Watch: Marcus Mariota Flattened by Patriots Rookie Byron Cowart on 1st Play of Game

Marcus Mariota is viewed as one of the most fragile quarterbacks in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans wanted to give the former Oregon signal-caller nice playing time, but he failed to meet their expectations. Mariota met with Patriots rookie Byron Cowart, and the Titans quarterback will never forget this early meeting. Getting sacked in the first pass play of the game is never a good idea.

It was a magnificent win for the Patriots, and Week 2 of the preseason in Nashville went really well for New England. The 22-17 win was really good, and the rookies won without their starters. Tom Brady didn’t play.

Henry McKenna had some nice words for Cowart and his sack.

“He had a monstrous bull rush in the first quarter against guard Rodger Saffold, a nine-year veteran with 114 games of experience. Cowart finished the game with two tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack.”

McKenna was amazed with other Patriots rookies.

“His debut last week was impressive,” he wrote of Jarrett Stidham. “This week, he started slow but finished strong. He was 14 of 19 for 193 yards and a touchdown. He also nearly threw three interceptions early in his start, with the Titans dropping three potential turnovers, two of which might have gone for a pick-six. But Stidham finished the game with a touchdown drive with four minutes left and put the team ahead. The touchdown pass was a beautiful back-shoulder throw for Damoun Patterson. Yes, it’s preseason. But Stidham’s poise was impressive.”

“During preseason, he has looked completely out of place among the backups,” McKenna wrote of Chase Winovich. “He was that much better than them. Last week, he had 1.5 sacks. This week, he had six tackles, one sack and three quarterback pressures. He came into the NFL with rave reviews over his high motor — he’s proving he’s not just a cliche of pre-draft buzzwords. He tracked down a Titans running back from behind after he’d made it 15 yards downfield.”

We are looking forward to the next game, and these rookies better play at this level. Tom Brady would like that.