Tag: Malik Willis

Titans rule Ryan Tannehill out but don’t name starting QB

The Titans have not named a starting quarterback in the wake of ruling out Ryan Tannehill for Week 8.

As expected, Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill will not suit up in Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons, but who will replace him as the starter remains to be seen.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel announced that Tannehill will miss Sunday’s game due to his ankle injury. However, he was not ready to say if either Malik Willis or Will Levis would start.

Vrabel has said all week that both quarterbacks will play, and he said the same on Friday. On Wednesday, the Titans head coach even left the door open for the young signal-callers to alternate series throughout the game.

Alternating quarterbacks would be a terrible idea, as doing so would make it extremely difficult for either to get into a rhythm when they’re constantly in and out of the game.

A report earlier in the week stated that Levis would be the Titans’ primary quarterback, and I think that’s the route Tennessee will ultimately take, with Willis mixing in here and there in a package.

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Mike Vrabel says Titans are actually considering alternating QBs

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said alternating Malik Willis and Will Levis is indeed on the table.

When Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said earlier in the week that the team would play both Will Levis and Malik Willis if Ryan Tannehill isn’t able to go, it was figured that would involve the team starting one of the quarterbacks and having a package of plays for the other instead of alternating them like they did in the preseason.

That notion seemed to be a bit more solidified when it was reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that the team was expected to start Levis and have him serve as the primary quarterback against the Atlanta Falcons.

However, not only did Vrabel not commit to Levis as the starter for Week 8 when speaking to the media on Wednesday, he also said alternating Willis and Levis is indeed on the table.

“We’ll figure out the game plan as we work through the week,” he said, per Paul Kuharsky. “We may run the plays in with them. It could be by series, could be every two series. Could have certain things that we like.

“We’ll see where Ryan is, but again, I’m excited if Ryan can’t play that we’ll look at both of those quarterbacks. We’ll need both of them to help us win.”

Hopefully this is just gamesmanship by Vrabel in an attempt to force the Falcons to prepare for both quarterbacks and not the actual plan.

It’s unfathomable to think the Titans would really alternate two quarterbacks in a NFL game, an approach that would make it extremely difficult for either to get into any sort of rhythm when they’re constantly in and out.

Having a package of plays for one of the signal-callers is fine, but this team needs to commit to one or the other, and preferably that will be Levis.

I tend to believe that’s what the Titans will do, but I’d be lying if I said Vrabel’s comments weren’t at least concerning.

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Titans QB Malik Willis has been sacked at ridiculous rate in his career

Titans QB Malik Willis has been sacked at a ridiculously high rate, but not all of that is on pass protection.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis has been one of the most polarizing players on the team in recent memory.

Some feel his struggles under center are the result of him being dealt an unfair hand because of a lackluster situation around him. Others simply believe he’s not good enough to be a starting quarterback.

There’s a little truth to both of those stances.

Willis’ biggest issue is he constantly plays as if he’s still at Liberty, mostly operating like he’s the superior athlete on the field. The second he gets an inkling of pressure, he drops his eyes and starts playing hero ball. He also takes way too long to get rid of the football.

That type of play style is rarely going to work in the NFL because offenses are largely dependent on rhythm, timing, and structure. Also, Willis is up against much better athletes he can’t simply run by.

On the other hand, Willis’ time as a starting quarterback has often been riddled with poor offensive line play and inconsistent pass-catchers.

As a result of several issues, Willis has been sacked at the second-highest rate (17.5 percent) for a quarterback with at least 50 pass attempts in the last 30 seasons.

What’s left out in that stat is how a lot of those sacks are self-induced due to a combination of slow processing and reluctance to rip the pass with anticipation once someone is coming open.

For example: if a defender has his hips and eyes turned to the sideline and  the quarterback knows his receiver is breaking toward the middle of the field, the second the receiver passes the defender the ball should be on its way to the open area of the field.

Instead, Willis often waits until he physically sees the receiver open to throw the ball.

Using last Sunday’s game as a measuring stick, quarterback Ryan Tannehill had an average time to throw of 2.60 seconds, right around the league average.

The second Willis went in, the average time to throw jumped to 3.10 seconds. That’s proof that he’s holding the ball way too long.

Are there times when the offensive line lets him down by allowing pressure almost immediately? Most certainly.

However, the larger sample sample size is indicative that he has a processing issue more than anything else, and it’s an issue he’s had since he entered the league.

