NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Titans great Eddie George addressed the team before practice last Thursday, urging the players to take the home opener against Indianapolis personally. If quarterback Marcus Mariota took former running back's words to heart, he's surely feeling sick after Tennessee's disappointing loss.

Mariota finished the day having completed 19 of his 28 pass attempts for 154 yards and a touchdown. But there were a lot of plays left on the field for him and the Titans offense. No one questions Mariota's talent and potential, but issues that typically plague first- or second-year quarterbacks continue to surface even in Mariota's fifth season.

The very first offensive play of the game is a perfect example: Mariota had Delanie Walker wide open with plenty of space to run, but the pass was behind the tight end and fell incomplete. (Animation provided by NFL Next Gen Stats.)

Instead of starting the game with a big play, the opening series resulted in a three-and-out.

Mariota missed another opportunity later when he didn't connect with a wide-open Corey Davis on an out-breaking route that would have been at least a 12-yard gain. Instead, Tennessee was forced to punt, failing to take advantage of a Logan Ryan interception that gave the Titans the ball at their own 40-yard line.

Sacks are another issue. The Titans gave up four on Sunday, but some of those are on Mariota for not getting rid of the ball fast enough. Walker had a chance at making a big play when he was wide open on a crossing route, but Mariota failed to pull the trigger even though the tight end came open right in front of him. The play ended in a 7-yard loss when Mariota was sacked.

Make way for Denico Autry. #INDvsTEN pic.twitter.com/r5TCgzhlWL

— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) September 15, 2019

"Maybe instead of taking some of these sacks, just dumping it off so we can go and get some positive yards. Those are things that I've got to do better and help our offense out," Mariota said during his postgame news conference.

"We discussed being able to scramble when you have to scramble," coach Mike Vrabel said, "and know when you have to get out there, check the ball down when you have to, or throw it away when you have to."

Mariota could have checked down to running back Dion Lewis for a minimal gain on a third-down play in the third quarter, but instead he took a sack that resulted in a 7-yard loss. That led to a longer field goal attempt for Cairo Santos (from 45 yards), who missed the kick.

"In that situation, obviously getting the ball out [and] not taking a sack would've been better," Mariota said of the play.

Mariota's lone touchdown pass came on a tackle-eligible play in which he found offensive lineman David Quessenberry for a 1-yard touchdown. Quessenberry was able to haul in the pass even though it was slightly behind him.

Mariota's accuracy, field vision and pocket awareness have to get better.

To his credit, Mariota does make some outstanding plays to offset the bad ones. He has shown an ability to extend plays and still deliver strikes to receivers down the field. For example, he rolled to his left on a play against the Colts and delivered a bullet to A.J. Brown for an 11-yard gain on an out-breaking route. Mariota's play-action pass to Davis in the first quarter was also on the money, allowing him to gain yards after the catch.

Winning and losing is a total team effort. It's wrong to say the Titans lost on Sunday because of Mariota, but it's fair to say they could have won if he had played better. Mariota has to make progress if the Titans want to make a run and find themselves playing after December.

CHICAGO -- With their season on the line, the Chicago Cubs were forced to scratch veteran left-hander Cole Hamels from his scheduled start Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, choosing to pitch Alec Mills in his place.

Hamels, 35, has left shoulder soreness that is expected to sideline him for one outing.

"Anytime a guy like that says it's bothering him a bit, you have to really believe it," manager Joe Maddon said. "Especially at this time of year, how much he loves to compete and play right now."

Hamels has struggled over the past couple of months, compiling a 7.36 ERA in his eight most recent starts.

Mills, 27, will make his third start of the season after spending most of the year at Triple-A Iowa. He gave up five runs in 10⅓ innings in his first two starts.

Meanwhile, Anthony Rizzo, who wasn't in the original lineup Thursday night, is playing. He'll lead off and play first base. He has been out since Sunday with an injured ankle.

The Cubs also activated closer Craig Kimbrel from the injured list; he's been out with elbow soreness. He is available for Thursday's opener of a four-game series against St. Louis. The team could also benefit from the return of Javy Baez -- at least as a pinch runner. Baez has been out with a thumb injury but was cleared to resume light baseball activities. Maddon is expected to use him only on the basepaths, if he's needed.

"He'll wear one of those oven mitts," Maddon said.

The Cubs entered Thursday three games behind the first-place Cardinals in the National League Central, and the teams play seven of their final 10 games against each other.

