Why Major Concerns with Marcus Mariota's Game Are Mostly FictionBrent Sobleski NFL Draft Analyst Feb 6, 2015 
Jae C. Hong/Associated Press Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota is even better than most think.The constant narrative written about Mariota is that he isn't NFL-ready, that Oregon's system contributed to his success and he will have trouble transitioning to the professional ranks as a result.An unidentified veteran NFL offensive coach told ESPN.com's Mike Sando that the primary concerns surrounding Mariota's games are generally overblown:It is mostly a bunch of bull. What is interesting about Oregon is that they have most of the pro concepts in their pass offense. The easiest thing to teach is how to play football under center. The bottom line is, when Mariota gets the ball in his hands and drops from there, he has no problems. He is athletic and he is so in control of everything—on the sideline, on the field, how he handles himself. Plus, he is every bit as tall as Winston.Let's set aside the fact Mariota spent 99 percent of his time in shotgun and dissect the three major concerns surrounding the quarterback prospect.First, the process to come to these conclusions must be explained.Four of Mariota's games were broken down twice in order to see every single throw and ascertain what the quarterback was looking at, expected to do and whether he accomplished his goals.The aforementioned games came this past season against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the Florida State Seminoles in the Rose Bowl, the UCLA Bruins and the Washington Huskies. These four defenses were arguably the most talented units Mariota faced.In some instances—such as breaking down how many different reads Mariota makes on each play—there is room for interpretation based on the best of my ability to discern what the quarterback was asked to do on a down-by-down basis.Thus, the numbers and percentages attained may differ slightly from others, but the general overriding theme to each perceived problem should be reached when watching the Oregon product with a critical eye.As Mariota is discussed, these major themes will inevitably be brought into the conversation.Doesn't Make NFL-Caliber ThrowsOregon is often viewed as the preeminent spread offense in football. What former head coach Chip Kelly once fashioned in Eugene, he eventually brought to the NFL.And just like Kelly's offense, there are aspects to Mariota's game that translate well to the next level.Arm strength becomes more and more of a concern with each passing year. With the speed of today's defensive backs and the exotic coverage schemes, throwing windows become much smaller once a quarterback makes the leap from college to the professional ranks.Mariota is most often accused of benefiting from open receivers. That isn't entirely true. Each game, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner can be seen making the type of throws asked of an NFL quarterback.Below are two examples that show tremendous anticipation, ball placement and more than enough arm strength to complete any pass on the field.The first was a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dwayne Stanford:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Notice where the ball is in relation to the back pylon.While it can be argued this was a great catch by Stanford—and it was—Mariota's accuracy on the throw shouldn't be underestimated.With a cornerback in trail technique and a safety over the top for help, the quarterback placed the ball exactly where he is taught to so do.In that situation, the quarterback is told to aim for the back pylon. As a result, the ball was high enough to avoid the oncoming defenders and just far enough behind the receiver for him to come down with the catch without it being knocked away.It was a very small window, and Mariota placed it in the only spot where his receiver could make the reception.Rotoworld's Josh Norris provided a second example when Oregon beat Washington's zone coverage with a seam route:
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) February 3, 2015In this instance, it's clear Mariota recognized the coverage early and knew exactly where to go with the football. He didn't hold the pass or wait for the receiver to come open. The quarterback was clearly set to release the ball as his target cleared the underneath linebacker.Again, it's a perfectly placed pass between two defenders. Mariota easily cleared the outstretched hand of the linebacker, while placing the ball in the area before the safety could close on his target.NFL teams often ask their quarterbacks to beat defenses vertically with seam routes, particularly with tight ends. While Oregon didn't line up with a traditional tight end—Pharaoh Brown lined up in a variety of positions throughout the season—this exact throw shows Mariota can beat defenses by making a very difficult throw.This overall concern often goes hand-in-hand with the next.Not a Pocket PasserMake no mistake about it: Mariota is not a run-first quarterback.Yes, the Ducks employ the zone read as part of their offense. Also, Mariota ran for 2,237 yards since the start of his redshirt freshman campaign. "I think he's a sub-4.4 (40-yard dash) player that plays extremely fast like Braxton [Miller]," said Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer.These three factors don't impede Mariota from being able to win from the pocket. It's the combination of those factors that makes him truly dangerous.In fact, Mariota spent the majority of his junior campaign throwing passes from the pocket.Mariota's Pass Attempts from the Pocket The 21-year old quickly developed his ability to recognize and beat most teams from behind center.Two more examples are provided