NASHVILLE — Marcus Mariota got his chance to show he could start a game in style, and now the warmup act is over for the rookie quarterback.
Mariota threw a 59-yard touchdown pass to Harry Douglas to cap his only series, and the Tennessee Titans wrapped up the preseason by beating the Minnesota Vikings 24-17 on Thursday night.
The No. 2 overall pick out of Oregon played only four snaps for the Titans (2-2). He proved very efficient as he was 2 of 3 for 74 yards, and he concluded the preseason 21 of 30 for 326 yards with one interception and a 102.9 passer rating.
"It’s really exciting to be part of this offence," Mariota said. "Guys are continuing to get better, and I feel that we built a solid foundation throughout the preseason. Now it’s time to go."
Mariota’s next game will be the Titans’ season opener: Sept. 13 at Tampa Bay and the quarterback selected first overall, Jameis Winston.
Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said they accomplished what they wanted. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter with a TD pass by Zach Mettenberger set up by a fumble forced by Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson.
"We got our guys in there, we eliminated that bad taste in our mouth from last week, and we did some things we really like doing," Whisenhunt said. "It was a good start for us."
The Vikings (4-1) lost for the first time in nine preseason games under coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota went with No. 3 quarterback Taylor Heinicke, giving both Teddy Bridgewater and Shaun Hill the night off along with most of their starters. Running back Adrian Peterson dressed and warmed up but finished the preseason without taking a snap.
Heinicke, a rookie, threw for 279 yards and his first two TD passes. His first came courtesy of Dominique Williams making a nice one-handed grab in the third quarter.
HIGHLIGHT PLAY: Ryan Succop chased down a bad snap on an extra point attempt in the fourth quarter, and the Titans kicker heaved a pass downfield to defensive lineman Angelo Blackson who made a nice over the shoulder catch for the 2-point conversion. But, long snapper Beau Brinkley was flagged for being an ineligible receiver downfield erasing the points and the play. Succop connected on the extra point with the second chance for a 24-10 lead. Blackson compensated by sacking Heinicke and allowing the Titans to run out the clock.
OFFICIAL SCRATCHES: The teams scatched only nine players before kickoff. The Vikings scratched starting centre John Sullivan, while the Titans scratched six, including three starters. Cornerback Jason McCourty is recovering from groin surgery performed Aug. 24 and with DaQuan Jones (knee) and nose tackle Sammie Hill (right knee) were also out. Rookie running back David Cobb missed his second preseason game due to a strained calf.
REMEMBERING C.O.: Scout C.O. Brocato, who spent 40 years with the Oilers-Titans franchise starting in 1974, was remembered with a pregame video and a moment of silence. Brocato died of cancer Tuesday in Texas at the age of 85.
CALEDONIA IN THE HOUSE: The Minnesota town with a population of 2,000 had not one but two players in this game. Vikings wide receiver Isaac Fruechte, a possible practice squad candidate, and Titans defensive tackle Karl Klug both played for Fruechte’s father in high school. The Titans like Klug so much they signed him to a two-year deal this off-season, and he was a captain for the game.
