Oregons Marcus Mariota yet to prove hes franchise QB By Bucky Brooks NFL Media analyst Published: Oct. 3, 2014 at 10:22 a.m EUGENE, Ore. -- There is nothing like having the opportunity to watch a franchise quarterback play in a big game with championship implications. The atmosphere mirrors the pressurized environment of playing in a prime-time game at the next level. Thus, I was excited to see Oregon QB Marcus Mariota play against Arizona in front of a raucous crowd Thursday at Autzen Stadium. Now, I knew a host of injuries along the offensive line left the Ducks shorthanded in this Pac-12 showdown, but I wanted to see how the junior performed without a stellar supporting cast. I thought this game would reveal a lot about Mariotas talent, leadership, competitiveness and football character. Most importantly, I believed this contest would give the redshirt-junior standout a terrific opportunity to display the it factor that is essential to succeeding as a franchise quarterback at the next level. From a talent standpoint, Mariotas performance against the Wildcats confirmed that hes a special player with all of the physical tools to succeed as a quarterback at the next level. Hes an explosive athlete with rare speed and quickness for the position who also displays elite arm talent as a passer. Mariota is capable of making every throw from the pocket with zip and velocity, while also displaying adequate ball placement and accuracy on touch throws. Although he misfired on a handful of intermediate throws down the seam, he appeared to be comfortable delivering darts on curls and switch routes at the edge of the numbers. He displayed outstanding velocity, anticipation and timing on those throws, leading me to believe he could certainly play in a quick-rhythm offense built around short and intermediate throws. As a deep-ball passer, Mariota didnt have many opportunities to push the ball down the field against the Wildcats defense, but he connected on a few deep routes to Devon Allen and Dwayne Stanford that showcased his anticipation and timing on seam throws. He dropped the ball into the bucket on each throw, displaying great touch and trajectory on those throws. In addition, Mariota showed excellent touch on a deep ball down the sideline to Darren Carrington, but the pass was ruled incomplete when officials confirmed that the tip of the ball touched the ground when the lanky receiver extended to pull the ball in. Regardless, the timing and throw were on point, and I came away impressed with his ability to float the ball down the boundary on fade routes. Looking at Mariota work within the pocket, I thought the Oregon standout showed patience, courage and toughness behind a leaky offensive line. Despite taking a host of big hits from the blindside, he didnt appear to flinch with defenders in close proximity nor flee the pocket at the first sign of leakage. While I wouldnt mind seeing Mariota use his athleticism and agility to avoid some of the shots that he received from Wildcat defenders, I walked away encouraged by his willingness to endure a pounding while attempting to push the ball down the field. However, I must point out that he needs to do a better job of protecting the football in the pocket after watching him lose a pair of fumbles on strip-sacks on the perimeter. If I had to point out some other concerns from Mariotas performance, I would cite his overall pocket awareness and anticipation. He occasionally runs into sacks when he runs around within the pocket. Although the poor protection along the line leads to the miscues, Mariota needs to learn how to step up and around defenders within a collapsing pocket to deliver accurate strikes down the field. Sure, he does it on occasion, but he must excel in this area to be an efficient pocket passer at the next level. I always believe its important to evaluate quarterbacks in two-minute and late-game situations to see how they handle the pressure of having to make big plays in a crisis. Against Arizona, I was a little disappointed in how Mariota performed with the game on the line. Although he had the Ducks marching down the field on the final drive, he committed a fatal turnover that sealed his teams fate. Now, I certainly understand that a primary ball handler will have some miscues, but Mariotas penchant for fumbling upon contact (two fumbles and he lost the ball on a touchdown) is an issue that needs to be addressed. He cant continue to put the ball on the turf in key situations because turnovers are typically the deciding factor in big games. Additionally, Mariota needs to show evaluators that he can deliver in the clutch to alleviate concerns about his poise, composure and performance under pressure. With the Ducks explosive offense running roughshod over most opponents, Mariota rarely is thrust into a high-pressure situation with the game on the line. If he gets another opportunity to bring the Ducks back in the final minutes, he must deliver to confirm his status as a clutch performer. Overall, I walked away from the game with a solid feel for Mariota and his game. While hes an impressive athlete with considerable arm talent, he remains a bit of a developmental prospect as a dropback passer. Sure, a creative offensive play caller can mask Mariotas deficiencies by running some of the core concepts of the spread, but Mariota will only become a franchise player when he learns how to consistently win from the pocket.
Posted on: Sat, 04 Oct 2014 18:30:00 +0000