ITPV » Tennessee offensive coordinator Terry

Robiskie might have been the happiest person at practice watching quarterback Marcus Mariota look like http://www.thelionsfootballauthentic.com/jahlani-tavai-jersey-authentic , well, Mariota.

The quarterback brushed aside a safety with a stiff-arm on his way to a big run.

When Mariota is running, the Titans are usually all smiles because their offense shows signs of life.

”That’s what we know he’s capable of doing, and when he’s capable of doing that, it helps our offense again I’ll tell you probably 80 percent,” Robiskie said Wednesday. ”I hate to say that, but if he can’t do that or he’s in position that he can’t do that or that don’t happen, we’re not the offense we’re trying to be.”

Mariota ran a career-high 10 times for a season-high 60 yards to help the Titans earn their first playoff berth since 2008. Better yet, teammates saw a swagger in Mariota as he got off the ground and stared down a defender to make them confident their quarterback is feeling good, possibly even as he did before a broken right leg ended his 2016 season a game early.

”That’s old Marcus, before the injury,” Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey. ”That’s him. This is the Marcus I been waiting to see — him using them legs and making things happen. We need to see that more out of him going forward.”

Titans coach Mike Mularkey loved Mariota’s body language, and now the Titans (9-7) need their quarterback who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy to keep running Saturday when they visit Kansas City (10-6) for an AFC wild-card game.

”We’re at that point right now when every man needs to do whatever he can, whatever it takes, to make this thing go,” Mularkey said. ”It was good to see what he did the other night. Obviously, it helped us win the football game. I think it helped him gain a little confidence too that he can do more.”

An NFL quarterback needing a confidence boost sounds unusual, but Mariota’s third season with the Titans has easily been his worst statistically with a career-low 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Mariota has a career-high five TDs rushing T.J. Hockenson Jersey , but the quarterback who missed six quarters in October with a strained left hamstring had his lowest average per carry yet at 5.2 yards per attempt.

The Titans dropped from third in the NFL in rushing last season to 15th this season.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid has seen enough of Mariota after the quarterback led a game-winning drive late last season to know they have to be careful when he starts running.

”You don’t ever get tricked by that kind of speed that he has,” Reid said. ”When he kicks that thing into overdrive, he can go, so you have to stay very disciplined with him. That will be one of the challenges for my defense.”

Mariota, who converted four first downs with his legs in the fourth quarter of last week’s 15-10 win over the Jaguars , said he just took advantage of how Jacksonville was playing the Titans. Mariota says running came partially from feeling better and simple necessity.

”At this point in time, every guy is probably not going to feel 100 percent,” Mariota said. ”It’s just that time of the year. With the magnitude of these games, you’ve got to win these games. You’re going to find a way to make a play and hopefully help your team win.”

Mariota has heard a lot from friends and fans on how he stiff-armed Jaguars safety Barry Church. So does he think he has his ”swagger” back just in time for his NFL playoff debut?

”It was just me being me,” Mariota said. ”Again, I’m going to do whatever it takes to win. This is the time in the season where you’ve just got to lay it all on the line.”

Notes: Derrick Henry said Wednesday he was not happy at all with his performance last week with 28 carries for 51 yards. He took a screen 66 yards for the Titans’ lone offensive touchdown. But Henry said he didn’t feel like a workhorse back and ”kind of felt soft.” Henry says he hasn’t stopped thinking about that game since the game ended and has been working hard to be better. … RB DeMarco Murray (right knee), CB Logan Ryan and S Da’Norris Searcy (illness) and CB Brice McCain (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday.

—

Aaron Boone bristles at the notion his New York Yankees are all or nothing, built entirely on home runs.

”I think it’s a silly argument,” the manager said. ”That does bother me, actually.”

Maybe, but it’s sure a quick way to light up the scoreboard.

Aaron Judge and Miguel Andujar hit two-run homers off James Paxton in the first inning that sent the Yankees over the Seattle Mariners 4-3 on Thursday for a three-game sweep.

Luis Severino and the Yankees boosted the best record in the majors to 50-22. They’ve won four in a row and 17 of 21.

”We’ve obviously played well, racked up a lot of wins,” Boone said. ”We’ve played well against some of the elite teams.”

