Mariota vs. Winston (Which QB Has the Stuff to Join NFL's Elite Going Into 3rd Season?)

[Mike75]

Speaking of Mariota there is a new article out today by Dan Pompei titled......'The Sky Is The Limit'

 

Down seven to the Raiders with less than two minutes to go in Nashville last September, the Titans were driving. A 19-yard pass from Mariota to Tajae Sharpe put the Titans on the Raiders' 3-yard line, but then left tackle Taylor Lewan was penalized for unnecessary roughness after diving on the pile. The ball was moved back to the 18, the drive petered out and the Titans lost the game.

 

Fans jeered Lewan. He was savaged on social media. ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit called Lewan "an absolute fraud" and a fake tough guy on Twitter.

 

For Lewan, it felt like him against the world. He lost a game, the fans and the trust of his locker room. Then about an hour later, Mariota pulled him aside in a quiet hallway before the players dispersed.

 

"Don't ever stop being yourself," he told him. "I'm with you."

 

Now Lewan will follow Mariota anywhere. And he isn't the only one.

 

"We'll do anything for Marcus," center Ben Jones says.

 

The invitation to the Predators game was extended only to the offensive linemen. It was their idea to bring Mariota along. They also bring him to their Thursday night dinners every week, and he sometimes serves as designated driver.

 

"He goes out with us and he doesn't drink, but he's one of the boys," Lewan says. "He doesn't act like he's above us. He's not on a high horse. That's awesome. I'm never going to pass judgment. It's the perfect yin and yang between us."

 

And not just between him and the offensive line.

 

In Mariota's third season, the Titans are his team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone who has seen Mariota's golden eyes flash in a Titans huddle on game day knows.

 

"He's demanding in the huddle," head coach Mike Mularkey says. "He's vocal in the huddle. He cusses a lot in the huddle. He's as competitive in the huddle as anybody I've been around."

 

To sum it up, Mularkey declares him "our leader."

 

Mariota is detailed, and he expects no less from his receivers. When one of them runs a sloppy route, they hear about it.

 

"He will get on you if you aren't doing what you are supposed to do," Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews says. "But he does it in a respectful manner."

 

If being demanding without being abrasive is an art, then Mariota is an artist.

 

"There is a mindset you have to have when you get out there on Sunday," he says. "Guys understand it's out of love. It's not something where I'm trying to embarrass them. It's trying to get them to be the best they can be."

 

Mariota has become a veteran and has grown as a leader.

 

"Some of the best leaders in the world find they learn something every day to be a better leader," he says. "Whether it's developing a relationship, learning what someone likes or doesn't like, putting forth the extra effort so guys understand you do what you preach. The best leaders adapt and are flexible with their situations. I try to be the same."

 

Mariota leads by knowing how to treat individuals differently. He leads by showing up every morning before his teammates—by 6 or shortly after—and by staying until the players' parking lot is nearly empty. He leads by volunteering to sign autographs every day after practice for a group of 25 kids chosen by team representatives.

 

His personal goal this season? "To be the best teammate I can be," he says.

 

Mariota was one of six Titans voted by teammates to be a captain last season. But Mariota and the other captains decided not to wear "Cs" on their jerseys so they didn't stand out from their teammates.

 

New Titans receiver Eric Decker has found Mariota's demeanor similar to another quarterback he played with.

 

"I love the even-keel, down to earth, humble approach," Decker says. "Being around Peyton [Manning], he had that as well. Both are guys' guys, and [they're] football junkies as far as the film, studying the game, knowing their craft."

 

Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota grew up on the island of Oahu, the son of a blond German mother and a thick Samoan father. They taught him Fa'asamoa—the ways of Samoa that stress humility and respect.

 

"I would say that's probably the focal point of my leadership," Mariota says. "Our culture is all about we, never about yourself. I always try to make it a point when I'm talking to guys to say we. It's not you need to do this, it's what can we do better. It makes it more of a family culture."

 

These Titans are ready to be led. They won nine games last season after winning three in Mariota's first year. They made a number of acclaimed moves last offseason and became the trendy pick to win the AFC South.

 

Mariota, meanwhile, is in a good place. His 93.8 career passer rating is third-best in NFL history among quarterbacks who threw at least 600 passes in their first two years—behind only Dan Marino and Russell Wilson—according to Pro Football Reference.

 

He has been his most menacing to defenses when the smell of blood is in the water. In the red zone, Mariota has thrown 33 touchdown passes and zero interceptions.

 

On Saturday, he is scheduled to play his first game since breaking his fibula on Christmas Eve. After an offseason season of rehab, Mariota is moving well.

 

Mariota can become a much better quarterback this season.

