The 2018 NFL season got off to a nightmarish start for the Titans offense over the weekend as three key players -- Marcus Mariota, Delanie Walker and Taylor Lewan -- had to leave the game with an injury during Tennessee's 27-20 loss to Miami. 

Of those three players, it's starting to look like Mariota will be the only one available for this Sunday's game against the Texans. During a press conference on Wednesday, Titans coach Mike Vrabel said that Mariota will absolutely be on the field against Houston, "barring any setbacks" to his injured elbow. 

"He practiced, and he's feeling good," Vrabel said, via the team's official website. "He had some rest Monday and Tuesday, so he was able to get through and do everything and really looked OK. I would say barring any setbacks that Marcus is going to be good to go on Sunday."

Mariota suffered the injury during the third quarter after he took a hit from Dolphins defensive lineman William Hayes

Although Hayes didn't get flagged on the play, it appears that there should have been a penalty called. Vrabel told the media on Wednesday that the NFL told him they generally want to see a flag on a play where the quarterback takes a hit like that. 

As for Mariota, he sounded pretty confident that he would be able to play against the Texans after going through a full practice. 

"I'm feeling pretty good, kind of taking it one day at a time, but I was able to go through practice [Wednesday] and felt pretty good," Mariota said. 

The Titans' AFC South showdown against the Texans is a big game for Vrabel, who will be coaching against his former team. Before taking the Titans' head coaching job in January, Vrabel spent four seasons as an assistant coach on Bill O'Brien's staff in Houston. 

Of course, if the Titans are going to win, they're going to need a better performance from Mariota than what they got in Week 1. During Tennessee's loss to the Dolphins, Mariota threw two interceptions and finished just 9 of 16 for 103 yards before leaving the game with his elbow injury. 

As for the rest of the injuries in Tennessee, Mariota might be missing one of his key linemen on Sunday and that's because Lewan still hasn't been cleared to play. The Titans' starting left tackle suffered a concussion against the Dolphins and was sent home on Wednesday without practicing, according to the team's website. 

On Walker's end, the Titans tight end is done for the season after breaking his right ankle against the Dolphins.