Is it time for Tennessee Titans fans to panic after Saturday’s offensive outing?

Saturday’s game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers left nothing to desire about the offense. That must mean it is time to panic, right?

It was week three of the preseason for the Tennessee Titans. Not only does that mean there are two more weeks until the regular season, but it also means it is the most important game of the preseason. Most NFL analysts call it the “Dress Rehearsal” game.

It is the game where starters play for at least half the game – compared to only one or two drives in weeks one and two. Coaches want to evaluate their players to see what needs to be fixed. Week three sort of gives you an early look at where your team could possibly stand against another NFL team’s starters in a real game setting.

Going into this game, Titans fans and coaches alike had one question: Will Marcus Mariota and Corey Davis finally connect and allow the offense to flourish?

The question was (sort of) answered on Saturday afternoon when the Tennessee Titans took on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game left more concern than hope for Titans fans, as the offense struggled to get anything going against a Steelers team that was nowhere near full capacity.

Throughout the offseason, Mariota and Davis seemed to be working together to build chemistry. Titans fans felt good and confident about the upcoming season, and it made them think about a possible Mariota and Davis deadly duo taking over the NFL.

Unfortunately, Saturday night’s performance was poor enough to suck all the hope out of Titans fans. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur tried to establish the connection, but Mariota missed Davis many times on what should have been easy connections.

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel kept Mariota and the first team offense in, because as the video above should indicate, things weren’t looking well. Instead of seeing his quarterback bounce back for a nice touchdown drive, Mariota evaded pressure only to force a pass and throw an interception.

That’s where Mariota’s day, and preseason, likely ended. His statline read: 5/8 for 43 yards and an interception. He was sacked twice.

So here we are, two weeks left until the regular season. Rishard Matthews finally was taken off the physically unable to perform list on Sunday. Delanie Walker missed the majority of the preseason as well. Mariota and Corey Davis still seem to have no chemistry.

Is it time to panic? No. Here’s why: It’s preseason. Mariota had pretty good first drives versus the Packers and Buccaneers. He looked good and the offense flourished. All was well. Saturday night seemed like a bit of an off night. Which is to be expected occasionally.

Oh, and shall I mention again, it’s preseason. The Tennessee Titans are not game-planning. LaFleur and Vrabel are simply calling plays based off what they want to see, hence why they were calling plays designed to get the ball to Davis.

When they start game planning, it will allow Mariota to settle in and do what he does best and that is managing the game. So, don’t panic too much about the 0-3 start to the preseason, and the lousy performance on Saturday.

What there should be concern about though is the lack of chemistry between Mariota and Davis. In the 2017 season, Mariota tried to get the ball to him, but it too often seemed to sail over his head or fall short. The preseason has been no different so far.

The injuries should cause concern as well. The Titans had a total of 12 players out with an injury versus the Steelers. Six of which are starters, like Brian Orakpo, Rishard Matthews, Delanie Walker, Rashaan Evans, and Derrick Morgan. Also, Harold Landry left Saturday’s game with an ankle injury.

It is likely that Vrabel will not play any starters on Thursday so they can heal up, meaning guys like Matthews and Evans could return week one of the regular season without having played a down. That could result in a slow start to the season which could affect the team.

Let’s hope those guys heal up, and let’s hope the preseason is just a lie and Mariota and Davis truly start connecting when things start to matter. But, Saturday is no indication of what this offense will be like for most of the season. It is only a sign that there is still some work to do between Mariota and Davis.