Dec 30, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) looks to pass during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Alamo Dome. Oregon defeated Texas 30-7. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Accuracy
Mariota’s 67 percent completion percentage would suggest that he is an accurate passer but that’s not true accuracy. His percentage is inflated because most of his throws are running back screens, smoke screens and bubble screens. He simply gets his quick, fast athletes out in space and lets them do the rest of the work after the catch.
I saw in his last couple of games against Stanford and Utah that his down the field, his accuracy isn’t that good. The throws he makes down the field are usually when his receiver beat his man badly and he’s wide open. He doesn’t have the accuracy and ball placement to throw into small windows or tight coverage.
He doesn’t turn the ball over because he won’t throw the ball down the field unless his receiver is wide open. A lot of those throws that he won’t make now are going to be as open as a receiver is going to get in the NFL too. Because in the NFL, linebackers, get good depth on their drops in a zone and man-to-man coverage is tight so ball placement is important.