Never in your right mind did you think you would be excited to watch the Titans and the Buccaneers, but there's a first time for everything -- including the NFL debuts of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. The top-two picks in the 2015 NFL Draft will meet on Sunday, writing the first chapter of their NFL careers.
For those out of network, the contest between the two can be found here (requires free trial registration).
At least one @NFL team has gone worst-to-first in 11/12 seasons. Jets, Browns, Titans, Raiders, Redskins, Bears, Bucs, Rams your candidates.
— Andrew Siciliano (@AndrewSiciliano) September 12, 2015
Preview
Game Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium
Weather: 84°F, Cloudy
Odds: Buccaneers -3, per Bovada
Radio: Tennessee (Titans Radio); Tampa Bay (620 WDAE)
Combined ages of Jameis Winston & Marcus Mariota on Sunday: 43 years, 203 days. 4 QBs played in the NFL at that age: pic.twitter.com/eHuIAv53uB
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 11, 2015
What They're Saying
Titans QB Marcus Mariota on his dedication to the fans, per Titans Online: "The community, the people here, everyone has been so awesome to me. It reminds me a lot of home as far as how nice people are, and respectful. And the way people have treated me, how they seem so genuinely happy for me to be here, it makes me even more motivated to do well."
Bucs QB Jameis Winston on the comparisons with Mariota, per the Daily Commercial: "It's not about us. It's about our teams. It's the Bucs versus the Titans. I'd rather the headline be the score than something about individual players."
Performance To Examine
Granted, all eyes will be on Winston -- the No. 1-overall pick -- but it's the performance of Doug Martin that will alleviate the pressure on him. The 26-year-old, suffering through injuries, is yet to return to his rookie-season form. Despite running for 2,404 yards, Martin is yet to average four yards per carry since 2012.
He will need to do so if Winston is to survive the rigors of the NFL.
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