SOUTHLAKE, Texas – A strong field is set for the Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n Vintage Race of Champions Charity Pro-Am presented by Chopard Watch this Saturday at Virginia Int’l Raceway.

Indianapolis 500 veteran Donnie Beechler and sports car aces Chris Dyson and Mike Skeen have confirmed their entries, bringing the field to 14 professionals and amateurs.

“The VROC Charity Pro-Am Presented by Chopard Watch will be a great race,” said SVRA CEO Tony Parella. “This field of legendary drivers is reminiscent of the original IROC series. Many competed in IROC, including Al Unser Jr. and Bobby Labonte, and both of them became champions of that iconic series. We will crown four new champions this Saturday.”

The VROC Charity Pro-Am at VIR is the final event and has attracted 14 racers with four in AP, and 10 for BP.  Race winners are awarded the same number of points as there are entries in their class. The winner will score four points in AP, and 10 in BP. Other finishers will score one less point for each descending position in the running order.

Willy T. Ribbs, who leads the AP title chase, can ensure he is the professional champion with a runner-up finish. His co-driver, Ed Sevadjian, can nail down the amateur crown with a third-place finish. In BP, Jim Caudle is the clear favorite to take top honors, requiring a third-place to close the deal. As for the professionals, Davy Jones leads by three markers and the third step on the podium will also ensure him the title. In the unlikely event of a tie, the competitor with the most race wins will be awarded the championship trophy.

Chopard, the Swiss artisan of luxury timepieces, and the official watch of SVRA, will present an SVRA-branded watch to the champions of AP and BP, both professional and amateur, at VIR.

Dyson will pull double-duty at VIR. He currently races in the top TA class in the Trans Am Series Presented by Pirelli which shares the track with SVRA this weekend. He was TA Rookie of the Year last season, winning at Road Atlanta and posting four podium finishes on the way to third in the championship. He’ll be back at in TA this weekend.

Dyson began his motorsport career as a teenager, racing karts on dirt ovals and from there to SCCA club racing with a Spec Racer Ford before launching his professional career in 2001 in Grand-Am. He claimed five overall wins in the Rolex Series in 2002, finishing runner-up in the championship. Competing in the American Le Mans Series from 2002 through 2011, Dyson won the LMP 675 title in 2003 and the LMP1 championship in 2011.  His racing CV includes three 24 Hours of Le Mans starts. Alongside his Trans-Am road racing program Dyson also competes in USAC, racing in Silver Crown, sprint cars and midgets on dirt and pavement.

Beechler is a four-time starter in the Indianapolis 500 and drove for the great A.J. Foyt in his final appearance in the race. He had 36 career starts in Indy car races, finishing on the podium twice. Beechler is a long-time midget and sprint car driver competing in the USAC Silver Crown series and at prestigious events such as the Chili Bowl midget car classic. Beechler was inducted into the Springfield, Illinois Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Skeen began racing in karts and later stepped up to win the 2008 NASA SpecE30 national championship. By 2011 he was driving full-time in Pirelli World Challenge GT and continued there through 2015. During that time, he scored several race wins and frequently appeared on the podium. In 2014 he finished second in the championship, scoring three wins and five pole positions.

In 2017 Skeen competed in the Blancpain Endurance Series as well as continuing part-time with PWC. He has been racing in IMSA GTD since 2016. A versatile driver, Skeen has competed in NASCAR, FIA World Endurance, and the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar series. He also achieved class wins in the 2012 SCORE Baja 1000 and the 2014 Pikes Peak Hill Climb where he was awarded Rookie of the Year.

DALLAS, Texas – AIM Vasser Sullivan has announced the addition of driver Parker Chase for the Motul Petit Le Mans on Oct. 9-12 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

“AIM Vasser Sullivan is pleased to announce that Parker (Chase) will be driving for our team during the Petit Le Mans race,” said AIM Vasser Sullivan co-owner Jimmy Vasser. “Parker is a young, up and coming driver, and we look forward to helping him develop his career.”

AIM Vasser Sullivan campaigns two identically prepared Lexus RC F GT3s in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Chase joins Jack Hawksworth and Richard Heistand behind the wheel of the No. 14 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus. Last weekend, Hawksworth and Heistand, concluded the inaugural IMSA GTD Sprint Cup Manufacturer and Team Championship with a second-place finish.

