortles completed 21 of 34 passes for 155 yards.
Titans punt returner Adoree Jackson joined Gabbert in the locker room in the second quarter and was later ruled out with a concussion. Titans LB Jayon Brown got hurt late in the game but jogged off the field.
The Titans return home September 30 to take on defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.
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