After entering the draft as one of the most hyped prospects in the 2022 class, Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis is set to make his first start of the season against the Houston Texans in Week 8. The move comes on the heels of the news that veteran starter Ryan Tannehill is dealing with an illness, as well as an ankle issue that will necessitate that he misses some time.
Whether the illness or the ankle was the culprit, the fact remains that the Texans will have a shot to get their second win of the season against an inexperienced signal caller. Willis is a capable athlete with some impressive arm strength and ball placement but will have a hard time navigating his offense through Lovie Smith’s complex defensive schemes.
The Titans’ injury report has been a major subject of concern for Tennessee fans all week, as some of their most impactful stars were listed through each of the team’s practice sessions. While the decision to start Willis this week is obviously the main storyline heading into the Week 8 matchup, the status of other players will be something that Texans fans will want to keep their eyes on.
At 1-4-1, Houston is in desperate need of a victory before they get relegated back to the bottom of the NFL’s standings. They had an opportunity to put the Raiders at the bottom of the AFC leaderboard last week but squandered it when they collapsed in the second half of the hotly-contested game.
The trade deadline is on the horizon, too, so the Texans will want to showcase some of their available talents to entice other teams to make an offer for guys they think might be able to help them in the playoffs. If guys like Christian Kirksey can keep the rookie guessing in all four quarters, Houston might be able to stock up some draft capital for their 2023 rebuild.