Chase joins AIM Vasser Sullivan after most recently competing for Starworks Motorsports. As a result of Chase’s departure and the departure of a sponsor, Starworks has withdrawn from the Motul Petit Le Mans.

“Without a doubt, this has been a challenging season, and sometimes it’s better to regroup and focus on the future,” said Starworks Motorsports team owner Peter Baron. “Multiple things outside our control set us up for failure since day one. I’m very proud of how we operated and wouldn’t change a thing we did as a team.

“What we can do moving forward is change what we have control over and prepare ourselves for a better year ahead,” added Baron. “We’ve been working on our 2020 plans for some time, and look forward to getting the final players and pieces in place. We are happy for Parker to get this opportunity with another program and wish him the best.”

Chase, 18, a native of New Braunfels, Texas, is one of North America’s up and coming sports cars drivers. He began racing in Karts at the age of 10 winning multiple championships, is the 2016 Pirelli World Challenge Rookie of the Year and the 2018 World Challenge SprintX Pro/AM Champion.

“I’m really excited to be joining AIM Vasser Sullivan for the Petit Le Mans,” said Chase. “The team has had great success in their first year in IMSA, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this leads. I really want to thank Sulli (James Sulli Sullivan), Jimmy (Vasser) and Andrew (Bordin) for this opportunity.”

NORWICH, Conn. – Hall of Fame modified driver Bob Potter died Wednesday after a medical emergency and subsequent automobile accident. He was 78.

According to the Norwich Police Department, Potter suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel on Tuesday around 4 p.m. and lost control of his pickup truck, making a sharp turn before hitting a school bus and multiple other vehicles.

Potter was transported to William W. Backus Hospital with life-threatening injuries before passing away the following day.

Potter was a five-time SK Modified champion (1988, ’91, ’92, ’94, ’95) and 24-time SK Modified winner at Stafford Speedway, ranking seventh all-time on the track’s SK Modified division win list. His last victory at Stafford came in 1999.

He also took down six track titles at New London-Waterford Speedbowl during his career, with three modified championships (1976, ’80, ’83) and three SK Modified championships (1986, ’87, ’89).

A 94-time Waterford feature winner, Potter is second on that facility’s all-time win list in modifieds (59) and fifth all-time in SK Modified wins at Waterford.

Potter retired from full-time driving in 1999, but had been the pilot of the Stafford two-seater modified since 2012. He stepped away from that post in June due to an impending medical procedure.

“All of us at Stafford Speedway are saddened by the loss of a great friend and mentor in Bob Potter,” Stafford Speedway officials said in a statement. “For more than six decades, Bob was a true representative of the sport. The Stafford Speedway racing community has lost a great hero. A five-time SK Modified champion, with 24 overall wins at Stafford, his passion for racing is unsurpassed.

“In his retirement from competitive racing, Bob gave back to the racing community, as he continued as the driver of the two-seater modified at Stafford, always looking to give the fans a good ride. Bob was always looking at the big picture and enjoyed sharing ideas. It is without a doubt that we will miss Bob, but his legacy as a champion and love for racing and life will serve as an inspiration.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Dale, son Bob Jr., daughters Debbie and Ginny, and all his family and friends.”

Potter was a 2007 inductee into the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame and a 2016 inductee into the Norwich Sports Hall of Fame.

THOMASVILLE, N.C. – Ten-time Bowman Gray Stadium modified champion and two-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Burt Myers will compete in the Musket 250 on Saturday in his championship-winning FURY Race Cars entry.

This weekend will mark Myers’ second appearance in the Musket 250 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Tony Eury Jr. will join Myers for this event as his crew chief.

“’The Magic Mile’ has always been on my racing bucket list and I’m excited to be returning for a second time with a top-notch team behind me,” said Myers. “We performed well at last year’s race; we hope to perform even better this year with the championship car and a veteran team.”

While Myers is best-known at his home track at Bowman Gray Stadium for driving the No. 1 car, he will be racing the No. 4 car at the Musket 250, a family number for more than 70 years!

Burt’s grandfather Billy, his father Gary, Burt himself and his brother Jason have all raced with the No. 4.

CitruSafe is entering its 10th season as a sponsor for Burt Myers.

“It’s an honor to be able to sponsor Burt Myers Racing,” said Tommy Lancaster, COO of Bryson Industries, the makers of CitruSafe Cleaners. “We’re excited to be on board as Burt makes a second appearance at the Musket 250 this weekend.”

