Mariota best start for a rookie debut

Let's pump the brakes a here a bit... Yes, Mariota had a great 1st game, and it appears he's off to a good start. However, part of the game plan took advantage of plays he was already familiar with in College. What happens when teams start to key in on his tendencies, and start to shut him down? Mariota is going to struggle, and he's going to have to over-come the adversity to make it in the NFL

1 game down and 15 more to go. We have the Browns next week, and hope that Tennessee will have just as good of a game plan against their defense as they did vs. the Bucs.

 

solds a strong word. I ain't ready to guarantee a h.o.f career. But if you're a titan fan and aren't 119% thrilled over our play today and his specifically, then there is a problem

 

I saw him beat my Tennessee Vols during the 2013 season, and really shredded a good USC team (when Matt Barkley was a senior) a season or two before that...then I watched parts of some other games, including the big win against Mich St. last year, against Ariz, and the playoff games. I was ALWAYS impressed with him.

That's why I was so fervent on here and other forums, that we take Mariota...when the vast majority was wanting us to "Give Zach a Chance"...even though Zach was 0-6 last year. They wanted us to take DT Leonard Williams or trade the pick for a blockbuster deal. I'm glad the Titans brass didn't see it that way, and stuck with Marcus. I'm also glad Tampa picked the wrong QB...SO glad. Bet Lovie Smith was thinking during the game..."Damn, I could'a had a V-8...I mean Mariota."

 

I think there will be defenses itching to take away everything short and force him to go long. The first day that happens, It could be a tough day. But I fully think he and his coach will adjust in time.

 

Way to find a dark cloud in a clear blue sky, Cletus.

 

The throw to Wright for the first score was an intermediate one...not a dink and dunk. The throw to Hunter in the end zone, in the 3rd Qtr. (Tampa Bay was penalized for interference) was intermediate to long. So, he just just played a good game.

What's making him stand out is that he make good decisions....quick decisions...has a very quick and smooth delivery....and most importantly, he's very accurate. Mettenberger was deficient in a number of those categories last year, and why I think he would have struggled a bit, if it was him in there as the starter.

 

BTW...David Climer said not to.

Proceed with Caution? Why? Mariota looks the part

By David Climer

TAMPA, Fla. — The inclination here is to tell Titans fans to pump the brakes just a bit by pointing out this was a perfect storm, not perfect football by the rookie quarterback.
This was, after all, against the lowly Buccaneers. Consider the competition.

But you know what? I’ll back off.

After the utter misery of the last few seasons, including that 2-14 disaster in 2014, you deserve this moment, Titans fans. Enjoy.

Face it: This was a debut for the ages. If first impressions are any indication, the Titans finally have found their franchise quarterback. One game into his NFL career, Marcus Mariota looks like the real deal.

“I tell people all the time he’s going to be a special player in this league,” said veteran wide receiver Harry Douglas, who caught one of Mariota’s four touchdown passes. “I’ve got to make sure I get one of his jerseys to hang on my wall because he’s only going to get better from here. … It’s a beautiful thing to have a young guy who’s so smart and so dynamic and feels so comfortable running the offense.”


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Mariota’s stats were exceptional in the 42-14 victory — 13-of-16 passing for 209 yards and four touchdowns, with a passer rating of 158.3. The way the NFL keeps score, that’s a perfect passer rating.

“He set the bar pretty high in his debut,” tackle Taylor Lewan said. “Now we’ve just got to keep on keeping on.”

For his part, Mariota is a bottom-line guy. Asked what it meant for him to open his NFL career with a four-touchdown day, he said:

“It means we’re 1-0. For me, it’s just taking it one day at a time and executing to the best of my abilities. It’s a good start but it’s just the first game.”

Besides, this goes far beyond mere numbers. Mariota passed both the stat test and the look test. He handled everything that came his way. He looked like an NFL veteran, not a rookie in his first regular-season game.

Mariota easily outplayed Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, the only player picked ahead of him in the last draft. Winston often seemed unsure and off-target until he padded his stats against Titans subs in the fourth quarter when the game was far out of hand.

In contrast, Mariota’s only real glitches came at the game’s outset. His first two passes looked rushed. The timing was off.

But then he converted a third-and-10 situation with a strike to tight end Delanie Walker over the middle, splitting two defenders.

“That was a big third down,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “To me, that’s huge.”

On the next play, Wright turned a short slant route into a touchdown and the rout was on.

As the Titans kept scoring and Mariota continued to make it look easy, I found myself wondering if that offense he ran in college at Oregon held him back.

Just kidding.

But as good as Mariota was in the college spread, he appears just as comfortable in an NFL system. He was poised in the pocket. He waited for patterns to develop. When necessary, he moved out of harm’s way before delivering strikes.


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Along the way, it became clear that Whisenhunt wasn’t kidding when he said he had borrowed elements from the Quack Attack and incorporated them into his offense. The Titans used several plays that began with the zone-read look that is a staple of Oregon’s offense.

On those plays, Mariota usually followed through with a handoff to a running back. But there were times when he pulled the ball back and then passed.

Late in the half, with the Titans already ahead 28-7, Mariota faked a handoff to Dexter McCluster and bolted to his left on an apparent run. As the defense converged, he threw a dart to wide-open tight end Anthony Fasano for 18 yards.

"It’s a concept that I had run previously at the University of Oregon,” he said. “It was very comfortable for me to go out and do that and have success with it.”

That play set up Mariota’s fourth touchdown pass of the first half, a 1-yard bullet to Walker.


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Amid all the superlative stats and impressive play, let’s not get too carried away. Don’t send Mariota’s jacket size to Canton or make reservations for Super Bowl 50 just yet. Remember, a year ago at this time, the Titans won impressively at Kansas City and Jake Locker looked like he was coming of age at quarterback.

That didn’t work out so well, did it?

This, though, is a new season. Let’s take it for what it is: a fresh start with a very promising quarterback.

Reach David Climer at 615-259-8020 and on Twitter @DavidClimer.

 

No one is saying we're going 19-0 and Mariota is bound for the Hall of Fame. We just won 42-14 after totalling 2 wins last year. Relax a bit. I have full faith in Mariota being at least a capable NFL QB. This wasn't just a big win for the fans but a big win for the players and the organization. We may think of players just being emotional robots but there is definitely a momentum shift happening in Nashville.

 

So you spend the entire off-season trashing Mariota and after one game you're over it? Cool.

 

a debut for the record books indeed..we are so lucky and blessed to have this young man representing our franchise...we have a STAR on our hands guys!!