Football season has now officially started, and fans everywhere have already suffered great anguish or welcomed great joy. The start of a new season brings hope to many struggling franchises, particularly those that have recently undergone major changes. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Tennessee Titans are two prime examples.
When the Buccaneers welcomed the Titans into Raymond James Stadium Sunday, all eyes were on the two quarterbacks making their respective NFL debuts. Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota and Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston each have the talent to succeed in the NFL, as proven by their Heisman Trophies.
Sunday was the first time in NFL history that two rookie quarterbacks selected first and second overall in the same draft squared off in Week 1. As such, the matchup between the Bucs and Titans was highly anticipated. “Which QB will make the better first impression?” and “Will one star shine brighter than the other?” were two of the many questions asked leading up to game time.
Mariota was confident, poised, and ultimately shattered expectations in his career opener. The former University of Oregon star threw for four touchdowns and 209 yards, and completed 13 of 16 passes. He ended the day with a passer rating of 158.3 — the highest of any quarterback in Week 1 and the highest possible rating for any passer. Mariota is the first rookie to throw for four touchdowns in his debut since Fran Tarkenton did so for the Minnesota Vikings in 1961. Needless to say, Mariota is already in good company.
Winston struggled mightily in his first career start, though, and as a result met a much different outcome. His first career pass was intercepted by Tennessee’s Coty Sensabaugh and returned for a touchdown. (Interestingly enough, the last quarterback to complete that feat was Brett Favre in 1991. So, perhaps Winston is also in good company.) Winston ended the day completing 16 of 33 passes for two TDs and two interceptions. His 64.0 passer rating was among the league’s worst in the first week.
Although Mariota was competing against one of the NFL’s weaker defenses from last season, he was leading one of the league’s worst offenses. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native made his teammates better — an invaluable skill exuded by elite players. His first career touchdown pass, a 52-yard laser to Kendall Wright, showcased the speedy receiver’s run-after-catch ability. Bishop Sankey, who scored just two touchdowns all last season, scored two already in Tampa this Sunday (one rushing, one receiving).
I will not make any crazy claims about the Titans succeeding this year, as I still don’t believe they are a playoff team. I will not even say that Mariota will have a more decorated career than Winston. It’s been one game, and I’m not that naive.
I will say that Mariota will have a better rookie season than two recent rookie QBs with similar styles — Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson.
Although RGIII has since lost his starting job in Washington due to injury and other off-the-field complications (proving once and for all that he was not worth the three first-round picks that the Redskins sacrificed to the St. Louis Rams at the 2012 NFL Draft), he had a stellar rookie season. He threw for 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions that year, and finished the season with a passer rating of 102.4. Even more impressively, he led Washington to the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Seattle’s Russell Wilson has led his team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Starting all 16 games, Wilson improved each week during his rookie season in 2012. He threw for 26 TDs and 10 INTs, and also ran for four scores. Wilson led the Seahawks to the NFC semifinal game, a close contest they lost to the Atlanta Falcons, 30-28. But Mariota has the football intelligence and the raw talent to be better.
As the season progresses, defenses will read Mariota more effectively. Each week, teams will be more prepared for the Tennessee offense, and they’ll pressure him much more than the Tampa Bay defensive line did. The Titans will play J.J. Watt’s Houston Texans twice, so the former Duck will face some serious pressure this season. However, Mariota has given me reason to believe that he can handle that pressure.
It’s no wonder why Chip Kelly of the Philadelphia Eagles (and Mariota’s coach at Oregon) pursued the quarterback so strongly. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Eagles offered the Titans two first-round picks, a third-round pick, starting QB Sam Bradford, budding star defensive end Fletcher Cox, cornerback Brandon Boykin AND starting linebacker Mychal Kendricks all for the second overall pick — or more simply, Mariota — in last year’s draft.
The fact that Tennessee turned down that mammoth offer speaks volumes about this young man’s character and ability. He’s big, he’s fast, he’s strong and he’s humble. He’s exactly the type of player a team likes to build a team around, and will undoubtedly be a household name in the near future.
