NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Marcus Mariota knows hes trying to do too much at times to help the Tennessee Titans win, so much that hes had far too many turnovers already this season.The second-year quarterback promises hes working as fast as possible to learn from his mistakes.Theres certain situations that are new to me, Im kind of experiencing on the fly, Mariota said Wednesday. Thats part of this process for me. Its part of the process for any young player. Ill continue to learn and grow.Ball security was a focus this offseason for the quarterback taken No. 2 overall out of Oregon in 2015.Mariota was intercepted 10 times and lost six fumbles in 12 games started as a rookie. Through three games this season, Mariota already has lost two fumbles and been intercepted four times.Tennessee (1-2) is tied for last in the NFL, scoring just 14 points per game and has scored only one offensive touchdown in the first half through three games. That came in the second quarter of the season opener.Well, its the turnovers, and thats on me and things that I can improve on, Mariota said. Thats going to hurt our team no matter what happens or where its going to be at. So if I do a better job taking care of the football, our team will be in better position.Only four quarterbacks have more interceptions than Mariota, whose four picks tie him with Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh, Houstons Brock Osweiler, Carson Palmer of Arizona, Baltimores Joe Flacco and Ryan Tannehill of Miami.Titans coach Mike Mularkey refuses to let Mariota take the blame for his turnovers alone. Mularkey said everybodys at fault, including coaches.The Titans are working with the quarterback on better protecting the ball in practice, something they will keep doing until they get it right.This past game, we had some situations, I thought we could have made some plays on those balls, Mularkey said.Mariota finally will play his first game Sunday against AFC South opponent Houston (2-1). The quarterback missed both games against the Texans as a rookie because of injury, and now he will play the defending divisional champ with J.J. Watt -- the three-time Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year -- out after re-injuring his back.Yeah, thats kind of weird now that you think about it, Mariota said of finally facing a division opponent in his second season. Again, you never want to see a guy go down, and you just wish him well.Watt had 2+ sacks when the Texans sacked Zach Mettenberger seven times in a 20-6 win last season , and Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk fired coach Ken Whisenhunt two days later.Texans coach Bill OBrien said facing Mariota is a big challenge.When he gets out on the perimeter and hes able to use his skill as a runner, its tough ..., OBrien said. Hes doing a good job throwing the ball from the pocket. Hes definitely a dual-threat quarterback.Game notes Mularkey said WR Kendall Wright (left hamstring) practiced fully Wednesday, and the Titans are hoping he plays for the first time this season Sunday. TE Delanie Walker (right hamstring) was held out of practice as the Titans work to get him back on the field. Starting LG Quinton Spain (ankle) did not practice, and starting WR Tajae Sharpe (hamstring) was limited along with CB Cody Riggs (hamstring).---Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Teresa M. Walker at www.twitter.com/teresamwalker http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-Kerry-Hyder-Draft-Jersey/ . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-Tj-Lang-Draft-Jersey/ . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-Golden-Tate-Iii-Draft-Jersey/ . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-Sylvester-Williams-Draft-Jersey/ . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. http://www.officiallionsgear.com/Lions-Glover-Quin-Draft-Jersey/ . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. LAS VEGAS -- The family vacation was planned months in advance. As soon as free agency was over, DeAndre Jordan was heading to a resort in Jamaica where -- theoretically -- he would put his phone in airplane mode, surround himself with family and friends, and all the noise would stop.That was the plan, anyway.If you followed NBA free agency in the slightest last July, you know what actually happened. Three days after committing to the Dallas Mavericks, Jordan had a stunning change of heart and returned to the Los Angeles Clippers.In the time it took to fill out a customs form on the flight to Jamaica, Jordan became a villain in Dallas, an accidental hero in Los Angeles and the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows, social media and sports talk radio.He tried to keep his phone off, but there was no escaping the fallout.One day as he was sitting on the beach, he got a text from Kevin Durant. Theyd been close since high school when Durant tried to persuade Jordan to attend the University of Texas with him. Jordan instead chose Texas A&M, so they drifted apart for a few years. Eventually they reconnected during summer workouts. And in the past few years, theyd grown much closer. So close, in fact, that the Mavericks hoped landing Jordan in free agency would give them an edge in the Durant sweepstakes the following summer.Durant said his message to Jordan was simple: I just let him know, Man, whatever you do. Youve got people that love you.It was the kind of thing you say to a friend to let him know you cant make things better for him, but youre still in his corner.I feel like the people who talked to me afterwards are my real friends, Jordan said this week, after a training session with Team USA. The people who stopped texting me afterwards, the ones who said stuff like were family and all that while I was deciding, that wasnt real. I realize it was only a basketball decision for them.You find out who is really on your side. And Kevin was like, Man, you cant worry