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.
Malik Willis has been sacked on 17.5% of his career dropbacks. That's 2nd highest rate for any QB w/ 50+ pass attempts in last 30 seasons. Only Luke Falk (18%) is higher
— Josh Dubow (@JoshDubowAP) October 15, 2023
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.
Some Passing Stats for #Titans vs Ravens:
Tannehill
– 18 Dropbacks
– 22.2% Play-action
– 27.8% Blitz Rate
– 1 Big Time Throw
– 1 Turnover Worthy Play
– 2.60s TTT on Sacks
– 33.3% Comp Under Pressure (2/6)Willis
– 12
– 16.7%
– 8.3%
– 0
– 0
– 3.10s
– 0.00% (0/6)— Football & Other F Words (@FWordsPod) October 16, 2023
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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