Mariota throws 4 TD passes as Tennessee routs Packers 47-25

The Green Bay Packers have not fell under.500 since 2008, when Aaron Rodgers first was a starter for the team. We got to make sure we’re playing well every week.

The Green Bay Packers got embarrassed on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

If he wasn’t on it before, he is now; Mike McCarthy is sitting on a hot seat. If there is anything positive to say at all, the Packers are only two games out of first place in their division, which is now led by the 5-4 Detroit Lions. “That’s really where our focus is”, McCarthy said.

The Packers are 9-12 over the last 21 games.

“It’s hard emotionally”, center Corey Linsley said.

As play got underway on Sunday afternoon in Nashville, the Titans won the coin toss and opted to defer.

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers accounted for 398 yards of total offense and Green Bay still lost to the Titans Sunday 45-27.

Ah, the memories. But these Titans are starting to make their own memories.

Jordy Nelson had a tremendous statistical performance snagging 12 balls for 126 yards and a touchdown.

The Titans led only 7-0 when they lost left tackle Taylor Lewan.

The THIRD Titans’ touchdown came just prior to the end of the first quarter – with a pass from DeMarco Murray to Anthony Fasano. Down 17-0 at the half, this is the second time this season that KC has overcome a deficit of at least 17 points (they trailed San Diego by 21 in Week 1) to win a game, the seventh team in National Football League history to do so in their first nine games of a season.

Talking the talk: As the eldest player on the roster, outside linebacker Julius Peppers was asked a number of state-of-the-team questions during Monday’s open locker room: How can this team turn things around?

Something is amiss in Green Bay.

The next Titans touchdown came courtesy Titans’ wide receiver Rishard Matthews.

He finished with 123 yards and also threw a TD pass, becoming the first non-quarterback to do that for this franchise in the same game since Earl Campbell Sept. 7, 1980, for the then-Houston Oilers.

The first thing that should have tipped the Packers defence off that something was amiss was the handoff between quarterback Marcus Mariota and Murray.

But the Titans were able to maintain a double-figure lead over the last three quarters. We never knew if this was a running team, a passing team or what because of the lack of creativity offensively and the lack of execution.

Starks, a seven-year veteran, has just 42 yards on 24 carries in four games this season. The disintegration reached shocking proportions Sunday as the Titans scored touchdowns on their first four possessions and five of their first six. On the next play after Lewan’s ejection, Murray raced 75 yards for his score. The Packers also scuffled at the end of last season, only to revive themselves in a playoff victory over the Redskins.

A popular pick to return to the Super Bowl, the Packers remain in the playoff picture, just a game back of Detroit and Minnesota in the mediocre NFC North. If the Packers are going to let McCarthy go, they should have a new General Manager in place as well.

Also inarguable is the fact that the Packers are very badly hurt.

That penalty would be assessed on kickoff. Winston threw for TDs of 10 yards to Cameron Brate and 43 yards to Freddie Martino, the latter set up by a weird highlight-reel play.

Though McCarthy was trying to put a positive spin on the situation, players couldn’t downplay the turmoil that has arisen in Green Bay.

However, as would be the case for most of the day, the Green Bay offence proved ineffective on the drive and were forced to punt after going three-and-out.

Cardinals 23, 49ers 20: Chandler Catanzaro kicked a 34-yard field goal as time expired for Arizona.

The Dolphins (5-4) intercepted Rivers four times in a 13-minute span in the fourth quarter.

Just 22 games into his National Football League career, Mariota already has the Titans believing the playoffs are very achievable in 2016.