Both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota had strong rookie years, but only one will truly dominate going forward. Their teams are on the rise, so the question remains. Who ya got?
Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream, and debate sports.
TODD:
Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston, who ya got? Everyone needs to pick a side. This is the great debate of the millennium generation; what Peyton Manning versus Tom Brady was for the previous generation. Well, maybe it’s more like Matt Ryan versus Joe Flacco in that the stakes are a bit lower at this point. But nevertheless, Mariota versus Winston is the debate.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
I am on Team Winston, mostly because I, along with everyone else, have already forgotten why we hated him so much prior to being drafted into the NFL. No one cares about his sexual assault case anymore. No one cares about the stolen crabs legs or the swearing in public or anything else that happened while he was in college.
Those events are simply to affect someone’s draft stock. They have no effect on an NFL career once the player establishes himself as anything above a complete moron.
That means the Mariota/Winston discussion is back to the field and the field alone. And when that happens, Winston wins in my mind. First off, he played all season, finishing 14th in pass attempts and 11th in yards, topping 4,000. His completion percentage was low, but that goes with the territory of being a rookie quarterback who slings the ball deep.
And Winston did play well beyond the line of scrimmage. He was 12th in yards per attempt and tied for sixth in the league in 20+ yard plays. He was also only sacked 27 times, which speaks to his pocket presence and awareness as a first-year QB. Though they play different styles, Mariota was sacked 38 times in far fewer drop-backs.
Mariota’s edge on Winston was always going to be accuracy in the underneath passing game and his ability to scramble. However, last year Mariota only out-rushed Winston by 42 yards, and that included an 87-yard burst. And while Mariota scored twice on the ground, Winston became a short-yardage weapon, scoring six times on the ground. Mariota is obviously still the more skilled and effortless runner, but does he really have such a tremendous edge in this regard, especially if it makes him prone to injury?
Related Story: Who Goes First Overall in Fantasy Football Drafts?
The weapons around Winston look better than what’s in Tennessee. That will help Winston in a head-to-head matchup, but a player’s team factors into this. I expect Tampa Bay to be better than the Titans in 2016, and I expect Winston to be the superior quarterback this year and over the course of their respective careers.
Also, just because this can’t possibly hurt my argument, Winston apparently has a brand new beach bod!
DAN:
The number of sacks that Mariota endured last season is definitely alarming, but despite your attempts to skew the stats in Winston’s favor, it was Mariota who played better overall. Because he played in fewer games, it would appear that Winston topped Mariota statistically. But that is simply wrong.
The most important statistical category for quarterbacks is completion percentage, especially as a rookie. It sets the tone for your career and is a huge indication of things to come. Sure players improve, but beginning your career with a high mark is the benchmark. Mariota put up 62.2% completion last season while Winston managed only 58.3% completion. That may not seem like much, but 60% is the over/under line and only one of our two signal callers made the over.
Mariota also won the yards per attempt battle with Winston, recording 7.62 yards per passing play as compared to Winston’s 7.56 yards per attempt. It’s a small margin, but let’s keep going. Winston tossed three more touchdowns that Mariota in significantly more action on the field. It took him 535 pass attempts to Mariota’s 370 to get only three more scores. Mariota also kept his interceptions down, which speaks volumes to his play going forward. Winston only had 15 picks, but Mariota managed a mere ten interceptions all season.
More NFL: RG III Sparks Magic in Cleveland
The sacks concern me and I do believe Tampa Bay is better than Tennessee this season, at least on paper. But going forward its Mariota who is the better quarterback. Both players are trending up, but the man leading the Titans has done a lot more in fewer attempts thus far. I realize injuries may derail this conversation, but if both players stay healthy, I want Mariota leading my football team.