about what other people think. Youve got to worry about you and what makes you happy.Fast-forward a year and Durant is the one who spent his summer in the middle of a free-agency squall and made a stunning decision that brought withering criticism from fans, peers and media critics.No, he didnt commit to one team and then renege a few days later. But after eight years of telling the fans in Oklahoma City that he loved them and wanted to retire there, his departure for the Golden State Warriors came as a cruel shock.Had he misled them all those years? Did he fall out of love? Or was his love never that pure to begin with?Durant felt all of it. If hes being honest, knowing how much he was about to hurt the fans in Oklahoma City was one of the things that nearly held him back from following his gut and signing with the Warriors. For 48 hours after picking the Warriors, he said he stayed inside the house hed rented in the Hamptons while receiving free-agent pitches from the Warriors, Celtics, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder and Heat.I didnt leave my bed, because I was like, Man, if I walk outside somebody might just try to hit me with their car or say anything negative to me, Durant said. I just stayed in and tried to process it all. ... It felt different.Very different.Durant hasnt been the boyish, backpack-wearing homegrown superstar most people first came to know him as for a while now. First he went through the KD is not nice phase where he was like a child star trying to break out of a wholesome, prepubescent box by releasing a song about being naughty (See: Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber).Then he started copping an occasional attitude at the media for perceived slights to him, his teammates or any player in the NBA who he thought was getting unfair treatment.But there was always something about Durants defiance that felt a little forced. Like he was just pushing boundaries or asserting his independence from the nice-guy image that had gone way too far and escaped reality a long time ago.He is nice. Hes just not the saint people projecteed him to be.ddddddddddddFor example: Last fall he turned down a half-dozen requests for an ESPN The Magazine story. Hed decided to stay silent until he could explain his feelings about free agency on The Players Tribune. Fine. Totally his prerogative. He believed in the Tribunes business model and message of player empowerment. I can respect that. But when we saw each other at Thunder media day, he came over to explain himself in person.How many NBA superstars do that? Most tell an agent or publicist to deliver their bad news and never address it personally. And yet because wed always had a good professional relationship, Durant felt compelled to explain himself in person. It was an incredibly self-aware, sensitive thing to do.Thats just a small example without much consequence. So how in the world was he going to handle breaking the hearts of a city that loved him? Of going from hero to villain? Of being criticized by Hall of Famers like Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley for taking an easier path to a championship?This week in Las Vegas has been Durants first taste of life as a heartbreaker, and it appears hes only allowing himself to feel it in doses.The full weight of the fallout is too much to process all at once.I just try to be the man in the arena, Durant said. Its easy for the critics on the outside to tell you what to do or what decisions to make, but they werent just out here with me, putting in work.I cant really worry about the outside noise. I have to go to work. The work dont stop. The love of the game doesnt fade. Everything stays the same no matter where I play.This has become one of Durants refrains. A self-affirmation of sorts.Some players would get off on being disliked -- whether the sentiment is real or just a projection -- and use it as motivation. But thats not Durants nature.Guys like Kobe [Bryant] thrive on it, said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, a longtime Team USA assistant. I dont think Kevin will thrive on it. But I do think he will immerse himself into the [Warriors] team.Another key difference?When you come into town as the villain like Kobe, everybodys focused on him because he was the best player. But when Golden State comes in, theyre not going to just focus on one guy, Boeheim said.That was clearly part of the appeal to joining the Warriors. After years of being the face of his franchise, with the hopes and dreams of a city all on his shoulders, Durant was drawn to the idea of being just one of the guys.Thats part of what he said hes always loved about Team USA and what helped him this week as he adjusts to this new reality.This uncomfortable period may be good for Durant in the end. Making a decision he knew would be unpopular? Maybe thats the personal evolution and growth he needs. Maybe it wont be. In hindsight, Jordan said that hes found the entire process to be clarifying.It definitely makes you tougher, Jordan said. I still joke around like a little kid, but I dont get as mad as I used to about things, I dont let stuff affect me like I used to, because Ive gone through that crap.He hopes itll be that way for Durant as well.When I found out he was going to the Warriors, I texted him, Man, Im happy for you. This is going to be big. I cant wait to kick yalls ass, Jordan said.Im happy for him. He gave those guys [in Oklahoma City] nine great years of MVP-level basketball, a Finals appearance. He played his heart out for that team. If they cant respect that, if other players cant respect it, thats their decision. At the end of the day, hes happy and thats the only person he has to satisfy.Durant was sitting one seat away from Jordan as they each spoke after practice on the third day of Team USA training camp. There was plenty of room on either side of them. 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