The Zach Mettenberger revival tour didn't last long in Tennessee.
Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt told the media Monday that he expects Marcus Mariota to return to practice on Wednesday. The rookie has been dealing with a knee injury since Week 6 and sat out Tennessee's last two games, both of which, not coincidentally, were losses.
Under Mettenberger, the Titans' offense slowed to a halt against average defenses in Atlanta and Houston, averaging 233.5 total yards and scoring just 13 points total. Mettenberger, one of Tennessee's three starters in 2014, threw three interceptions in his two games and obviously did not impress his coach.
Whisenhunt added Mariota "brings a different element" to the position and that, upon his return, he'll provide a spark to the Titans' offense.
Sitting at 1-6, Tennessee's season is all but lost. If they didn't play in an all-time terrible division -- the Titans are just two games back of the Colts and Texans in the AFC South, as of Monday afternoon -- it'd be fair to write them off already. But the promise of Mariota and the ongoing development of an offensive identity means there is something to look forward to in the second half of 2015.
