Mariota's Ceiling Heading Into the Season

So in order to fairly evaluate a qb, they have to have a good line, good backs and receivers, and a good defense, so as not to put undue pressure on them.

Of course, then you can't keep all that once you pay the qb.

 

What these guys don't get is that you can evaluate a qb in a bad situations. Forget what's happening around him. Focusing just on the qb you can determine is he causing himself sacks or is he throwing inaccurate passes. Is he going through his progressions. Just because he doesn't make a play doesn't mean he did anything wrong. Sometimes the play was doomed to fail whether it's an OL getting beat off the snap or a wr running the wrong route. That's how I have determined that despite the numbers Mariota is a good starting caliber nfl qb that gives us the best chance of winning. I didn't use the word great but he can get there

 

I never said that . I don't see Winston as a superior option. But at the same time, the last season that he had a defense comparable to ours, his team went 9-7.

For all of the talk about the supporting cast , a good defense is more important for young QBs unless they are phenoms like Mahomes. Once TB added Jackson, Howard, etc., the team got worse because they neglected the defense and put pressure on Winston to fully utilize the players around and win them games, and he clearly isn't that guy.

Keeping the score low, the running game relevant , and allowing Mariota to pull through at the end is clearly where he thrives. Not putting up gaudy numbers. So the team is not built for him to fail, despite what people want to believe

People like Mariota more than Winston because he's been put in a better position to succeed, given the kind of QB that he is. His career high # of TDs and wins came in 16 with far from his best supporting cast. He had Mike Evans, then a 2nd year Adam Humphries, bad offensive line, no running game. Simply because his defense was good enough to allow him to execute rather than carry the team. Nobody is expecting Mahomes numbers with his receivers, but they could absolutely be better than they've been

 

Yup

What’s mariotas record before the defense got good. 2-14

 

Defense has helped Mary a whole lot. I’ve said that and it’s been ignored. If our defense doesn’t allow just 18 points a game, we are in real bad shape!

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...st-to-second-spot-brady-cant-rescue-afc-east/

 

Sum this one up. I can’t watch it.

 

I said twice now that Winston sucks. Jwill or someone else referenced his stats. Ultimately, they aren't that different. Neither has shown the ability to carry a team, but both can be decently successful if they don't have to. They just go about it in different ways. Winston will take more risks, throw for more yards, but also commit more TOs. Mariota will be far more safe with the ball, less productive, but fewer TOs. Winston actually had a higher 3rd down conversion rate than Mariota (thank goodness we got Humphries), so it's not like he can't manage a game. But he hasn't shown the ability to do more than that, which is why he's not viewed in a favorable light right now, because TB has needed more in order to win