What a Difference a Week Makes: Mariota, Winston Remind Us They're Just Rookies

Anytime a team relies on a rookie quarterback to lead its offense, the franchise should fully expect the ups and downs of a roller-coaster season. 

Each and every week, coaches spout some variation of the following saying: "We take the season one game at a time." But too many become prisoners of the moment and get too high or low based on a singular performance. 

This couldn't have been more true for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans after last week's 42-14 blowout meeting between the two organizations. 

Questions immediately surfaced about whether the Buccaneers chose the right quarterback in Jameis Winston with the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL draft.

Marcus Mariota, whom the Titans selected a pick later, carved up an outmatched Buccaneers defense. In fact, the Oregon product tied an NFL rookie record during the contest with four touchdown passes in a season opener and a perfect passer rating.

Mariota tied the record originally set by Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton. The Minnesota Vikings great also threw four touchdown passes in his rookie debut against the Chicago Bears to open the 1961 season.

Winston, meanwhile, finished the contest 16-of-33 for 210 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The young quarterback was sacked four times, too. He was under duress throughout the game and never reached any type of comfort level. 

Tarkenton even questioned Winston's selection over Mariota, per the Tennessean's Jason Wolf: 

"

You look on the other side, the No. 1 pick, Jameis Winston, he was a deer in headlights. He was uncomfortable. He didn’t know where to go with the football. He threw his first pass for a pick-six. I mean, he may figure it out tomorrow or next year or later on, but your guy (Mariota) has figured it out. Your guy has a great chance of being a really good quarterback and maybe even better than that.

The other one, if I’m in Tampa Bay, you know what I do today? I’d be scared s---less. I put my No. 1 pick, passed over Mariota for this guy, and (Mariota) proved he can play at this level, and this guy we’ve got hasn’t proved it.

"

Well, Mr. Tarkenton, it takes longer for some than others. In Winston's case, it took one game longer.

Winston rallied after his disappointing first start to play an efficient game during the Buccaneers' 26-19 victory over the rival New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. This year's No. 1 overall pick completed 14-of-21 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown. The Florida State product ran for another score. 

What became even more apparent than simply being productive was Winston standing tall in the pocket and delivering. He wasn't rattled and made smart decisions.

Once Winston gets comfortable, the young quarterback can sling the football as well as anyone in the NFL. 

His 15-yard touchdown toss to veteran wide receiver Vincent Jackson served as a perfect example of the laser-like precision Winston can display. 

The NFL provided a video of the impressive throw: 

Winston's ball placement on this particular pass was exceptional. The quarterback cleared the dropping linebacker while putting the ball only where his receiver could make the catch, even with a trailing defensive back in pursuit. 

Arm talent is an often overused and even ambiguous term for talented quarterbacks with ample arm strength, stellar accuracy and top-notch touch. One of the reasons Winston was touted as an elite quarterback prospect was due to his arm talent. The previous throw exemplified everything for which the term is used. 

Two other areas of growth in Winston's game became evident versus the Saints.

First, he trusted an experienced wide receiver after Jackson suggested where the ball should be thrown for a touchdown. 

"Me and Vince have a tremendous connection," Winston said after the game, per Buccaneers.com's Scott Smith. "Him being a veteran, he always tells me, 'Hey, man, when you see the middle of the field open, take it to a post.' I did it, and we completed it."

Second, Winston displayed the ability to create plays. The pocket wasn't always perfect, but the first-year signal-caller showed better pocket presence and even completed a 54-yard bomb to Louis Murphy, working his way to the right before uncorking the pass.

As previously mentioned, the quarterback also ran for a touchdown. Winston carried the ball six times for 23 yards. He's not going to be a big threat running the football, but he can use his legs if needed. 

Of course, there are still areas where Winston needs to improve. Ball security tops the list after losing a fumble, his third in two games (only one was lost). 

After facing two subpar defenses in the Titans and the Saints, next week will be another new experience for Winston when the Buccaneers travel to Houston to face J.J. Watt and the Texans. 

Player	Comp. %	Yards	Total TD	Turnovers
Mariota	64.2	466	6	2
Winston	55.6	417	4	3

Mariota, on the other hand, couldn't possibly live up to the lofty expectations he set during his introductory performance. And he didn't in the Titans' 28-14 loss to the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

While the Titans' young signal-caller added two more touchdown strikes to his total, Mariota also experienced what it's like for an aggressive defense to dictate a game. 

The Browns harassed Mariota throughout the contest and sacked the quarterback seven times. The Oregon product learned the hard way not to hold the ball too long, courtesy of SB Nation:  

It's a constant learning process for all young players. The Titans quarterback immediately understood which areas he must improve. 

"For the most part we knew where the pressures were coming from," Mariota said after the game, per ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky. "They did a good job of just kind of executing their game plan. ...I've got to do a better job with the football, throwing the ball away, getting the ball out of my hand quick so that we're not taking unnecessary sacks and losing the football."

Due to the pressure and numerous hits, Mariota fumbled the ball three times, and Cleveland recovered two of them. The quarterback also benefited from mistakes being glossed over due to penalties called on Browns defenders. 

But it wasn't a complete loss for the Titans and their prize under center. 

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

The team trailed, 21-0, at halftime. The Browns defense completely overwhelmed the Titans offense through two quarters, but Tennessee's staff made adjustments and Mariota came roaring back in the second half. 

After two touchdown passes, Mariota and the Titans closed the gap to 21-14 before the Browns slammed the door shut with a final score. However, the quarterback's play during the third and fourth quarters showed the kind of resilience needed of any successful signal-caller. He adjusted, played at a much higher level and brought his team within one score.

While the ultimate goal is to win the game, Mariota had every reason to give up and not play well in the second half. The quarterback was clearly battered and bruised. Nothing went his way. But he still responded when the team needed him to do so. 

In every game, positives and negatives can be found. This is especially pertinent when discussing rookies and their performances. 

After two weeks, everyone has now seen plenty of positives and negatives from Winston and Mariota. Both are extremely talented, but they should be expected to experience peaks and valleys throughout their inaugural campaign. It just so happens Mariota started on a peak, while Winston began in a valley. 

This week's lesson is simple:  Don't freak out over one game, particularly if it involves a rookie quarterback or two. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.