NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota has ditched the glove on his throwing hand.
On his 25th birthday, he couldn't ditch center Ben Jones and the whipped cream.
"He might've been that guy," Mariota said with a smile. "He waited until I got to my locker, and right before I did media (after practice) he decided to throw whipped cream in my face. It kind of caught me by surprise."
Seeing Mariota without the glove on his right hand was a welcome sight for the Titans.
Mariota has worn the glove in games since suffering an elbow injury on the season opener on September 9, largely because it's helped him with his grip as he's dealt with numbness in his fingers.
But Mariota didn't have the glove on in Tuesday's open practice for the first time since the game vs. the Dolphins.
"It feels good," Mariota said. "It feels better."
As the Titans prepare for Monday's game against the Cowboys, Mariota is focused on helping the Titans get better.
What needs to improve most for the 3-4 heading into the second half of the season?
"Red zone efficiency," Mariota said. "If we get down there (we have to) be able to score touchdowns and not kick field goals. When you have an opportunity to get points, I think it is important that we take care of the football and make sure we score touchdowns.
"And I think on top of that it is being efficient on third down, especially in the red zone area. There's times we have a good drive going and we get stopped on third down in the red zone area and we are not able to convert and score touchdowns."
The Tennessee Titans take the field for practice on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018 at Saint Thomas Sports Park. (Photos: Gary Glenn)
