Tennessee Titans

Marcus Mariota vs. Jameis Winston four-round scorecard

Published Sep. 13, 2015 5:09 p.m. ET

foxsports

Score: Titans- 21 Buccaneers- 0

Mariota: 6-of-9 passing for 130 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions

Winston: 3-of-6 passing for 29 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception

Marcus Mariota immediately started the 2015 season off with a bang, throwing a 52-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Kendall Wright. That alone gave him the early edge in this competition, but things got worse for Winston's case as soon as the Buccaneers got the ball.

Winston's very first NFL pass went worse than you could possibly imagine, as it was an awful pick-six.

While both Winston and Mariota have had some questionable throws, the numbers don't lie. Mariota gets a big edge in the opening round after leading his team to a big lead and posting impressive numbers.

The Buccaneers are driving currently, though, as Winston is looking to get his team on the board and back in this one.

Round two: Mariota over Winston 10-8

Score: Titans- 35 Buccaneers- 7

Mariota: 10-of-13 passing for 175 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, two rushes for six yards

Winston: 6-of-12 passing for 70 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, six rushes for 18 yards, one fumble

This one's turning into a rout before we've even hit halftime. Mariota has a whopping four touchdowns through the first half of his NFL debut, while Winston has made quite a few errant passes, including his second interception.

If Winston can't find a way to turn this around soon, this one may result in us having to call the fight early. Seeing one, or both of the teams turn to their backups at any point would be a disappointment, but don't be surprised if it winds up happening.

The third quarter is a huge one for Winston, but regardless, it's obvious that the No. 1 overall pick has plenty to improve on moving forward. On the other side, Mariota is turning into one of the biggest winners of Week 1.

Round three: TKO for Mariota

Mariota: 13-of-16 passing for 209 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, two rushes for six yards

Winston: 8-of-16 passing for 87 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions, six rushes for 18 yards, one fumble

It seems as though the first matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks is now in the bag.

When the fourth quarter was set to begin, it was backup quarterback Zach Mettenberger who came out for the Titans. Tennessee head coach Ken Whisenhunt has officially called off the dogs and pulled Mariota from this one.

Mariota wrapped up his first NFL start with a perfect passer rating, according to the team's official Twitter account.

Unfortunately for Winston, he was never able to get the Buccaneers offense rolling the way that Mariota did. It seems as though the future is bright in Tennessee, while there are still plenty of question marks in Tampa Bay.

(h/t @Titans)