ATLANTA — Perhaps the best thing that could have happened to Marcus Mariota in his preseason debut was an interception and a fumble.
Maybe things had been just a little too easy so far in training camp for Mariota, the No. 2 pick in the draft and the Tennessee Titans’ starting quarterback, who was garnering plenty of praise after two weeks’ worth of practices in Nashville without an interception.
Perfection is just not a reality in the NFL, and certainly not for rookie quarterbacks. And Mariota quickly learned Friday night against the Atlanta Falcons that what happens in games — even exhibition ones — is far different than even the most intense of practices.