Ryan Tannehill has started 61 games for the Tennessee Titans across the past five seasons, but the Pro Bowl quarterback won’t be in the lineup in Week 8 due to the ankle injury he suffered last Sunday. When Tannehill was hurt during last week’s 24-16 loss to Baltimore, it was second-year QB Malik Willis who took control of the Titans’ offense, yet that won’t be the case this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.
Rookie second-round pick Will Levis will start the game instead, but he won’t be given the full keys to the offense, with head coach Mike Vrabel saying both Levis and Willis will end up playing throughout the game.
Levis, the 33rd pick this past April, is a 24-year-old who has yet to attempt his first official NFL pass, but Willis has seen limited action in two games this season. So far Willis has completed 4-of-5 passes for 74 yards while adding 17 rushing yards on three carries. He also started three games for the Titans last season, leading Tennessee to a 1-2 record.
There’s been no indication of the exact plan or how the Titans plan to employ both QBs. It’s possible we see Willis used on more read-options and designed runs, with Levis left to handle the majority of the passing attempts, yet this approach would be too obvious for opponents to expect too.
Or maybe the Titans plan to alternate drives/series or even distribute playing time by quarter, much like we see during the preseason. Based on Vrabel’s responses, we’ll find out on Sunday.
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