Tennessee Titans: New Backfield Brings Back Old Memories?
By John Laird
The Tennessee Titans made a great move by trading a few spots in the fourth round to acquire former NFL rushing leader DeMarco Murray from Philadelphia. Paired with quarterback Marcus Mariota‘s, this new duo reminds me of an old one that took place in the same organization.
Before we go any further, understand that I’m not saying Marcus Mariota is the next Steve McNair, or that DeMarco Murray will have the career that Eddie George did.
Mariota and McNair are similar players. Both can run the ball but have different styles of running. Mariota will beat you with pure speed when McNair will lay a shoulder into you and earn extra yards. Both players could throw the ball from anywhere from behind the line of scrimmage.
McNair was one of the original mobile strong armed passers in professional football. He consistently made plays with his arm and legs even when nothing was available to him. If you go off of what you saw in Year 1 of Mariota, he flashed the same potential.
Granted, McNair ran more often then Mariota did. If you go by McNair’s 1997 season (the first real look we got at him) he averaged right under seven yards a carry. Marcus Mariota’s average is listed at 7.4 yards a rush so you can see some similarity there. Not to mention both players loved throwing to their big tight ends. McNair looked to his big tight end Frank Wycheck over the middle while Mariota targeted the tight end more then any passer in 2015.
If you look deeper into the stats however, the former Oregon Duck is on pace to better the Alcorn State product. Keep in mind today’s NFL is a pass happy league compared to when McNair was slinging the rock.
Mariota played in four games less in his rookie year compared to McNair’s ’97 season. With that being said, Mariota was able to throw for around 2,800 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. McNair was able to toss for 2,660 yards for 14 scores and 13 picks. That’s something pretty interesting to look at. Look for Mariota to be looked at the same way as to how McNair was during his time in Tennessee. It’ll be fun to see how Mariota progresses as his career moves forward.
Now on to the running backs. George and Murray are somewhat similar players. Both are downhill runners who work best between the tackles. George was a Pro Bowl performer and Murray is hoping to be in that same discussion along with former Titans running back Chris Johnson.
George was able to achieve 3.6 yards per carry average over the course of his year. His career high rushing yardage total in a season was 1,509 yards in 2000, that same year he put up 50 catches for 453 yards.
DeMarco Murray on the other hand has a career average of 4.6 yards per carry average. He rushed for 1,845 yards in 2014 in Dallas while also getting in the end zone 13 times. In that same season Murray caught 57 balls for 416 yards. Both players have the edge in different ways, statistically speaking.
Both players fight for those ugly yards and look to be compliments to their athletic quarterbacks.
How does George feel about the Titans trading for Murray? It’s safe to say he’s a fan of the move.
“€œI really like it,”™ said George to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnLine.com. “It’s a bold move, and I think the Titans are getting a player in DeMarco Murray who feels disrespected after leaving Philadelphia and he wants to prove his worth. He is coming back with a chip on his shoulder and the Titans desperately need a running game to help Marcus Mariota.
“€œThat move told me something. I really like it, to pick up a veteran running back who is undervalued, a guy who will be coming in with something to prove. I like the moves I’ve seen so far from the Titans,” added George.
These numbers should be getting Titans fans excited. The Steve McNair/Eddie George combination was the best to ever do it in two tone blue and when you compare Mariota/Murray’s numbers and you see that the current regime might have the edge, it has to get your blood pumping.
I’m excited as anyone to see just how Mike Mularkey and the Titans coaching staff will take advantage of their talented players.
Years from now when this is all said and done, nothing matters more then wins and losses. McNair and George may not have gotten that ring, but they were at least able to get to Super Bowl XXXIV before coming up a yard short to Kurt Warner‘s Rams.
More nfl spin zone: How DeMarco Murray will succeed in Tennessee
If Mariota and Murray are able to help turn this franchise around and lead them to the promise land, it will truly solidify their statuses as the best combination to do it in Tennessee.