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One of Marcus Mariota’s closest friends, Titans offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu, has become adept at changing the channel for his roommate — in more ways than one.

When Mariota is in the midst of mentally beating himself up for a sub-standard game — or even practice — Grasu is the one who makes sure the Titans’ starting quarterback doesn’t actually start smashing his head against the wall.

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Sometimes, Mariota’s dogs — he has a pair of of Frenchtons (a mix of French bulldog and Boston Terrier) — will do the trick all by themselves, immediately taking Mariota’s mind off football.

“When he comes home and sees his two dogs, he’s one of the happiest people in the world,” said Grasu, who served as Mariota’s center at Oregon from 2012-14. “He loves them. That’s how he unwinds.”

Other times, however, Grasu steers the topic away from football when the two arrive at their Nashville home, which they share with Mariota’s girlfriend.

That’s not always the easiest thing to do, since professional football is both men’s livelihood. But Grasu finds getting Mariota interested in a television program is an effective way to lighten the mood as well.

“We’re always going to take an hour or two after practice — just to review that day’s stuff and go over the next day,” Grasu said. “But after that, maybe just try to shut (football) off and just a watch a show, maybe The Golf Channel or ‘Stranger Things.’ That’s what we’re into now, ‘Stranger Things.’ We actually just started Season 1.

“But really, just make him laugh, especially after the Colts game and the Jaguars game, make him laugh. He does a great job with everything, though, so it makes my job easy.”

Everyone should have a friend like Grasu, the kind of buddy who can help someone unwind when the wiring gets a little too tight.

But it’s especially important for Mariota, simply because he takes responsibility for everything that goes wrong with the Titans’ offense. These days, that’s probably a pretty tough burden to bear, considering the Titans have scored a combined 24 points in their past two games — back-to-back AFC South losses to Indianapolis and Jacksonville.

How quick is Mariota to put his own head on the chopping block?

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In the moments following the frustrating loss to Jacksonville, a game in which he’d been sacked nine times, Mariota calmly explained why two incomplete passes thrown against the Jaguars — one potential big-gainer to Tajae Sharpe, one to Corey Davis — were nobody’s fault but his own.

On Wednesday, Mariota was asked about his chemistry with Davis — who has only six catches in three games — and without a second’s hesitation said, “That’s specifically on me. I think he’s finding ways to get open. I’ve just got to get him the ball.”

Mariota’s sincere penchant for assuming responsibility — rightly or wrongly — apparently extends beyond football. Take it from Grasu, who’s been known to arrive late for offseason lunches between the two, only to have Mariota wave away his apologies.

“Even though I screwed up and was late, he’ll take the blame and say, ‘No, no, I got here too early,’” Grasu said. “That’s just how he is. He never has an ego. His ego is always put to the side. He’s always taking the blame or being very self-critical.”

It’s a trait that endears Mariota to teammates, especially tight end Delanie Walker, who’s been on the receiving end of hundreds of Mariota passes over the past half-decade.

“It’s tough being a quarterback in this league,” Walker said. “You take all the blame, no matter what. That guy (Mariota)? He ain’t going to say nothing (bad) about anyone.

“It don’t matter that someone dropped the pass on third down or he got sacked multiple times. He’s just going to say it was his fault, that he’s got to do better, and that’s the sad part.”

Said wide receiver Darius Jennings: “That’s just the sign of a great leader. We’ll ride behind ‘Eight’ every time.”

When Mariota is the kind of player who genuinely takes the blame for everything, can it also cause him to press? Can concerns over making mistakes outweigh taking risks to succeed? Can fear of failure, in other words, eventually weigh heavy on the mind of a player like Mariota?

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Grasu was asked if Mariota — who’s in a contract season, with a starting-caliber quarterback backing him up — might at times be too self-critical for his own good.

“It’s a crazy balance he has, where he’s very self-critical off the field, but when he’s on the field, he’s the most confident player I know,” Grasu said. “He’s very, very competitive, let me tell you. That’s why he’s so self-critical because he wants to win. That’s all he cares about — winning. That’s on his mind all the time.”

But how does Mariota keep from beating himself up too much, to the extent that it might hamper his progress?

“When it comes down to it, it’s being able to have people to talk to, whether that’s family, whether it’s teammates,” Mariota said. “I really lean on my family, I lean on some of these other guys in the locker room, and given the opportunity to talk to them, you definitely feel better.”

One of those guys in the locker is clearly Grasu, who says he tries to say something every day to remind Mariota that everything doesn’t fall on his shoulders, that there are 11 players lining up on the offensive side of the ball.

But Mariota, Grasu explains, just never wants to let down his teammates, the organization or the fans.

Whether that unwavering willingness to carry the load helps Mariota remain with the Titans beyond this season remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure, though: If the two sides go their separate ways after this year, we know who’ll take the blame.

(Photo of Mariota: Matthew Maxey / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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