Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel did not officially announce a starting quarterback for Sunday’s game on Monday.

Maybe he couldn’t bring himself to do that to either Marcus Mariota or Ryan Tannehill right away.

After replacing Mariota with Tannehill in the third quarter of a worse-than-it-looked 16-0 loss at Denver on Sunday, Vrabel said he did not know who would start against the Los Angeles Chargers and did not want to be guided by the emotion of the defeat in naming a starter for the game Sunday in Nashville, Tenn.

But multiple media sites began reporting late Tuesday that Tannehill, who started 88 games for Miami before an off-season trade brought him to Tennessee, will be announced as the starter today.

Perhaps Vrabel had already informed the players and just wanted to let Tannehill make sure he has his insurance paid up.

Because the way the Titans are going, being named their starting quarterback looks like less of an honor and more like a chore each week. Titanic is an apt description.

They are 2-4 and have lost four of their last five games. Progress this isn’t.

To be sure, the quarterback play hasn’t been stellar and has contributed to the current mess. But on the list of maladies it still rates better than the sieve-like offensive line, the disappearing receiver corps and curious offensive scheming and play calling.

Which may not be saying much.

Only the defense and running back Derrick Henry (except for some of the blocking) have held up their ends to date.

The Mariota we saw in the season-opening 43-13 win over Cleveland and, more recently, in the 24-10 victory over Atlanta, was nowhere to be seen Sunday at Mile High Stadium. Against the Broncos he was tentative, off target and jumpy. All in all a regression from his best year, 2016, or even his rookie year, 2015.

Of course, if you have been sacked 25 times in six games (and 156 in 64 career appearances), you might be a little skittish, too. It was noteworthy that when Tannehill got in, he was sacked four times and couldn’t find the end zone, either. But he did move the ball better and looked more composed.

Entering the Broncos game Mariota had been the only starting quarterback in the NFL without a turnover — interception or fumble — through the first five games. But his touch on passes was way off and his franchise record of 205 consecutive passes without an interception ended rudely with two on Sunday.

Mariota is the last guy who would throw somebody else under the bus and has taken the blame at every turn, whether it has been completely his or not. The guy would apologize for global warming, if you let him.

You look at the parade of coaches — three head coaches, four offensive coordinators, etc. — and offensive game plans that don’t always make the best use of his abilities he had to deal with and you might just wake up screaming.

But within Mariota, for all his quietness and humility, boils a fierce competitiveness. The last thing you expect him to do is throw in the towel, point fingers or go sulk on the bench.

What he needs is a new environment that gives him the opportunity and coaching to put his game back together. Someone wise in the ways of the NFL suggested Mariota’s next landing spot needs to be with a quarterback whisperer.

Until then, whether his next opportunity to start comes this week or December, expect Mariota to summon his all in a bid to right the Titanic.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.