Seattle http://www.thebroncosfootballauthentic.com/dre_mont-jones-jersey-authentic , which was 20 games over .500 coming into the Bronx this week, has lost a season-high four straight.

New York launched eight homers in the sweep and tops baseball with 122 long balls. Andujar sliced a drive the other way, and it barely settled into the short right-field porch.

”Both teams play in the same park. I thought it was a flyball because most places we play, it’s probably a flyball,” Paxton said. ”But it got out of here and that’s just the ballpark and you’re going to have that sometimes. You just have to deal with it and move on.”

Giancarlo Stanton homered in the first two games of the series and almost added another, but Mariners center fielder Mitch Haniger jumped to reach above the wall to rob him in the opening inning.

Severino (11-2) wasn’t at his best. He gave up Kyle Seager’s two-run homer in the second and permitted eight hits overall, matching a season most. He was pulled with two outs in the sixth after Ben Gamel’s RBI single cut Seattle’s deficit to one run.

”Today, I wasn’t the best,” Severino said.

Severino improved to 7-0 at home this season. David Robertson and Dellin Betances protected the lead, and Aroldis Chapman struck out Dee Gordon on three pitches with a runner on second for his 22nd save in 23 chances,

Paxton (6-2) vigorously pawed at the dirt in front of the rubber for a full 15 seconds before throwing his first warmup pitch. Coming off his shortest start of the year against Boston, he never got settled in his first career start facing the Yankees.

Clint Frazier led off with a single and Judge followed with his 19th homer. Gleyber Torres singled with two outs and Andujar’s fly became the rookie’s 10th home run.

Paxton drifted a few steps onto the grass as the ball flew and gazed toward center field when it left the park. Andujar was among several New York hitters who successfully went the opposite way against the big lefty.

”Just kind of had trouble getting it going today,” he said. ”I didn’t really have much going, early especially, and just had to battle. I didn’t have much. Made some better pitches late, but just really, not much command. Just a tough day.”

Paxton had been 5-0 in 10 starts since April, including a no-hitter at Toronto. He went five innings and threw 107 pitches http://www.cardinalscheapstore.com/byron-murphy-jersey-cheap , the same total as Severino.

WARMED UP

The first day of summer brought a sellout crowd that included a bunch of camp kids who cheered most every flyball. Also in attendance was an older Boy of Summer – 90-year-old Tommy Lasorda watched from a box, along with Kentucky coach John Calipari and Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.

NICE TO SEE YA

Seattle shortstop Andrew Romine started against his brother, Yankees catcher Austin, for the first time in the majors. They had a good laugh when the 32-year-old Andrew came up to lead off the second inning, and he playfully popped his 29-year-old sibling in the chest protector.

”That’s big bro,” Austin said. ”He got me pretty good.”

CLINT’S CLIMB

Frazier has scored a run in all seven games he’s played this season. He’s also gotten a hit in all when he’s batted. The 23-year-old was in the leadoff spot for the first time in his big league career and played center field. He’s batting .368 after getting two hits.

Frazier sustained a concussion in spring training and had been in the minors until recently. The red-haired sparkplug knows he could be headed back to Triple-A when a sore Brett Gardner heals.

”Thought about it every day,” Frazier said.

Is there a way he could stay on the roster?

”I think there’s an avenue for that,” Boone said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: OF Guillermo Heredia again was out of the starting lineup. He’s in an 0-for-15 skid, part of a rough June. He pinch ran in the eighth and was caught stealing at second.

Yankees: Put RHP A.J. Cole on the 10-day disabled list because of a left neck strain, a move was retroactive to Wednesday. RHP Luis Cessa was reinstated from the 10-day DL (oblique); he hasn’t pitched for the Yankees since April 17.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Wade LeBlanc (3-0, 2.63 ERA) starts at Fenway Park vs. Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright (2-1, 1.23). LeBlanc pitched into the eighth inning against Boston in his last outing, a 1-0 win.

Yankees: LHP CC Sabathia (4-2, 3.30) starts at Tampa Bay. He lost to the Rays in his last start, striking out 10 and giving up 10 hits in 7 2/3 innings.

—