Titans Coach Mike Vrabel Shows Concern for Will Levis' Health Behind OL, But Confident in Correction
The Tennessee Titans lost another game on Sunday as their quarterback got battered and bruised. Rookie Will Levis took 21 pressures against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was hit six times while being sacked on four occasions.
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel spoke with media on Monday and obviously was asked about the quality of his offensive line and the concern that it creates. He did not mince words when explaining what worries him most.
"I've said this to our team since I've been here," Vrabel said, "when somebody misses a block or doesn't go to the right I.D. or the right linebacker, it's not the seven-yard sack or four yards on a run that bothers me. It's the fact that somebody could get hurt. If we don't block somebody and we're handing the ball off to Derrick (Henry) or Tyjae (Spears), that's where it bothers me. We can make up the four yards, somehow, someway. You don't want to see players get hurt whether it's the quarterback or running back."
Vrabel is right to be worried. You won't need to be an NFL fan for long before you see or hear about a young, promising quarterback having his confidence beaten out of him by constantly being under pressure. Vrabel knows that is a reality, but isn't too concerned just yet.
"I don't," Vrabel answered when asked if he had long-term worries at this point, "but that is something that has happened in the past and whoever our quarterback is, we need to protect him. We all understand that for every reason I just mentioned prior to that. So, no I don't have any concern about that, but I think that I don't want to challenge the idea."
One of the reasons Vrabel is confident that Levis won't be broken long term is how he has responded to the recent losses. Vrabel recounted how Levis acted since directly after defeat on Sunday while commending his toughness during it.
"I think any time you have a quarterback that has shown that type of toughness and is willing to stand in there and not stare at the rush," Vrabel explained. "I think everyone appreciates that and values that. That's not the plan, that's not the goal. Nobody wants that to happen."
"(Levis) was texting with Tim (Kelly, Titans offensive coordinator) last night. He's meeting with Tim and Charles (London, Titans quarterback coach) about where to go with the football and about late in the game. Ball placement on certain things and zone coverages. I don't see any discouragement, but we have to continue to protect him and develop him and have him help us throwing the football. Which he did at times and we left some meat on the bone there, by not making some plays for him."
Hopefully Vrabel's assessment is correct and Levis is not feeling discouraged because as Vrabel pointed out, there were plays that Levis made, that his teammates did not help him much with. Vrabel hammered that home even more when talking about Levis' lack of production recently.
"We dropped five passes," Vrabel recounted. "So, start there. Then took some shots late in the game which looking back there we probably could've dumped it off to Tyjae or somebody, but he tried to throw the ball downfield, we're down two scores."
It is clear that Vrabel understands where fault lies most when divvying out play for Sunday's offensive failure and he is confident the Titans can get it corrected.
"I'm very confident," Vrabel exclaimed. "It's what our job is here, we're here to fix problems. None of us have been good enough at any position, at any level. That's our job, that's what I'm going to do and it's what our team is going to do. We'll give ourselves a chance, get a plan together and get back to work."
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