NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Titans may have somewhat surprisingly lost their home opener to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon, but that 19-17 defeat wasn't because of Isaiah Mack.
The undrafted rookie defensive lineman out of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga took less than four minutes to announce his presence against the Colts, coming off the left side to sack Jacoby Brissett for a 7-yard loss at the 11:44 mark of the opening period.
It wasn't enough to prevent the Titans from later surrendering a touchdown on that drive, or eventually losing to the Colts for the 14th time in the past 16 meetings between the two AFC South members.
Nor is it exactly the way Tennessee hoped to enter Thursday night's road game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a second straight division matchup.
Associated Press file photo by Mark Humphrey / Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Isaiah Mack, who played at Northwest Whitfield and UTC, recorded his first sack as an NFL player Sunday.
Mark Wiedmer"This one's over," Mack said after the Titans fell to 1-1. "We've just got to get ready for Thursday."
As for the sack, the former Northwest Whitfield High School standout tried to take the team-first approach, diplomatically declaring, "Nothing else matters if you don't get the 'W.'"
Then again, this was his first sack that will remain forever in the Titans' record books, despite him having a very similar one against the New England Patriots in the exhibition season.
"It was special, getting my first official sack," he said. "It felt great. Hopefully, it will be the first of many."
It certainly seems as if that could be the case. The sack may have been Mack's only recorded tackle of the day, but he was in on more than a dozen plays, and this performance came a week after he recorded four total tackles - including three solos - in the Titans' 43-13 drubbing of the Browns in Cleveland.
"He's playing well," said Titans free safety Kevin Byard, one of the defense's top talents. "For an undrafted player, he's definitely making the most of it."
Nor was he the Mocs' only undrafted rookie to stick with the Titans. Defensive back Kareem Orr, who played at Notre Dame High School, made the practice squad.
Like any good alum, Mack consoled his former UTC teammates after the current Mocs lost 45-0 to the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday.
"I talked to a few of them after the game," Mack said. "I told them that you can't win every game. But they'll be fine. I know they're going to get it right."
It was supposed to be a winning Sunday all the way around for the Titans organization. At halftime, The franchise retired the jersey numbers worn by late quarterback Steve McNair (No. 9) and running back Eddie George (No. 27). Per a Titans press release, none of the other 31 NFL franchises has ever retired either the No. 9 or the No. 27.
And thanks to it being the regular-season opener at Nissan Stadium, the place was mostly full despite the temperature reaching 93 very humid degrees. Beyond that, hot as the thermometer was, a fire that broke out on the Titans' sideline from a malfunctioning pyrotechnics machine briefly brought big flames and heavy smoke right before the opening kickoff.
Alas, the fire extinguisher that put out the fire apparently snuffed out too much of the home team's offense, much to the chagrin of 62,849 fans who'd gamely ignored the heat hoping to see these current Titans possibly match the performances that McNair and George so often turned in.
But as bad as this loss may turn out to be moving forward in a division in which all four teams - the Colts, the Jaguars, the Titans and the Houston Texans - seem about equal, it doesn't diminish for a second the accomplishment of Mack not only making the roster, but also being on the field for numerous plays in both regular-season games to date.
"A moment I'll never forget," Mack said of the day he learned he'd made the Titans' active roster. "I called my mom and my grandma. I told them I was trying to make them proud."
He also called his uncle, Tony Brown, the former City High School and Memphis great who started for several years on the Titans' defensive line.
Recalled Mack: "He just told me to keep my head down and go to work."
And keep piling up those Mack Sacks, which should make everyone in both Mocs Nation and Titans Nation more than a little bit proud.
Contact Mark Wiedmer at mwiedmer@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @TFPWeeds.