Mariota tops NFL’s quarterback ratings

The patch above the heart on Marcus Mariota’s Tennessee Titans practice jersey says, “Saint Thomas Health.”

The Titans’ home practice facility in Nashville is the Saint Thomas Sports Park, whose “rehabilitation treatment facility sets the model for all professional sports,” it is claimed.

These days, as he recovers from a seven-sack loss at Cleveland, the idea of having the nine-hospital group as a sponsor likely resonates with the Titans’ battered rookie quarterback.

“It’s a tough league,” Mariota told reporters after the 28-14 loss, and he has come to know it well just two games into his rookie season.

The Browns hit him 11 times Sunday, and over the course of the 1-1 start he’s been sacked nine times. To put the heat he’s faced in perspective, that’s one sack, on average, every 5.8 pass attempts this season.

Which is what makes his statistics to this point — 64 percent completion percentage, six touchdowns and no interceptions entering Sunday’s home game with Indianapolis — even more remarkable.

His quarterback rating — which takes into account attempts, completions, interceptions, etc. — is 129.9, highest in the NFL this season. Moreover it is the best over the first two games of a season in the Super Bowl era (1966-now).

His six touchdowns — without an interception — are the most in NFL history for a quarterback starting his first two career games.

All of which underlines the importance of both the Titans doing a better job of protecting their No. 1 draft pick and Mariota finding ways to get out of harm’s way by unloading faster.

“Seven sacks is sad and disturbing,” said Taylor Lewan, the Titans’ left tackle. “To have a guy like Marcus on your team, he is a guy you want to play for. He is a guy you want to block for. And, to see him on the ground and have to get him picked up so many times, it’s sad.”

In the NFL, weaknesses don’t remain hidden — or go unexploited — for long. And what Cleveland saw in Tennessee’s season-opening victory, including flaws across the offensive line and Mariota’s under-fire ball handling, were revealed.

Four of the sacks Sunday were charged to rookie right tackle Jeremiah Poutasi, and Lewan was whistled twice for holding. Right guard Chance Warmack suffered a knee injury and is likely out until mid-October.

While Mariota has yet to throw a regular-season interception, he has fumbled, something that occasionally plagued him at Oregon. Against Cleveland two of three fumbles were lost.

“I just have to do a better job of having two hands on the football, throwing the ball away and getting the ball out of my hand quickly so I don’t have to take unnecessary sacks,” Mariota said.

The seven sacks was the most — high school, or college — for Mariota. “I don’t remember being sacked very much,” Mariota said. “I had such a good offensive line at Saint Louis that it was, maybe, just one or two in a game.”

The Crusaders and the Ducks, realizing the asset they had at quarterback, found ways to protect him.

The Titans, who are contracted to invest almost $24 million in him over a four-year period, need to do the same before he becomes a client of their health provider.

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