Mariota-Winston showdown begins arms race for rookie QBs linked forever
Peyton Manning vs. Ryan Leaf.
Drew Bledsoe vs. Rick Mirer.
Andrew Luck vs. Robert Griffin III.
Like with those quarterbacks chosen with the first two picks in their respective draft class, the same types of comparisons will be made throughout the careers of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota. Those judgments begin in earnest Sunday when the Winston-Mariota pairing will make its own NFL history.
For the first time, quarterbacks selected at No. 1 (Winston) and No. 2 (Mariota) overall in the same year will open their professional careers against each other when Tampa Bay hosts Tennessee.
"It's like two horses at the racetrack," Winston told the Tampa media earlier this week.
That means we can tell who is the early leader coming out of the gate.
The betting line for which quarterback would have the smoothest transition from the college ranks favored Winston coming out of last April's draft. Mariota, though, has bucked those odds. Even though he played in a spread offense at the University of Oregon compared to the pro-style system Winston operated at Florida State, Mariota looked more polished during preseason games.
"Marcus has adapted very well to NFL-style football. That's saying a lot," said Bill Polian, who wisely drafted Manning over Leaf when running the Indianapolis Colts in 1998. "When you think about a spread quarterback at the college level, he never calls a play. He never calls a protection. He reads one side of the field most of the time and has what amounts to option routes throughout. Lots of times, although this was not the case with Marcus, if his first read isn't there he's told to pull it down and run.
"That couldn't be more foreign to what he has to learn in the NFL — and he's essentially got six weeks (during the preseason) to learn it. The fact he's as far along as he is speaks to his intelligence, his work ethic and his character. All of the things where he got A-plus grades (coming out of the draft) are holding up throughout his short time in Tennessee."
Mariota completed 70 percent of his passes (21 of 30) during the preseason. He also avoided turning the football over after a fumble and interception on his first two series in the opener at Atlanta.
"He didn't have the up-and-down kind of play that Jameis did," an NFL personnel director told FOXSports.com. "It looks like they simplified some things for him. For a guy who was never in the huddle or taking snaps from center, he did some good things."
Free-agent wide receiver Derek Hagan, who played with Tennessee last season, agrees that the Titans have changed their offense to "cater to (Mariota's) style of play." Hagan is especially impressed with Mariota's accuracy and anticipation.
"I want to see if the quarterback is able to throw the ball before I'm coming out of my breaks," said Hagan, who has played with six different teams in eight NFL seasons. "If I'm running a 20-yard dig (route), I definitely want the ball to be in the air before I turn my head around. Some of those passes he threw this preseason were really on the money."
Winston was more erratic and turnover-prone than Mariota during his three preseason games. This wasn't all Winston's fault. He was sacked seven times playing behind a shaky offensive line fielding two other rookies in left tackle Donovan Smith and right guard Ali Marpet.
Winston also threw two interceptions in 47 pass attempts, which reflects the growing pains that afflict every newbie quarterback.
"He's making a lot of rookie mistakes — locking onto one receiver, not recognizing coverage and not working through all his progressions," the personnel director said. "But when he sees (an open receiver), he can throw it. He's got a strong, live arm.
"He's talented but it's going to take time. My guess is he's going to have some struggles."
Buccaneers cornerback Alterraun Verner believes that Winston is growing up quickly. Verner cites the fact Winston has already learned some of the passes he could get away with at FSU will cost him in the NFL.
"When he first came in, maybe he was forcing some things and doing a little bit extra," Verner said. "But I think he was just testing his limits. To me, that's what you've got to do in training camp. You can't just be comfortable. You should try some things out.
"He took some aggressive approaches. Now he's getting into a rhythm and realizing more and more of what he can and can't do every day."
Thanks to big-bodied wide receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, Polian believes Winston has a better group of targets to work with than Mariota. However, Mariota's superior mobility may give him an early edge over Winston just like it did when Griffin and Luck debuted in 2012.
Although Luck is now considered the far superior quarterback because he developed as a pocket passer and has avoided injury, Griffin won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a dynamic dual pass-run threat.
"Marcus stayed in the pocket this preseason for the most part," the personnel director said. "But that's something in his toolbox and I expect him to take off a little more during the regular season. Jameis is not the athlete Mariota is. He's kind of a plodder. He can run around a little bit, but he's not going to beat you with his legs where Mariota can take off for 80 (yards)."
Winston and Mariota probably won't be beating many teams in 2015. The Buccaneers and Titans both finished with the league's worst record last season at 2-14 and may not be much improved this year.
"Neither one of them will light the world on fire," Polian said of Mariota and Winston. "Of that I am sure."
But in the big picture, this season will go a long way toward determining whether the Bucs and Titans feel sure they finally found the franchise quarterback both franchises have sorely lacked. Otherwise, their names will start being mentioned alongside Mirer, Leaf and Griffin for the wrong reasons.
Alex Marvez interviewed Bill Polian, Derek Hagan and Alterraun Verner on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
