That season started 1-0 and ended 2-14.
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Coty Sensabaugh, starting in place of injured Titans cornerback Jason McCourty, picked off a sideline throw and ran 26 yards for a TD.
Just because Mariota and Winston were the top picks in the draft last year does not guarantee them an impressive rookie year.
Is Lovie Smith the right coaching fit for this team, or is he a more experienced version of Greg Schiano? Those were the questions Bucs fans were wrestling with after watching the performance by Winston.
Dick LeBeau looks at Jameis Winston and sees the next quarterback he must prepare to stop.
Or you could take off the pewter-colored sunglasses and embrace the misery.
Also, he said there were elements off Sunday’s flawless performance that weren’t ideal .
Counting his Rose Bowl win with the Ducks over Winston and Florida State in a national playoff semifinal game in January, Mariota is 2-0 against Winston. It was the only loss Winston suffered in 27 college starts. He threw interceptions earlier in the game but made up for his lackadaisical effort by the throwing two touchdowns later on, both to his colossal tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins.
But those six points were awarded to the wrong team.
PASS DEFENSE: A – Four sacks, two interceptions and they made Jameis Winston look like a skittish rookie. Short, crisp and efficient.
The Titans went into halftime with a 35-7 lead and Mariota boasting a flawless quarterback rating (158.3) completing 13-16 passing for four touchdowns.
Tarkenton did it for Minnesota against the Chicago Bears on September 17, 1961. Mariota handled his first game with poise and a matter-of-factness of a veteran. “I can’t perform like that in the home opener, but I will perform better, and I hope the fans stay with us”. “For me, it’s taking it one day at a time and just executing to the best of my abilities”. Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt wants better checks, huddle management and communication with the line. “But it’s one game”. A football team is always going to be the sum of all parts, so it’s not fair to pin all of this on Winston. That’s what we’ve done in preseason games. But one would expect a measure of progress. “You have to keep that in perspective”, he added. “It’s a huge game for us”, McCoy said. All you’ve got is yourself, so you’ve got to bounce back and continue to play.
And, like the Bucs, Tennessee started a rookie quarterback.
Although it was technically an unprecedented match up, the result was surely reminiscent of a certain college football game last January. He had only two scores in his entire rookie season, so it’s a big step toward his emergence in Year Two. I also enjoyed seeing the defensive calls being more aggressive than seasons past.
The Winston-Mariota comparisons will rage for as long as they play.
“We have to do our job”. There’s a chance that even if he does play past the questionable listing, the Bucs could limit him to key situations in today’s game.
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That’s the problem. They did just that.