 

"The sky's the limit for him," Matthews says. "I'm expecting big things."

 

If Mariota has proved anything in his first two seasons with the Titans, it's that he is capable of growth. When he came to the Titans after playing in Oregon's spread offense, he was determined to show he could be a pocket quarterback. He worked at disciplining himself to stay put, even when his instinct was telling him to run. Last season, the emphasis was on getting rid of the football and avoiding the big hit, even if it meant throwing it away.

 

This year, Mularkey says he is giving Mariota more responsibility at the line of scrimmage. Mariota has been allowed to choose from two plays at the line in the past. Now he will be allowed to call whatever play he wants if he sees a defensive look that can be exploited.

 

"He's ready for that," Mularkey says of Mariota, who scored a 33 on the Wonderlic prior to the 2015 draft, according to former NFL scout John Middlekauff. "He's pretty sharp, and he works at it. He can do it all the time. He understands everything, what defenses are trying to do. He is amazing with protections, gets us in the right protections."

 

Empowering Mariota at the line of scrimmage wouldn't mean as much if the Titans had not acquired more players who can exploit advantageous matchups. They revamped their receiving corps, drafting Corey Davis with the fifth pick and Taywan Taylor with the 72nd, and signing free agent Eric Decker.

 

These additions came a year after the team added running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. Last season, when defenses ganged up on the run, Mariota didn't have many appealing options. This year, he should.

 

"To be able to have a bunch of different guys to throw the ball to and get the ball in their hands and let them do their thing, it will really help our offense," Mariota says.

 

Davis can take a short pass and turn it into a long gain, or snatch a ball over the top of a defender. Taylor's suddenness plays well in the slot. Decker is a veteran with a knack for getting open—and Mariota has acknowledged it with his throws.

 

A natural chemistry between Mariota and Decker has been evident throughout training camp.

 

"I feel we've had some plays where we just kind of connected," says Decker, who chose to sign with the Titans in part because of Mariota. "I hope we can keep progressing with that, getting comfortable with each other and trusting one another."

 

After one sweaty practice ended recently, the large majority of the Titans retreated to the cool of the locker room or the arms of loved ones. Mariota, meanwhile, worked on his drops for nearly 30 minutes.

 

By trying to improve his footwork, he is hoping for more accurate throws to Decker and the other receivers.

 

 

The second overall pick of the 2015 draft lives in a condominium overlooking the town that could be his. He has come to know what Music City is about, attending CMA Fest and concerts from Florida Georgia Line to Tim McGraw.

 

But it's not like he's barhopping every night. In fact, don't expect a response if you text him after 9 p.m. Mariota usually turns out the lights by then.

 

He is more comfortable on a beach than in a honky-tonk saloon. His idea of relaxing is bodyboarding off Oahu's South Shore.

 

"When I'm at home, that's the first thing I do is get in the water," he says. "I love bodyboarding and bodysurfing. It's a special time for me, kind of my sanctuary when I get in the water."

 

And what would he do in a saloon anyway?

 

"For me, I've never been curious about it—drinking," Mariota says. "It's never been something I wanted to do."

 

After NBCSN broadcast the scene of Mariota and his linemen at the Predators game, Mariota was asked repeatedly about not drinking beer with his teammates. At a banquet in June, he revealed he'd never had a sip of alcohol in his life.

 

Things have changed since then.

 

Ardel Deppe was a construction contractor from Kauai who loved to cast a line into the sea and sip a margarita. He passed away in April, and his family celebrated his life in Hawaii in July.

 

"He was a great man," Mariota says of his grandfather. "So the least I could do was have one of his favorite drinks and pay a little tribute to him."

 

It does not sound as if Mariota is hooked on margaritas, though.

 

"Hated it," he says. "Tasted horrible."

 

Mariota lives cleanly. He tries not to take painkillers, and he has no use for marijuana.

 

"I've never done it and probably never will," he says.

 

The worst thing he ingests is chocolate—especially Oreos. "My vice," he says.

 

He dropped about eight pounds in the offseason to get to 218, so he couldn't have eaten too many.

 

"I'm a big believer your body is capable of taking care of itself," Mariota says. "If you are putting the right foods in, doing the right things and taking care of it, your body will take care of you."

 

Now, he feels his body is right. He has more command of his offense than ever. He has better players around him.

 

The Titans are his team, and he could accomplish something special this season..........

 

 

[Mike75]

*Mariota's 93.8 career passer rating is third-best in NFL history among quarterbacks who threw at least 600 passes in their first two years—behind only Dan Marino and Russell Wilson—according to Pro Football Reference.

 

 

 

*Only Tom Brady 6.1 and Aaron Rodgers 6.0 have a higher TD rate than Mariota (5.5%) since he entered the NFL in 2015.

