What history says about brilliant debuts like Marcus Mariota's
— -- Marcus Mariota's NFL debut was undeniably spectacular.
The quarterback was nearly perfect -- and actually perfect if you go by his 158.3 passer rating -- while leading the Tennessee Titans past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 42-14 in Week 1. Mariota went 13-for-16 for 209 yards with four touchdown passes and no turnovers.
Does that mean Mariota is destined for superstardom? Based on the results of other athletes who made stellar pro debuts in recent years, the answer is maybe.
Here's a look at nine other players and one driver who, since 2000, made big initial splashes and how they did in their second contests and beyond.
NFL: Anquan Boldin
How he started: Boldin, a second-round pick out of Florida State by the Arizona Cardinals, didn't waste any time making many teams regret passing him over in the draft. On Sept. 7, 2003, he caught 10 Jeff Blake passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals' 42-24 season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions.
What came next: Boldin was solid in his second game with eight catches for 62 yards. He wound up with 101 catches for 1,307 yards as a rookie for a team that won only four games.
Fluke or legit? Boldin has been selected to three Pro Bowls during a long, successful career that's into its 13th season. His debut yardage total remains a career best, but he has proved it was no fluke.
NFL: Cam Newton
What came next: Newton came right back with an even bigger performance in Week 2, going 28-for-46 for 432 yards and a touchdown, although he tossed three interceptions. He also rushed 10 times for 53 yards and a touchdown in a 30-23 loss to the Packers. Newton's rookie passing record lasted only until the following season when Andrew Luck broke it.
Fluke or legit? Newton hasn't reached the top tier of NFL quarterbacks -- unless you go by a contract that makes him one of the league's top-paid players -- but he has had plenty of success since his amazing debut. He led the Panthers to NFC South titles the past two seasons and has been selected to two Pro Bowls.
NFL: DeMarco Murray
What came next: Murray was solid the following week with 74 rushing yards but got only eight carries after the Cowboys fell behind early in a 34-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He ran for more than 130 yards in each of the next two games.
Fluke or legit? Murray has become one of the league's top stars. He signed with the Eagles in the offseason after leading the NFL in rushing with 1,845 yards in his final season with the Cowboys.
MLB: Stephen Strasburg
How he started: Strasburg was the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 and made 11 minor league starts in 2010 before getting called up by the Washington Nationals. A huge buzz surrounded his major league debut on June 8, 2010, and he didn't disappoint during the Nats' 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. With a fastball hitting 100 mph, Strasburg allowed four hits, no walks and two earned runs over seven innings with 14 strikeouts, the most for a big league debut since J.R. Richard fanned 15 for the Astros in 1975.
What came next: Strasburg got the win in his second start but struggled with his command. He gave up only two hits and a run over 5? innings but walked five while striking out eight. He wound up making 12 starts as a rookie, going 5-3 with a 2.91 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Fluke or legit? Strasburg's sophomore season was cut short after just five starts when he needed Tommy John surgery. He has shown flashes of dominance since coming back and remains a potent strikeout pitcher, but with an ERA of 3.00 or above each of the past four seasons, he hasn't yet lived up to the promise of his debut.
MLB: Joey Gallo
What came next: Gallo homered again in his second game, but his biggest problem started to show up as he struck out three times. He homered three more times in June but struggled to make contact and was sent back to the minors by the end of the month with a .218 average.
Fluke or legit? It's way too early to make a call on this 21-year-old slugger, but he clearly isn't ready yet to fulfill the promise of his debut. He was a September call-up for the Rangers but has continued to struggle. Through Wednesday, he had 55 strikeouts in 120 major league plate appearances this season.
NBA: LeBron James
What came next: It was more of the same for the 18-year-old phenom in Game 2, as he delivered 21 points, 8 assists and 12 rebounds. He did turn it over seven times, however, as the Cavs lost again. Cleveland would finish 35-47 in James' rookie season after going 17-65 the year before.
Fluke or legit? We all know how this turned out. The awards. The rings. The Decision. If anything, James' career has surpassed the promise he showed at the start.
NBA: Michael Carter-Williams
How he started: Carter-Williams was the 11th overall pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013. His debut performance on Oct. 30 may have been the highlight of the 76ers' entire season. He filled up the box score with 22 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds and 9 steals as Philadelphia stunned the defending champion Miami Heat 114-110. The steals total was a record for an NBA debut, and the assists were the second most in a first game.
What came next: The 6-foot-6 guard dipped to a respectable 14 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds in his second game. The 76ers actually started that season 3-0 before imploding to a 19-63 final record. Carter-Williams averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 assists as a rookie but played in only 70 games because of injuries.
Fluke or legit? The downtrodden 76ers traded Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks last season, when he was limited to 66 games. He has been a solid NBA point guard so far, but that dominant first game appears to have been an outlier.
NHL: Fabian Brunnstrom and Derek Stepan
What came next: Brunnstrom didn't have a point in his second game, but he added his fourth goal in his third appearance. Stepan was pointless in his second game. His next goal didn't come until his 20th game.
Fluke or legit? Brunnstrom scored only 16 more NHL goals after his debut before returning to Sweden in 2012. Stepan has become a steady part of the Rangers' core and a team leader, but with an average of 17.8 goals per season, he's not the scoring machine he was in his first game.
NHL: Troy Grosenick
How he started: Grosenick was called up to San Jose from the AHL last season when the Sharks' backup goalie was injured, and Grosenick sat during his first two games on the big team's roster. But he got the start on Nov. 16, 2014, and delivered, statistically speaking, the best goalie debut in NHL history. His 45 saves in San Jose's 2-0 win over Carolina were the most ever in a shutout by a goalie in his first NHL game, breaking a record set in 1967.
What came next: The Sharks stuck with the hot hand in their next game, but Grosenick stopped only 10 of 13 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres, who capped the win with an empty-netter. Grosenick went on injured reserve later that month and spent the rest of the season in the minors.
Fluke or legit? Two games does not make a career, but the 26-year-old certainly has one spectacular highlight he'll always remember. At this point, however, it's looking pretty fluky.
Formula One: Lewis Hamilton
How he started: After joining the McLaren team at the end of 2006, the 22-year-old Hamilton made it known he'd be a force to be reckoned with in his first Formula One race. On March 18, 2007, at Melbourne, Australia, Hamilton debuted by qualifying fourth and finishing third. He actually led the race on the 19th lap of his career.
What came next: The next Formula One race was held in Malaysia on April 8, and Hamilton came through with a second-place finish. Afterward, Time magazine was already suggesting the young star could become the Tiger Woods of racing. Hamilton got his first career win in the sixth race of 2007.
Fluke or legit? Hamilton's fast start wasn't by chance. He fell one point short of the season championship as a rookie and was the youngest driver to ever finish that high. He won the championship in his second year, added a second title in 2014 and is leading this year's season race. He is a legit superstar in his sport.
