Fansided

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota set to face off week one

By Russell Johnson

Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) is defended by Florida State Seminoles cornerback P.J. Williams (26) and defensive end Chris Casher (21) on a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Oregoon defeated Florida State 59-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) is defended by Florida State Seminoles cornerback P.J. Williams (26) and defensive end Chris Casher (21) on a 23-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Oregoon defeated Florida State 59-20. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are set to face off week one when the Tennessee Titans visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Next: 15 biggest busts in NFL Draft history

The NFL schedule has been known for over a week now. We all knew that the Tennessee Titans would be playing in Tampa Bay in week one. With the teams holding the #1 and #2 picks playing each other in the first week it meant that a match up between the first two picks in the draft was possible. What wasn’t known is whether or not either team would trade back, with significant speculation that the Titans were going to trade the #2 pick, and if they didn’t then who those first two picks would be.

Well the first round of the draft has passed and neither team traded. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took QB Jameis Winston first and the Tennessee Titans took QB Marcus Mariota second. The two are assumed day-one starters and should be squaring off in Tampa Bay on September 13th.

However, it is not guaranteed that both quarterbacks will be starting one day one. The Bucs will almost certainly be rolling with Winston as their alternatives at the quarterback position have proven little and were never expected to be starting this season anyway. The Titans are in a slightly different situation.

For months the Titans have been talking up QB Zach Mettenberger who started six games for the Titans in the 2014 season. He suffered a shoulder injury late in the season and missed the few remaining games on the Titans schedule. Over the season he threw eight touchdown passes, seven interceptions, and over 1,400 yards. He performed relatively well with an extremely lackluster supporting cast. For many Mettenberger passed the eye test, despite failing to record a win in six starts.

With the Titans talking him up over the last few months it drove speculation that they had little interest in Mariota and were trying to drum up interest in teams looking to trade up. Now that the Titans have drafted Mariota it remains to be seen if they talked up Mettenberger because they believed in him or because they like Mariota and were really trying to get an RG3 trade haul for #2. When they failed to secure such an offer they took the player they wanted at #2. Will Mettenberger and Mariota compete for the starting job or will Mariota be handed the keys to the franchise? I honestly don’t think a team with as many holes as the Titans have would take a quarterback with #2 if they did not seriously intend to start him in week one.

The Bucs and Titans have played five times before with the Titans leading the series 4-1. Going further back the Bucs and Oilers also played five times and the Oilers finished that series 4-1. The Bucs under Winston will have a chance to secure that second win over the Titans. One of the first two quarterbacks taken will have the chance to start his career with a W.

Well, unless they tie, but let’s not consider such a possibility.

Next: Best NFL careers among former Heisman Trophy winners

More from NFL

Home/NFL