 

 

 

*Mariota is the first QB in modern NFL history with six four-TD performances in his first 22 career games. No other QB had more to start a career.

 

 

*The Tennessee Titans rank 1st in Red Zone efficiency at 72%. In his two years in the league QB Marcus Mariota has thrown 33 TD and 0 INT during that span in the RZ.

[Mike75]

Winston

 

Mariota will blow out knee

 

Fun Fact you should never forget......

 

Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston in their first drive in the NFL ever both scored a TD for the @Titans

[Mike75]

 

 

Before the 2015 NFL Draft Marcus Mariota was widely regarded as a system quarterback who would struggle to transition to the NFL. He received lazy comparisons to Colin Kaepernick and other running quarterbacks simply because of his physical profile. Mariota can run. Hes obviously an excellent athlete. That doesnt mean it was the most significant or even a significant part of his skill set.

 

Rather than compare Mariota to a quarterback such as Kaepernick, he should have been compared to a Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger. He shared Bradys quick release, outstanding ability to diagnose coverages in an instant and his precision on short/intermediate routes. He shared Roethlisbergers ability to function effectively both inside and outside the pocket, extending passing plays and giving them every chance to succeed rather than dropping his eyes to run himself into trouble. The aesthetics of Mariotas physical skill set distorted the view of his quality as a passer, setting the tone for how he would be covered early in his career.

 

Since entering the NFL, Mariota has proven his quality as a passer.

 

Only Tom Brady 6.1 and Aaron Rodgers 6.0 have a higher TD rate than Mariota 5.5% since he entered the NFL in 2015.

 

As early as Week 2 during his rookie season Mariota was making exceptionally difficult plays from the pocket. For Dorial Green-Beckhams 13-yard touchdown against the Browns that week, Mariota initially looked to his left where he had two receivers covered tightly. He shuffled his feet, turned his shoulders and came back to the other side of the field as the pocket around him began to tighten. Mariota subtly moved backwards while pump faking to draw a linebacker out of the passing lane he wanted to attack. An edge defender arrived to hit Mariota as he began to release the ball. The quarterbacks release was so quick that the ball wasnt affected. His mechanics stayed strong, he absorbed the hit and delivered the ball in perfect time to a perfect spot for Green-Beckham to catch the ball in the back of the endzone.

 

 

The now 23-year old threw 19 touchdowns to 10 interceptions while averaging 7.6 yards per attempt during his rookie season. Those numbers didnt do his performances justice. Mariota played behind one of the worst pass-blocking lines in the league that season. He was regularly working from condensed pockets, buying time with subtle movements while keeping his eyes downfield. Without his quick release and poise in the pocket the Titans passing game wouldnt have been functional. To compound those issues his receivers constantly left completions on the field.

 

Mariota lost a completion on an accurate throw because of receiver error once every nine attempts that season. No other quarterback lost a completion that often and when adjusted for receiver error his yards per attempt lept to 8.9, the sixth-best adjusted yards per attempt in the league. Not only were his receivers ruining plays by dropping balls, they also struggled to get open. Relying on Harry Douglas, Dorial Green-Beckham and Justin Hunter meant that Mariota was constantly throwing receivers open with precision and anticipation into tight windows.

 

In his second season Mariota was still an above average passer to each level of the field except past 20 yards. Dak Prescott was the only quarterback 25 or younger to have better accuracy percentages than Mariota. Prescotts numbers were enhanced by the types of throws he attempted and the conditions he played in. He could sit in the pocket and wait for wide open receivers. He rarely aggressively attacked tight coverages because he didnt have to. Furthermore, Prescott threw the ball short at a much higher rate. 39.8 percent of Mariotas passes travelled further than 10 yards downfield (fifth in the league), whereas 32.47 percent of Prescotts passes travelled that far (18th).

 

Only three quarterbacks had a deeper average depth of target than Mariotas 9.78 last season. A big reason for that was the teams reluctance to throw screen passes. 6.21 percent of his attempts were screen passes and only 39.49 percent of his yards came after the catch. 28 quarterbacks benefited from more yards after the catch.

 

The only time Mariota really struggled last season was during the first four weeks. Even then he was still making spectacular plays. In Week 2 against the Detroit Lions he was accurate on 80.65 percent of his passes. One of those accurate attempts came late in the fourth quarter when he hit DeMarco Murray down the seam for a 22-yard gain against tight coverage. Mariota was hit as he released the ball but still threw Murray open to the perfect spot on the field. That play set up the game-winning touchdown for Andre Johnson when Mariota diagnosed the coverage instantly by recognizing the linebacker turning his back to the quarterback over the middle of the field. Recognizing the linebackers movement allowed Mariota to fit a touch pass between two defenders to a spot where only Johnson could catch it even though the receiver was completely covered. Those two plays were of the highest degree of difficulty for a quarterback. They were the types of plays Mariota made repeatedly after the first month of the season.

