Leading up to their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the Tennessee Titans’ plan to alternate quarterbacks Will Levis and Malik Willis was understandably met with plenty of resistance from fans and media alike.
It took less than two minutes into the game for Titans head coach Mike Vrabel to abandon that approach, though.
Following Levis’ three-yard quarterback keeper up the middle on the first series of the game, Willis fumbled a bad snap out of the shotgun formation and didn’t do a good job trying to recover it before the Falcons did. Atlanta would go on to convert a 29-yard field goal off the turnover.
It the best-possible outcome in that situation, but it was also a microcosm of Willis’ disappointing tenure in Tennessee thus far, and it was a terrible look for the Titans’ two-quarterback plan.
Willis ended up playing just two snaps on Sunday and was met with boos from the hometown crowd when he was on the field, although those were likely directed at Vrabel’s decision rather than Willis himself.
Vrabel admitted it was the fumble that led to the Titans abandoning what was apparently a very real plan to alternate the young signal-callers.
“Yeah, we did,” he said on if the Titans had planned to alternate quarterbacks. “And then, obviously, unfortunately, bad snap, got to catch the ball, get on it, any one of those three things have to happen. So, just stayed away from it.”
Vrabel took the high road when asked about Willis’ attempt to pick the fumble up rather than simply falling on it to retain possession.
“I’m not going to comment on his effort, other than to say that we want to make sure that we just recover it instead of picking the ball up,” Vrabel said. “I didn’t have the same view you had, but we want to make sure that we just get on the ball and recover it.”
Levis made the most of his opportunity. The Kentucky product completed 19 of his 29 passing attempts for 238 yards and four touchdowns.
The Kentucky product became the third rookie in NFL history to throw for four touchdowns in his debut, joining former Titans second-overall pick Marcus Mariota (2015) and Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton (1961).
Three of his touchdowns went to star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who entered the day having yet to find the end zone in his first season with the Titans.
The 24-year-old showed why the Titans moved up in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft to get him, and he showed more in one game than Willis has shown in one-plus seasons in Nashville.
Given his performance on Sunday, Levis made it clear who the future quarterback of this franchise is.
