The Tennessee Titans elected to start rookie quarterback Will Levis when Ryan Tannehill with an ankle injury. It was the right call as Levis led the Titans to a 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Levis was injured during the preseason and fell behind Malik Willis, who won the job as the backup quarterback on the depth chart. Willis replaced an injured Tannehill in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens.
Let’s take a look at how Levis led the Titans to victory.
What Worked for Will Levis Against the Falcons?
Levis was consistent from half to half; he completed 12 of 19 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns as the Titans took a 14-3 lead into the locker room at halftime. He also passed for 119 yards in the second half, going 7-10 with two more touchdowns in the second half. Levis was sacked twice and did not throw an interception.
Levis targeted wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins six times and completed four passes, including three touchdowns. Levis and Hopkins connected on scoring plays of 47, 16, and 61 yards to help the Titans jump out to a 21-9 lead in the third quarter.
MORE: Tennessee Titans Depth Chart
After the Falcons closed to 21-16, Levis threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Levis finished completing 19 of 29 of his passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns.
Levis told CBS after the game that the key to his performance was that he trusted his preparation by knowing the game plan, which allowed him to trust what he saw and play free.
How Did the Titans Acquire Levis?
Levis was considered a potential first-round pick entering this year’s draft, and some draft analysts thought he could go in the top 15. There were three quarterbacks taken in the first four picks, with Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson finding teams early on Day 1. There was not another quarterback taken in the first round, and Levis had to wait to hear his name called.
The Titans passed on Levis in the first round when they selected 11th overall but jumped at the chance to take him in the second round. The Titans drafted him with the first pick in the second round after making a trade with the Arizona Cardinals to move up nine spots. Along with swapping second-round picks, Tennessee sent Arizona two third-round picks to have the chance to draft Levis.
Where Did Levis Go to College?
Levis started his college career at Penn State and redshirted his freshman year. He played two seasons for the Nittany Lions and threw three touchdowns in limited action in 2019 and 2020.
Levis transferred to Kentucky for the 2021 season and went 17-7 as a starter; he led the Wildcats to bowl games in both seasons. In his two seasons, Levis completed 65.4% of his passes with 43 touchdowns and 23 interceptions.
Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, PFN’s Draft Analyst Ian Cummings had some positive things to say about Levis in his scouting report.
“He generates elite velocity on throws with visible ease and has a quick, crisp 3/4 sidearm release. His velocity carries well to all levels of the field and travels with immediacy in the short and intermediate ranges.
Levis has a supremely strong arm — strong enough to generate high levels of velocity even when off-platform and rolling against his dominant side. Beyond that, his arm is also noticeably elastic.”
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