You might be able to survive averaging three seconds to throw in the preseason when the talent level isn’t up to par, but that’s not going to work during the regular season against starting NFL defenses.

Hopefully, Willis drastically improves in this area by the time he’s forced to see the field again, which could come as soon as Week 8 after Tannehill suffered a high-ankle sprain.

If he does get the nod but doesn’t improve, it may not be long before we see rookie Will Levis under center.

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Titans’ Mike Vrabel talks Ryan Tannehill injury, backup QB situation

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said the injury Ryan Tannehill has is similar to the one he experienced in 2022.

As if things couldn’t get any worse for the 2-4 Tennessee Titans, quarterback Ryan Tannehill suffered an ankle injury during the Week 6 loss that leaves his status up in the air as the team enters the bye week.

According to head coach Mike Vrabel, Tannehill’s injury is similar to the one he suffered in 2022 that cost him two games before he returned, reaggravated it and missed the final three contests.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Vrabel said, per Jim Wyatt. “We have some time here before our next game, and Ryan will get treatment around the clock. This will be a big week to see how he progresses and then we’ll make a decision on his availability next week and what we do then.”

If you were hoping the Titans would simply make a switch under center even if Tannehill is healthy, you may want to put an end to those thoughts for now. Vrabel said Tannehill “will be our quarterback” if he’s healthy enough to play.

As far as who will replace the veteran signal-caller if he can’t go, that has yet to be decided.

“It will be (Malik Willis or Will Levis) if Ryan can’t go,” Vrabel said. “I don’t know who that would be yet. We’ll see how they continue to practice. It will be good to get them work this week with some guys they haven’t necessarily worked with – they’ve been working on the show team during the season, so I am excited to get both those guys some reps with some of our offensive guys and see how they handle that.”

Willis was the next man up in Week 6 with Levis serving as the emergency quarterback, but the Liberty product was not good and looked very much like the raw rookie we saw in 2022. Chances are he’ll get another shot if Tannehill can’t go, but Levis likely won’t be waiting long if Willis struggles again.

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Titans’ Ryan Tannehill leaves game vs. Ravens with ankle injury

Malik Willis is now in the game for the Titans.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill has been removed from the Week 6 game against the Baltimore Ravens with an ankle injury, paving the way for second-year quarterback Malik Willis to enter the contest.

The injury occurred in the third quarter when Tannehill had his ankle rolled up on by a Ravens defender. The veteran signal-caller was clearly limping but was able to stay in the game initially with his ankle heavily taped.

However, he would later leave to the locker room via cart. As of this writing, Tannehill is listed as questionable to return.

With Tannehill hurt, the Titans inserted Willis into the game. Tennessee also has rookie Will Levis, but as the emergency quarterback he can come into the game only if Willis gets hurt as well.

Tannehill dealt with an ankle injury in 2022 that sidelined him for several games and ultimately helped derail Tennessee’s season.

There have been many in the fan base calling for the Titans to make a switch at the position. It looks like they’ll get what they were asking for, albeit because of an injury.

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Titans confirm Malik Willis won backup QB job over Will Levis

After being secretive about it going into Week 1, the Titans confirmed on Sunday that Malik Willis is the No. 2 QB over Will Levis.

After head coach Mike Vrabel was unnecessarily secretive about it for far too long, the Tennessee Titans revealed on Sunday that second-year quarterback Malik Willis has won the backup job over rookie signal-caller Will Levis.

Did the Titans come out and directly announce it? No, but we were able to draw that conclusion from their list of inactives, which included Levis and not Willis.

While Levis is listed as inactive, he will still dress as the third quarterback thanks to a new rule that allows teams to carry an emergency signal-caller without having them count toward the limit of active players.

He can only play if both Ryan Tannehill and Willis get hurt, though.

Willis winning the job isn’t much of a surprise at this point. Levis missed time in training camp and the final two preseason games due to injury, and Willis showed a ton of improvement throughout the offseason.

That said, the gap between Willis and Levis wasn’t exactly huge, so there’s still a chance that Levis passes Willis on the depth chart at some point.

But for now, Willis will be the first man off the bench if Tannehill gets hurt, which, of course, we hope never happens.

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POLL: Who wins Week 1 game between Saints and Titans?

Who wins Week 1’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans? Vote in our poll:

Time is of the essence for both teams at the Caesars Superdome this week, with the New Orleans Saints seeking to start Dennis Allen’s second year as their head coach with a win — and the Tennessee Titans hoping to keep pace in an AFC South suddenly full of promising young quarterbacks.

