Titans quarterback Will Levis played the best game of his short career as he guided Tennessee to a shocking 28-27 upset over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel has to be feeling pretty good about his new quarterback these days. Sure, he’s had his share of ups and downs, but it’s clear that he has something about himself.
It’s too early to tell – but is Levis franchise quarterback material? … Monday night served as a pretty good sign that he might be.
Having said that, Vrabel did make it clear that there’s one part of Levis’ game he’s not happy with – his physical recklessness when it comes to taking unnecessary hits.
Mike Vrabel on how to get Will Levis to run more cautiously. DON’T MISS. #Titans pic.twitter.com/tgFXeppTwR
— Paul Kuharsky (@PaulKuharskyNFL) December 12, 2023
Speaking to the media, Vrabel addressed concerns about Levis’ playing style, expressing a desire to see the rookie quarterback take more precautions to avoid unnecessary hits and potential injuries.
Vrabel acknowledged Levis’ competitive spirit but emphasized the need for him to prioritize self-preservation on the field.
In Monday night’s victory, Levis took several significant hits while running the ball, opting to power through tacklers rather than employing sliding techniques to reduce contact.
Love the fire Levis has 🔥
— NFL Film Study (@NFLFilmStudy) December 12, 2023
“We appreciate Will’s level of competitiveness, but we’d like to see him do a little more to protect himself,” Vrabel said.
He drinks Mayo. Scared of nothing
— Barstool_WaffleHouse 🧇🐪 (@CP_XXXIII) December 13, 2023
To address this concern, Vrabel hinted at a potential change in the team’s communication strategy with Levis. The coach indicated that they might adjust their messaging style in hopes of getting a stronger message across to the rookie.
“We’re still trying to work on that. We showed him examples of quarterbacks sliding and using the rules to his advantage. I guess we’ll have to show him video of quarterbacks not sliding and getting the [expletive] knocked out of them … We’re gonna try it the other way this week,” he said.
Mike Vrabel says the #Titans have showed Will Levis examples of quarterbacks sliding to encourage him to get down.
That didn’t work, so Vrabel says they’ll show Levis “videos of quarterbacks not sliding and getting the shit knocked out of them” this week. 😂 pic.twitter.com/lmFUjOnLUc
— Sam Phalen (@Sam_Phalen) December 12, 2023
With only seven NFL starts under his belt, Levis is still in the early stages of his professional career, and refining his playing style is likely to be an ongoing process.
“It’s a good place to start working on making sure that career is a long one,” Vrabel added.
Few coaches, if any, know the importance of the “toughness” factor more than Vrabel. There’s no doubt that deep down, he and the entire team, respect and admire Levis’ toughness and willingness to take hits.
However, they know he needs to be a little more selective about which hits he takes on if he’s going to have as long of a career as everyone is hoping for.
Teams down 14 with under three minutes to go were 0-767 since 2016 until the Titans tonight 🤯 pic.twitter.com/uWGt964GHm
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 12, 2023
What are your thoughts on Levis thus far?
He miraculously slipped to the second round in last year’s draft. Vrabel is no doubt satisfied that he virtually fell into their lap.
Years from now, will we look back at Levis being one of the biggest steals of the 2023 draft???