Marcus Mariota’s first NFL game a real jaw-dropper

TAMPA, Fla. >> They call it the “wow” factor, when an NFL rookie’s eyes seemingly become as big as softballs in the glare of all that surrounds his debut.

Only when it came to Marcus Mariota on Sunday, it was a Raymond James Stadium crowd of 63,945, a national TV audience and, yes, even some Tennessee Titans teammates who were rendered wide-eyed by a record-setting four-touchdown first-half performance.

“You know, I really shouldn’t be surprised by anything Marcus (Mariota) does, but today I guess I am,” Titans wide receiver Kendall Wright said after the quarterback guided Tennessee to a 42-14 season-opening victory over Tampa Bay.

Wright said, “We knew he wasn’t an ordinary rookie, but … ”

Mariota’s parents, Alana Deppe-Mariota and Toa, who sat among the stunned, early-to-depart Buccaneer fans, said they were “Speechless.” In a text message, Alana wrote, “Amazing. Humbled. Proud.”

Wright caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Mariota on the game’s fifth play and, faster than you could say Kalaepohaku, the rout was on as Mariota completed 10 of 13 first-half passes for 175 yards for the four TDs in marching the Titans to a 35-7 halftime lead.

The four touchdowns matched the most for a rookie quarterback’s debut, but the only other one to accomplish it, Minnesota’s Fran Tarkenton, needed part of the second half against the Chicago Bears in 1961.

“I’ve waited a long time for this (NFL debut), and I just wanted to do the best job I could,” Mariota said.

He did so well the Titans pulled him at the end of the third quarter and he spent the fourth on the sideline watching last year’s starter, Zach Mettenberger, finish up.

Asked if he exceeded even his own lofty expectations, Mariota started down a familiar ah-shucks path, then said, “You know, I … yes,” and proceeded to pass the credit to his line, receivers, backs and coaches.

Suddenly the much-anticipated showdown of the No. 1 (Jameis Winston) and No. 2 (Mariota) picks in the April NFL Draft and the past two Heisman Trophy winners was a blowout. If it had been a boxing match, Winston and the Buccaneers would have been counted out in the first half.

Overall Mariota completed 13 of 16 passes for 209 yards, achieving a “perfect” quarterback rating of 158.3. Winston completed 16 of 33 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns , but was intercepted twice and had a rating of 64.0. One of the interceptions, on his first pass of the game, was returned 26 yards for a touchdown by safety Coty Sensabaugh.

Asked if fans might wonder if Tampa Bay took the wrong quarterback with its No. 1 pick, Winston said, “Well, when somebody plays as great as he (Mariota) did, of course, you are going to say that. But it is not how you start it is about how you finish.”

Mariota, the only quarterback to beat Winston in college when Oregon won the 2014 Rose Bowl, 59-20, characteristically downplayed it.

“I don’t put much thought into that. Jameis is one of those guys — he’s a great competitor, even in college. They’re never out of it,” Mariota said. “Jameis is going to bounce back from this and, I’m sure, will be ready next week.”

In the lead up to the NFL Draft, Mariota was regarded with some skepticism as a pro prospect because he came from a read-option offensive system at Oregon and didn’t work from a huddle or under center.

Moreover, there were questions about whether Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt could adapt a system to Mariota’s special, out-of-the-pocket talents.

But Sunday Mariota worked from under center and out of the shotgun (going 10-for-10), he ran a read option and he operated from the pocket.

Whisenhunt praised Mariota’s first NFL completion, a key third-and-10 pass with which Mariota, in the pocket, hit an opening between two defensive backs on a 22-yard pass to Delanie Walker.

“That was an in-the-pocket throw to Delanie that got us going,” Whisenhunt said. “That was huge.”

Then, on the next play, Mariota faked a read-option, froze a defender and hit Wright for what became the 52-yard touchdown.

Whisenhunt said, “I feel like we have a pretty good mix, but only time will tell.”

Wide receiver Harry Douglas said Mariota has been a quick, thorough study and painstaking worker, “picking up everything very quickly.” More than that, Douglas said, “He was born with that cool, calm and collected ability.”

So cool, at times, Mariota almost seemed to take the remarkable success in stride. When he was asked why he wasn’t more demonstrative in celebrating his successes on the field, Mariota said, “A long time ago one of my (junior varsity) coaches (Craig Stutzmann at Saint Louis School) told me, and my dad (Toa) reiterated it, they said, ‘you’ve got to act like you’ve been there before.’”

From the looks of it Sunday, he has — and will be again.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.

FACEOFF

In a showdown between the past two Heisman Trophy winners, Marcus Mariota got the better of Jameis Winston.