The 2023 regular season is finally here and kickoff is just days away. The Saints opened as 3-point home favorites per BetMGM, but this one might be too close to call. A worrisome number of NFL analysts would suggest that Derek Carr (the Saints’ new quarterback) and Ryan Tannehill (who the Titans drafted both Malik Willis and Will Levis to replace) are the same guy. Both teams have stout defenses, too, which further clouds the picture.

New Orleans hasn’t lost a Week 1 matchup since 2018 and Tennessee hasn’t won their season-opener since 2020, so something hast to give. Let us know who you’re picking to win in our poll embedded below.

Who wins on Sunday?

VOTE!

[polldaddy poll=12718723]

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Biggest takeaways from Titans’ updated unofficial depth chart

The Titans released their latest unofficial depth chart on Monday. Here are the biggest takeaways from it.

The Tennessee Titans released their latest unofficial depth chart on Monday ahead of their Week 1 game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 10.

While the latest version did answer some questions we still had, others went unanswered, like the backup quarterback situation, for example, something head coach Mike Vrabel said is still up in the air.

“I think a lot of it is based on game plan, about who we feel who would step in there and help us,” Vrabel said, per Jim Wyatt. “Will has been out a little bit (injured), but we’re excited to get him back this week and (we’ll) continue with Malik’s maturity and kind of see where it goes at the end of the week.”

Two other spots that remain mysteries are CB2 and kick returner, as those positions were separated by slashes, also. We’ll go into detail about those situations and more below.

But first, here’s a look at the depth chart.

Now, the takeaways:

Titans’ Mike Vrabel: No decision on who QB2 is yet

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said the team has not decided who the No. 2 quarterback is yet.

One of the most talked about competitions for the Tennessee Titans this offseason has been the battle for the No. 2 quarterback job, which was between Malik Willis and Will Levis.

While Willis played all three preseason games and showed improvement in the process, Levis, who did some good things in preseason Week 1, was unable to take part in the last two games because of injury.

Following another solid performance from Willis in preseason Week 3 on Friday, head coach Mike Vrabel was asked if the team has decided who will be Ryan Tannehill’s backup to start the season.

Vrabel said the decision has not been made yet.

“I don’t think so,” Vrabel said when asked if there was a decision, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “As it stands now, with Will’s availability, we’ll get him back this week.

“But I thought that Malik took a big step yesterday. Unfortunately, you have the turnovers but there was a lot of cool stuff that happened after that. And I wouldn’t say that we were great in front of him; I thought our receivers showed up and did a nice job most of the night. And Malik has to make some better decisions. And then we’ll see where Will’s at here this week.”

Assuming the Titans haven’t made a decision behind the scenes, it looks like the competition between Willis and Levis will continue for at least another week, and quite possibly two with the 2023 campaign not set to start until Sept. 10.

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Malik Willis, Mike Vrabel talk Titans QB’s preseason Week 3 showing

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and QB Malik Willis shared their thoughts on the young signal-caller’s preseason Week 3 performance.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis capped off his second preseason in the NFL with another solid performance that once again displayed the progression he’s made this offseason.

Sure, there were mistakes, like his two interceptions, for example, but Willis also posted his best statistical performance of the preseason, completing 75 percent of his passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns.

“It was cool to get the pads back on and be back in live game situations, and it’s cool to keep figuring it out,” Willis said, per Tom Brew of AllTitans.com. “(Forgetting mistakes), more than anything you’ve got understand that the defense is getting paid, too, and it’s going to be about who continues to keep going after the mistakes, and who fights the longest and the hardest.

“It’s awesome (having long drives) because you get to see your guys wanting to finish it out, finish the fight. You see the defense getting tired and you talk to the this’ let’s finish this out. The offensive line, they just keep getting better and keep fighting.”

Wills put together two long scoring drives of 90 and 83 yards in the series or two after his picks, which showed the young signal-caller’s knack for bouncing back after mistakes.

“I loved the way that he competed, I loved it,” head coach Mike Vrabel said of Willis, per Jim Wyatt of TennesseeTitans.com. “I love what he was able to do … the way he competed and finished.”

With the preseason in the books, Willis will go back to the bench as Ryan Tannehill takes over as starter from here on out. However, the Liberty product appears to have secured the QB2 job for now.

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