Ive watched Tennessee a lot since Mariota went there and I have hated how theyve handled him. Who knows if he was going to be good or not, but theyve played some of the most boring and predictable offense I have EVER seen in the NFL. They run the ball up the middle for like 2 yards about 20-25 times a game. Only pass when its an obvious pass situation and they have 0 play makers on offense. Every time they hire a new coach and OC its the same we want to play smashmouth football nonsense that doesnt work in the NFL anymore. Now maybe Mariota wouldve been a bust anyways but theyve literally had thhe most boring offense in the NFL for a few years now and never seem to really do anything about it. Sucks for Mariota and the whole team.
Option and Air Raid QB's almost always troubles at the next level but Mariota's seem severe. He really hasn't developed into a pocket passer at the next level and his elusiveness is gone because everyone is so fast in the NFL. His ability to read a defense isn't the greatest either. Not like it was at the college level where the fast plays just flowed into one another. In the NFL where pre snap reads and timing is crucial, it's a whole new ball game. It hasn't helped that his last two coaches have been absolutely useless at fitting him with an offense that is complementary.
It's a combination of issues. He's injury prone. His receivers are utter trash. The offense has been very poorly run for most of his career there. I still think Mariota can be a good NFL QB, but that sport relies on so many things. Good line, good receivers, and then just having good health.
Listen, I love the guy as much as anybody, but about 5 of those sacks today were his fault. And I agree his receivers are trash, but his line is decent now (when it isn't injured.) Sadly, the NFL is one of those sports where individual performance often times isn't the sole arbiter of great success. Let's hope he does put it together with his current team. It would be sad if he becomes a retread on another team somewhere.
