Tannehill: First Titans Start 'A Ton of Fun'

Quarterback led the offense to a season-highs in several key statistics

The numbers say it was one of the best days of Ryan Tannehill’s career, and the Tennessee Titans quarterback was inclined to agree.

“Guys did a good job executing,” he said. “You see receivers getting open, the O-line blocking, and when that’s happening, playing quarterback is a lot of fun, man. You get to sit back, and deliver the football, and let your guys make plays. So, I had a ton of fun (Sunday).”

In his first start for the Titans, Tannehill completed 23 of 29 passes or 312 yards with two touchdowns and one interception in a 23-20 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers at Nissan Stadium. It was the first time in more than three years he threw for 300 or more yards in a game, his highest completion percentage (79.3) for a contest in which he threw at least 20 passes, and his first win as a starter since last December.

The eighth-year veteran led the offense to season-high 403 total yards, 22 first downs and six third-down conversions (on 11 attempts). And he did it all without the team’s leading receiver, tight end Delanie Walker, who missed most of the contest with an injury and behind an offensive line that lost two of its starters along the way.

“He did a great job,” wide receiver Corey Davis said. “He was poised. I felt like that gave the guys a lot of confidence having him come in there, especially after not playing all year. He did a great job, (had) a great operation delivering the ball on time. So I am proud of him.”

The Titans acquired Tannehill in a trade with Miami during the offseason with the idea that he would be Marcus Mariota’s backup. He replaced Mariota late in the third quarter of last week’s loss at Denver and then was named the starter for the game against the Chargers, a team with significant injury issues in the secondary.

In the first five weeks, opponents completed 73.5 percent of their passes against L.A.’s defense. He did even better as he spread the ball around to nine different receivers. Davis had his best game of the year (six receptions, 91 yards, one TD). So did tight end Jonnu Smith (three receptions, 64 yards). Rookie A.J. Brown set a career-high with six catches (64 yards) and tight end Anthony Firkser had the secnd-longest reception of his career (28 yards).

About the only hiccup in the transition from Mariota to Tannehill was in the huddle.

“Sometimes we’ve got to tell Tannehill to slow down with the plays,” Brown said. “… He just said the plays really, really fast, and we’re like, ‘Huh?’ But he led us. He was being a generator in the huddle. He had a lot of confidence, and we survived.”

It was the 89 start of Tannehill’s career, his first for a team other than the Dolphins, and – based on how it went – it won’t be the last time his teammates have to decipher his play calls.

“It felt good,” Tannehill said. “Obviously, did some good things, you know. We moved the ball, put some points on the board. … Guys played extremely hard from the beginning of the game. I had time in the pocket, had the run game going good. So, I’m really proud of how the guys played.”