Despite Preseason Performances, Mike Vrabel Does Not Declare Malik Willis QB2
The Tennessee Titans have one of the most compelling rosters battles going on in the NFL between second-year passer Malik Willis and rookie Will Levis. Based on Levis' injury and the resulting increased production from Willis, it would seem Willis has won the backup job, but head coach Mike Vrabel was not willing to call the fight yet at his press conference on Saturday.
Levis missed the last two preseason games with a lower-body injury and it allowed Willis to play majority of both games outside of three snaps for Tannehill to start the third preseason game. Willis had one of his best performances against the New England Patriots, but it wasn't enough to secure the backup role according to Vrabel who was asked if he had made a decision.
"I don't think so," Vrabel said. "As it stands now with Will's (Levis) availability, we'll get him back this week, but I thought that Malik (Willis) took a big step yesterday. Unfortunately, you have the turnovers. Again, there was a lot of cool stuff that happened after that and I wouldn't say we were great in front of him. I thought our receivers showed up and did a nice job most of the night. Malik has to make some better decisions and we'll see where Will is at this week."
Willis went 15-20 with 211 passing yards and two touchdown throws, but did have two interceptions, which Vrabel referenced. It was an overall good performance for the young quarterback, but as Vrabel points out as well, better decisions need to be made.
Levis will get back to practice this week and the battle will continue to rage on. We may not have an answer on who the backup will be until the season actually begins or until Vrabel announces it.
Regardless, if the Titans have their way, we won't see either of these quarterbacks on the field this year as starter Ryan Tannehill is the team's best option to win football games this season. That is something that can't be forgotten amidst all the backup hype.
Related stories on Titans football
- TITANS RIP PATRIOTS: Despite a pair of interceptions, Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis bounced back nicely Friday night, leading the Titans on two long scoring drives to beat the New England Patriots 23-7 at Nissan Stadium. He had two touchdown passes, and the Tennessee defense allowed only 112 yards in their final preseason game. CLICK HERE
- WHAT MIKE VRABEL SAID: Here is the full transcript from Titans coach Mike Vrabel's postgame press conference on Friday night. CLICK HERE
- TITANS DRIVE CHART: The Tennessee Titans capped off their 2023 preseason with a win against the New England Patriots. Here is a drive-by-drive recap of everything that happened on offense. CLICK HERE
