Bucs, Winston struggle in 42-14 loss to Titans, Mariota Ira Kaufman, The Tampa Tribune, published 14 September 2015 A matchup that triggered four months of hype needed less than four minutes to decide. When Marcus Mariota threw the first of his four touchdown passes and Coty Sensabaugh stepped in front of Jameis Winston’s first NFL throw and returned it 26 yards for a 14-0 Tennessee advantage at the 3:12 mark, Sunday’s rout was on. And by the time Tampa Bay head coach Lovie Smith walked off the field, still seeking his first victory at Raymond James Stadium, many in the sold-out crowd of 63,945 were on their way home, undoubtedly muttering, “Same Old Bucs.’’ Can you blame them? A 42-14 loss to Tennessee in the highly anticipated season opener extended Tampa Bay’s home losing streak to 10 games while setting a franchise mark for most points allowed n a Week 1 matchup. “We’ve got to learn from watching this game film,’’ Bucs cornerback Alterraun Verner said. “We know it’s going to be ugly, but we’ve got to make ourselves accountable to each other.’’ While Winston struggled, Mariota posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in his pro debut before mercifully departing after three quarters. Taking it all in on the Bucs sideline were two members of the franchise’s Ring of Honor, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks. Appropriately, the Hall of Fame defensive players had white towels draped across their shoulders. “I want to thank our fans for coming out to support us,’’ said Bucs linebacker Lavonte David, who forced a fourth-quarter fumble but was unusually quiet with only five tackles. “We didn’t show up today. They outplayed us and the only thing we can do is put this behind us.’’ It won’t be easy. This first-ever meeting in a season opener between starting quarterbacks selected 1-2 in the NFL draft generated considerable national attention and local curiosity. Sales of Winston jerseys have been soaring since the Bucs selected him out of Florida State with the first overall pick. But any suspense ended early as the Titans rolled to a 35-7 halftime advantage, with Mariota hitting four different targets with scoring passes. Tennessee, which ended the 2014 season on a 10-game losing streak, opened the game with an 89-yard touchdown drive that required only five plays. Mariota spotted tight end Delanie Walker open over the middle for 22 yards on third-and-10 and followed with a 52-yard strike to Kendall Wright, who lined up in the slot and was inexplicably uncovered. Underdogs by three points, the Titans repeatedly exploited holes in the middle of a Tampa Bay defense that is now under the direct control of Smith, who fell to 2-15 with the Bucs. Tennessee also ran for 124 yards, keeping it on the ground for 32 of 50 offensive snaps as Bishop Sankey gained 74 yards in 12 carries, including a 1-yard scoring plunge. “It was one of those games, but we’ll bounce back,’’ Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks said. “We’ll get better because we have the players to do it. We can’t get down on ourselves ... it’s a long season. The crowd was great. They came with a lot of energy, but we just didn’t give them what they wanted.’’ Stymied by 12 penalties, the Bucs appeared a step slow most of the day. Doug Martin ran hard, averaging 4.7 yards on 11 carries, and second-year tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins was the offensive standout with five catches for 110 yards, including two touchdown receptions. Winston, who hit on 16 of 33 passes for 210 yards, was sacked four times and intercepted twice as Tampa Bay started rookies Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet up front. With wide receiver Mike Evans sidelined by a strained hamstring, Winston targeted Vincent Jackson 11 times, completing only four. “They played the best game they could possibly play and we played the worst game,’’ Winston said. “The good thing is we got that one out of the way.’’ Now, it’s on to New Orleans, where the Superdome will be loud and the Saints will be smarting after Sunday’s 31-19 loss at Arizona. “The lesson today is to never feel like this again,’’ said defensive end George Johnson, whose fumble recovery in his first pro start represented Tampa Bay’s only takeaway. “No excuses, that’s an embarrassing loss. Tennessee came in with a good game plan and executed to perfection. The score showed it.’’