Winston and Mariota's Hyped Sequel – Sports On Earth
The NFL schedule-makers always have intriguing matchups strategically placed throughout the calendar. Week 1 alone includes three heated division-rivalry showcases, Gary Kubiak’s first game against his former employer and, of course, the much-lauded Steelers-Patriots kickoff game. So it would be easy to overlook Titans vs. Buccaneers, a showdown of two middling teams. At least it would be if it weren’t for the quarterbacks.
Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota may have followed one another across the stage during April’s ceremony in Chicago (taken No. 1 and 2, respectively), but they took wildly different paths to get where they are now. Winston, a consensus five-star signal caller out of football-crazed Alabama, fielded scholarship offers from every major football program in the nation before settling on Florida State. Meanwhile, Mariota struggled to garner serious interest from any FBS team. He received offers from only two schools: Memphis and his future alma mater, Oregon. Winston’s decision generated immediate buzz and expectations of national championships in Tallahassee. Mariota’s arrival in Eugene barely registered with fans.
Yet, only a few years later, both quarterbacks lay claim to surprisingly similar resumes. Each led their team to a title game. Each broke school passing records. Each won the Heisman Trophy. The two even dueled during the first College Football Playoff earlier this year. Now they’re in the spotlight once again.
Neither the Buccaneers nor the Titans wasted time deciding on a Week 1 starter. Both Winston and Mariota have already received the nod from their respective coaching staffs, a sign that the future, however promising or bleak, begins now.
For Tampa, the decision to ride Winston from the get-go felt inevitable. Not only did the quarterback spend his college career internalizing and executing Jimbo Fisher’s pro-style offense, but his only “competition” for the job was Mike Glennon, an inconsistent passer drafted by a previous administration, and Seth Lobato, an undrafted signal caller now with his third team in just over a year. Winston, for all the faults he demonstrated on the field at Florida State, can propel the offense with his ability to identify passing windows before they open, then take advantage of them. He’s a capable and coachable pupil for new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to mold into the cornerstone of the franchise.
The same certainty didn’t surround the Titans and Mariota. Until Roger Goodell announced the team’s selection, it appeared Chip Kelly’s Eagles or another organization might persuade Tennessee to relinquish the No. 2 pick at the 11th hour. Those rumors were buoyed by the perception that Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt sought a traditional pocket passer, not a spread-assimilated scrambler like Mariota, to run his offense. While reports vary as to whether the team actually received a viable trade offer — some claim Philly offered multiple draft picks and a bevy of veteran starters, others say Kelly never made a formal offer — the result is the same. Because of Tennessee’s investment in Mariota and the paltry alternative options, the reigning Heisman winner will begin his NFL career atop the depth chart.
But while both Winston and Mariota are firmly entrenched as starters, the quarterbacks face different challenges as they approach the regular season. Winston takes over an offense that features Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, three athletic, power-forward-esque pass catchers with massive catch radiuses and big-play ability. However, Tampa ran out one the league’s worst offensive lines a year ago, a unit that finished 29th in Football Outsiders’ pass protection ratings and dead last in run blocking. The group made only modest improvements heading into 2015, adding two rookies on the second day of the draft to join a past-his-prime Logan Mankins and a hodgepodge of other warm bodies better suited for backup duty. Opposing defenses don’t expect to experience much trouble getting to Winston. The quarterback’s poise will be tested early and often in 2015.
As for Mariota, his obstacle isn’t his supporting cast (though it fares no better on paper than Winston’s). Rather, he must make the transition from Oregon’s versatile, up-tempo attack to Tennessee’s rigid pro-style scheme. That means not only must Mariota learn to read a defense from under center, but he must also master his drop-backs and the timing built into them. That adjustment has tripped up even some of the most successful and gifted QB prospects. The presence of Whisenhunt further complicates matters, as his track record developing quarterbacks should terrify Titans fans.
But there are some encouraging signs among the worries. Winston thrives under pressure, particularly in big games. He was nearly flawless during the final drive of the 2013-14 national title game, highlighted by his game-winning touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin as an Auburn defender attempted to sever him at the waist. Mariota can level the playing field with his athleticism, regularly dodging would-be tacklers and keeping his eyes downfield for the big play. If they reach their ceilings, both signal callers could transform their teams into championship contenders.
Before that can happen, Winston and Mariota must first face off against one another in their first regular-season game. Their paths to that moment certainly differ, and their careers may take decidedly different trajectories afterward. However, for at least one day in September, the two most coveted rookie quarterbacks will share a field once more.
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