 

Mariotas skill set is so wide and advanced that he didnt have major weaknesses to work on after his rookie season. His only real weakness is his deep ball, something Mularkey tries to emphasize. That meant his second season was about developing greater consistency and adding layers to things he was already doing at a high level.

 

Throwing receivers open against tight coverage against impending hits is something Mariota does better than all but one quarterback in the league: Aaron Rodgers. There are a few more quarterbacks who are better than him at cycling through progressions to find soft spots in different coverages, they are all older, less mobile, future hall of famers who have been in the league for more than a decade. Mariota is catching up to those guys in terms of manipulating defenders to create throwing lanes from the pocket. You could see very clear examples of him moving linebackers with his eyes against the Chiefs and the Packers.

 

Having a quarterback who can do all of that from the pocket consistently and make plays with his feet when hes forced out of the pocket is hugely valuable. Even when Mariota breaks the pocket his instinct isnt to run. He keeps his eyes up to exhaust every passing option before crossing the line of scrimmage. He is a reluctant runner. This means he gives plays every chance to succeed instead of running for four yards when theres an open receiver 40 yards downfield. He doesnt leave pockets without good reason to and he doesnt predetermine his decision to pass or run. Everything about Mariotas skill set sets him up to react to what the defense does and punish them for it.

 

Even with Mariotas skill set, playing in that type of aggressive passing game with a limited supporting cast should have led to more turnovers.

 

Mariota only threw nine interceptions last season he threw 26 touchdowns and his interception percentage was exactly two, the 12th-best rate among quarterbacks with at least 400 attempts.

 

Only 11 quarterbacks had a better interceptable pass rate than Mariota. None of those players played in a scheme that was as aggressive as his and Prescott was the only one from the 25-and-younger club.

 

A quarterback who takes care of the ball while getting the most out of every play by attacking the defense in different ways and elevating his teammates is what every team in the league desperately wants. If Eric Decker can regain his health and Corey Davis erases the concerns about his speed to stretch the field, the Titans will have recievers who can create their own separation and adjust at the catch point for the first time in their young quarterbacks career.

 

Mariota has 45 TD and only 19 INT, 6244 yards passing, and a 93.8 QB rating in his first two years despite having one of the poorest group of wideouts in the league so imagine how good he will be this year with sufficient talent for the first time.....

 

That will help the Titans move closer to the playoffs.

 

It will help Mariota move closer to the spotlight.

 

It will help us acknowledge that he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and the best young quarterback in the NFL.

 

In his two years in the league QB Marcus Mariota has thrown 33 TD and 0 INT during that span in the Red Zone and the Titans rank first in Red Zone efficiency at 72%

 

Dak cant match his precision into tight windows or his anticipation throws on intermediate routes. Winston cant take care of the ball while creating opportunities for his receivers the way Mariota can. Wentz shouldnt even be mentioned in this conversation.

 

Even the recently-minted Derek Carr doesnt have a broad enough skill set or consistent enough track record to challenge Mariota as the best young quarterback in the NFL.

 

 

[Mike75]

For the third time this season, QB Marcus Mariota guided the #Titans on a game-winning drive in the 4th quarter/OT.

 

 

12 plays. 73 yards. And the game-winning TD vs Cincy to pull the Titans to 6-3 on the season and first in their division.

 

 

Meanwhile Winston's Bucs are 3-6 and last in their division

 

 

For their career so far.......

 

Mariota----685 comp of 1,110 att,62% comp rate,8,300 yards, 53TD & 26 INT with a 91.3 passer rating

 

Winston---816 comp of 1,361 att,60% comp rate,10,050 yards,60TD & 39 INT with a 85.6 passer rating

 

[Mike75]

As for my feelings on this subject from the very beginning i was hoping Tennessee would get Mariota IF the choice came down to which one to pick as a franchise QB. In my opinion there were red flags with Winston most of it dealt with immaturity and just the way Winston acted and carried himself compared to Mariota. Sure there were some signs that Winston might be a bit more advanced in some areas of the game but overall i knew Mariota with his work ethic and attitude would come out ahead in the long run with this season being a good example.

[Deemer]

Both haven’t really done anything in nfl yet

[WeinkeToWarrick]

Winston has been hurt. Don’t be a dumbass homer

[Mike75]

I've kept up with this and been interested in it from the very beginning. Isn't my fault Mariota is the better QB that isnt homerism its the truth.

[KingRevolver]

Mariota > Crab legs