ALTON, Va. — With three rounds remaining in the Trans-Am Championship presented by Pirelli, the series heads south to Virginia Int’al Raceway Sept. 20-22 with a robust 47-car field.

Similar to Trans-Am, the Virginia circuit is one that runs deep with history, and has also enjoyed a modern day resurgence. The 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit has played host to Trans-Am annually since 2013, and VIR results often come with weighty title implications.

As a joint weekend with the Sportscar Vintage Racing Ass’n, the Trans-Am racing lineup will feature two 100-mile races on Saturday; the ultra-competitive TA2 powered by AEM race followed by  the multi-class (TA, SuperGT and GT) Trans Am feature that will culminate the weekend.

Ernie Francis Jr., enters the VIR round with a 16-point lead over Chris Dyson. Francis’ strong performances have helped him grow his advantage as he aims for a VIR redemption after having a tough VIR race visit in 2018.

“We are trying to go to VIR with consistency, earning solid points on our way to a great finish,” said Francis. “We’ve had bad luck in the past at VIR, but we’ve been running strong. I love the elevation changes at VIR especially the uphill esses where the TA cars go flat out. We are looking forward to another fun weekend of racing there with Trans-Am.”

Amongst those challenging Francis for the win will be the points-runner-up Dyson, third-place holder Amy Ruman and Watkins Glen podium finisher Tomy Drissi.

Dyson’s mid-season performance was the best of his TA career in the CD Racing-prepared entry, taking two back-to-back victories followed by a strong podium finish at Mid-Ohio. Mechanical bugs kept him off the podium at Road America, with Francis emerging with rapid race pace to claim the victory at Watkins Glen.

Third place in points, Ruman suffered mechanical issues in the last round at Watkins Glen that sent her to the pits early. Her Ruman Racing team used the one-week break to make changes to the car and look for a resurgence to the top of the podium at VIR.

“Regrettably, we lost crucial points at this critical time in the season with only three remaining races,” said Ruman. “We had some mechanical issues that I didn’t think would clear up, so I decided to park it early to save what I could. The team has been working diligently over the past few days to get us ready for VIR.”

Despite missing three rounds in the middle of the season with a calf injury, Drissi finished the race at the Glen snapping at the rear of Championship challenger Dyson. The Burtin Racing pilot will again expect to be up with the pace at VIR.

”I can’t wait to get back in the car,” stated Drissi. “I thought we had a really good race going at Watkins Glen and it was great to be back on the podium. Looking forward to being at VIR this weekend – there are a lot of fans that show up for this event. This is a roller coaster of a ride at this track for drivers. High speed, high risk – very challenging track, very fast. The ascending esses are nuts, very crazy. I will really be putting the pressure on hard and hoping for good results in the Lucas Oil Slick Mist Camaro. I know Burtin Racing will have a great car for me.”

The VIR round is also expected to bring the action when it comes to the ultra-competitive TA2 powered by AEM Electronics race.

Marc Miller arrives at VIR 41 points ahead of defending TA2 champion Rafa Matos. The Stevens-Miller Racing driver’s chase for the top step ended early at Watkins Glen after racing contact from another driver sent his Challenger into the wall. Miller recovered from the incident with a point-earning finish, but not enough to keep the Watkins Glen victor, Matos, from closing the gap in standings.

“We had great pace at Watkins Glen and hope to keep improving our car and finish strong in the final three races,” Miller said. “Little known fact is that I grew up and starting karting about an hour away from VIR, all before the track was rebuilt many years ago. I wanted to race lay down enduro karts when I was young initially, and had heard great stories of the old VIR circuit but it had been buried in decay for years. I am thankful that the track had been brought back to a shining example of road racing in the U.S. and fast forward to only a few years ago when I scored an exciting IMSA Pilot Challenge GS class victory here. We hope to be able to put our Prefix Dodge Challenger back on the top step here as well.”

Matos’ season started out strong with two back-to-back victories at Sebring Int’l Raceway and Road Atlanta, but some bad luck kept him far from a podium finish at Lime Rock, Detroit and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His fortunes turned around at Mid-Ohio with a pole start and third-place finished followed by two more consecutive victories. The end of season run now has him on the hunt to defend his title.

Scott Lagasse Jr. is another driver in lockstep with Miller. Last season, Lagasse captured his first TA2 class victory of his career at VIR and is fresh off a podium finish at Watkins Glen coming into VIR.