Marcus Mariota Named Week 1 AFC Offensive Player of the Week

Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota has been named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance in Week 1. He posted a perfect passer rating with four touchdowns in the team's 42-14 blowout victory over No. 1 pick Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mariota joined Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib and Miami Dolphins punt returner Jarvis Landry as the AFC's top players for opening weekend, NFL Vice President of Football Communications Michael Signora confirmed Wednesday.

The highly anticipated matchup between the top two picks in this year's draft turned into a dud, at least from a drama standpoint. The Titans rushed out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter on the strength of two Mariota touchdown passes and never looked back.

While the Oregon product shined, his counterpart struggled. Winston completed less than half his passes, had two interceptions to go along with his two touchdowns and got sacked four times.

Afterward, the Titans' newest star didn't want to put too much stock into one week, as noted by Jim Wyatt of the team's official site.

"It means we're 1 and 0," Mariota said. "For me, it's taking it one day at a time and just executing to the best of my abilities. It's a good start for us, but it's the first game. We have to continue to get better and not focus on stats."

Still, it was a performance that certainly deserved praise following questions about how quickly Mariota could transition to the NFL after working in the Ducks' spread system. Jon Zimmer, the NFL's director of AFC football communications, highlighted the rarity of his award win:

He's the first Titans offensive rookie to win the award in any week in nearly a decade, according to John Glennon of the Tennessean:

It was going to take a special outing for anybody to beat out Rob Gronkowski. The New England Patriots tight end put up five catches for 94 yards and three touchdowns in the Thursday night opener. But Mariota's outing, and perhaps the surprise nature of his terrific efficiency, earned him the nod.

"Rougher sledding surely awaits Mariota as the Buccaneers looked thoroughly unprepared for the task at hand in Week One, but that won’t make his debut performance any less impressive nor should it do much to temper the optimism provided by the first look at a player the Titans hope will run their offense for years to come," stated NBC Sports' Josh Alper following the announcement.

The rookie has a promising opportunity to keep his hot start rolling in Week 2. He goes up against a Cleveland Browns squad that allowed the New York Jets to post 31 points in the opener. Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick finished with a 95.7 passer rating in the win.

Mariota is right—it's just one game. That said, the Titans couldn't have asked for a better start to his career.