Overreaction on Rookie Quarterbacks? 

 

 
This past week, multiple teams set foot in week one of the preseason. Two quarterbacks that got their first looks were Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston, as well as Tennessee Titans’ Marcus Mariota. 

Winston would finish 9-19 on passing completions, throwing for 131 yards. While this seems unimpressive, Winston did show some signs of life. The rookie quarterback did ultimately throw an interception in which the Colts would convert into a touchdown, so there is a lot of speculation that there are more turnovers coming in the future from him. 

Marcus Mariota completed almost all of his attempts against the Atlanta Falcons, yet made similar mistakes as Winston. The former Oregon Duck would also throw an interception, and went on to fumble the ball later on in the game.  

What does all of this mean? Practically nothing. These two young players are so full of talent that it seems crazy to judge them off of one preseason game. 

Winston ended up scrambling in the end zone for a rushing touchdown, and multiple passes were incomplete because of flawless coverage. 

Mariota on the other hand had no problem when it came to incompletion. Turnovers seemed to be his only mistake. The rookie would go on to admit that he can “learn from it”, so it’s not like this is something fans should expect to see on a weekly basis. 

Critics often judge players with high expectations, but it’s important to give these specific rookies time to develop. There are still three preseason games to be played, and it should be interesting to see how fast each quarterback will be able to transition.