It will be the battle of rookie quarterbacks in Tampa Bay Sunday when Marcus Mariota and the Titans will take on Jameis Winston and the Buccaneers. The two former Heisman trophy winners were taken with the first two picks in the draft this spring, and both have the task of turning moribund franchises around.
NFL picks and predictions, Titans vs. Buccaneers 2015: Jameis Winston is the favorite over Marcus Mariota in debut
Marcus Mariota had a better preseason than Jameis Winston, but most experts think the No. 1 pick will win in his home debut Sunday.
Mariota had a more impressive preseason than Winston, finishing 21 of 30 for 326 yards with a touchdown, interception and passer rating of 102.9. Winston, conversely, struggled at times, completing 23 of 47 passes for 242 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions.
With that said, Winston appears to have an easier road in front of him Sunday. He has more weapons at his disposal than Mariota, including dynamic wideouts Vincent Jackson and, if healthy, Mike Evans. Running back Doug Martin is healthy for the first time in two years as well.
Martin may be the X-factor for the Buccaneers Sunday -- the Titans had the second-worst run defense in the league in 2014. Tennessee's secondary was in the middle of the pack, led by veterans Jason McCourty at corner and Michael Griffin at safety. If Tampa Bay can consistently gain yards on the ground, it would go a long way towards quelling coordinator Dick LeBeau's usually aggressive scheme.
The Bucs’ biggest weakness on defense is against the pass. Last season, they gave up the fourth-most passing yards in the league. The D was so bad, that head coach Lovie Smith announced in training camp he would be taking over play-calling duties.
But in order for Mariota to slice up Tampa Bay, he'll need big performances from Kendall Wright, Delanie Walker and free agent pickup Harry Douglas. Though Mariota meshed well with them in the preseason, things can be different when the games count for real.
The Titans haven’t made the playoffs since 2008 and the Buccaneers haven’t reached the postseason since ‘07. It’s unlikely Winston or Mariota will lead their teammates to the promised land this season, but both QBs will be looking to get off to strong starts. For Sunday, though, it appears as if there are more factors in Winston’s favor.
The CBS Sports panel doesn't agree, however, picking the visiting team by a 5-3 margin. The team at ESPN slightly favors the Bucs, 8-5.
But here at SB Nation, we have a consensus. All eight of our experts think the Buccaneers will be victorious in their home opener.
| Ryan Van Bibber | Stephen White | Joel Thorman | David Fucillo | Danny Kelly | Matt Ufford | PFT Commenter | OddsShark Computer | |
| TEN @ TB | TB | TB | TB | TB | TB | TB | TB | TB |
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