The Facts: Mariota didn't shine on deep balls as a rookie. Per ESPN Stats and Info, he was 23rd in the NFL on throws that traveled at least 15 yards in the air, completing 39.5 percent of his passes. He threw 7.1 of them a game, 16th in the league.
Diehards Line:
That said, Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus offered some context via Twitter: "15-plus yard outs, hitches and comebacks accounted for 2.8 percent of all attempts in NFL last year. We can stop glorifying their importance any day now." Still, as ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky notes, Mariota's passes of 20 yards or over were especially nonthreatening: He was 35th, dead last among qualifying quarterbacks, with a 16.7 percent completion percentage. He completed just seven such passes, fewer than Johnny Manziel, who dropped back 198 fewer times.