to dispel the notion that Mariota can't win by being a pocket passer.The first is a smash concept with the outside receiver running a short underneath route, while the No. 2 receiver (or inside/slot receiver) is running a corner route.Mariota quickly accepted the shotgun snap and held the safety with his eyes:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Mariota holds a safety prior to pass against Florida State. One area where the Oregon quarterback isn't given enough credit is consistently manipulating the safety to open up passing lanes for his wide receivers.In this particular case, the receiver bends the corner route toward the sideline and is given ample space between three defenders due to Mariota's eye manipulation and ability to complete the pass in the soft spot of Florida State's zone coverage:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Mariota's throw between three Florida State defenders. Usually, this is a concept used to beat Cover 3 with only one safety over the top, but Oregon's success with underneath routes and the consistency by its quarterback allow the Ducks to beat Cover 2 when the safety should be playing over the top of the deepest route to his side.This takes us to the next slight often spouted against Mariota.1-Read QuarterbackThis may have be truer for Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel or Baylor's Robert Griffin III in their schools' variation of the "Air Raid" offense. However, it's a complete falsehood as it pertains to Mariota.Does Oregon use heavy doses of underneath or smoke routes? Absolutely. Many of these routes are very simple reads for the team's quarterback.Mariota's Progressions as a Passer Personal Statistics Compiled from DraftBreakdown.comMariota's slant toward taking his initial read doesn't mean that he doesn't have quick eyes or lacks the ability to recognize his options.The Oregon quarterback's best throw during the national championship game came after making three reads.With the Ducks trailing 21-10 at halftime, Oregon needed a spark. The team simply let Mariota do what he's capable of doing.Below is Mariota's initial read prior to connecting with Byron Marshall for a 70-yard touchdown. The quarterback's eyes started to the play side, but he didn't like what he initially saw off the snap:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Mariota's first read before Marshall's touchdown catch. Mariota worked his way to the backside of the play because a pair of routes were run opposite his initial reads. He didn't pull the trigger for a second time:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Mariota's second read before Marshall's touchdown catch. The quarterback came all the way back to the play side before spotting Marshall:
Credit: DraftBreakdown.com Mariota identifies Marshall on third read. The receiver split the safeties, Mariota hit in him stride and Marshall was off to the races before finding pay dirt.Also, the Oregon quarterback isn't quick to bail out of the pocket when pressured or when his initial read wasn't available. In the four games sampled, Mariota broke the pocket to run only 13 times. When he was asked to either climb the pocket or eventually bail, he generally kept his eyes downfield in an attempt to find an open receiver.Another aspect of these concerns with Mariota is the types of throws he's asked to make. Oregon loves to use simple smoke or rub routes near or behind the line of scrimmage. It's a staple of the offense. But the receivers also run the seam, levels, wheel routes and everything in between.While much of the time discussing the Honolulu native surrounds those short routes, he also takes plenty of shots downfield.How far Mariota's Passes Travel Downfield Personal Statistics Compiled from DraftBreakdown.comMariota connected on 61.5 percent of passes over 10 yards downfield during the course of the four games sampled. While a quarterback's completion percentage is expected to drop the further he pushes the pass vertically, the sample provided is only 6.8 points lower than Mariota's overall completion percentage.Lingering Concern(s)A lot of the concerns essentially overlap. Most deal with the system and how it hampered Mariota's growth as a passer.However, there are traits Mariota possesses that do translate well and have nothing to do with an offensive scheme or where he played.This particular quarterback prospect displays quick eyes, an ability to process information at a rapid pace and well above-average decision-making.The question at this point shouldn't be whether or not Mariota can make NFL-caliber throws. The far more pertinent topic is whether or not he can do so consistently.That is the answer teams will be searching for as they contemplate Mariota's status as a potential franchise quarterback.There are instances during games when Mariota looks unsure of himself and misses throws. He doesn't always trust what he sees and he'll rush his throwing mechanics, which creates errant passes. His biggest missed throws came after his initial read.Another area where Oregon was rarely tested was against tough man coverage. The one team that truly excelled in that area that the Ducks faced was the Michigan State Spartans. Mariota finished that contest 17-of-28 passing for 318 yards and three touchdowns.NFL cornerbacks will be far more aggressive, though.Former Oakland Raider owner Al Davis believed that if you saw a player do it once, you can coach him up to do it consistently. Well, Mariota has done everything described more than once. He just needs to prove to one team—particularly at the top of the draft—that he can do all of these things on a consistent basis.After close inspection, it's clear Mariota is an elite talent and a true No. 1 quarterback prospect.link
