MINNEAPOLIS — The Tennessee Titans won a football game for the first time since Nov. 17, 2022. Coach Mike Vrabel's team capitalized on second-half opportunities to pull out a 24-16 preseason road victory against the Minnesota Vikings.

A win is a win, even in exhibition. 

Quarterback Malik Willis started for Tennessee, and played all but two of the team's offensive snaps. Rookie Will Levis dressed out for the contest, but was unavailable due to an injury sustained during the Titans joint camp work against Minnesota. Four quarters of work for Willis was the outcome with mixed results.

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Vrabel gave some examples on Sunday afternoon after having a chance to watch the tape.

"I saw him play fast when he felt like the pocket wasn't there," said Vrabel. "We still need to stop switching the football, which we've told him and we’ll continue to rep. I think maybe for quarterbacks that don't scramble as much in practice or aren't going to get hit in practice. I'm just trying to think about how we rep that, a guy taking off and having the ball in his right hand and then running and trying to keep him from switching it. Malik (Willis) knows that. This is not a secret. But played fast."

Willis finished the contest completing 10 of his 17 passing attempts for 85 yards, one touchdown to running back Julius Chestnut and one interception.

Additionally, the young quarterback contributed 11 caries for 91 yards to the Titans successful rushing attack. The team totaled 281 on the ground and averaged just over seven yards per carry. Tennessee's offense found a much needed physicality about three possessions in after back-to-back three-and-outs.

The results were valuable learning lessons for Willis, who gained critical experience in various live-game situations. 

"We talked about early on in the situational work," Vrabel said. "In the situational work of the two-minute. Then, the other day, in Chicago, looking at the tape, nobody moved when they called a false start. Nobody moved. The receiver didn't move. They, in practice, made a mistake. 

"But it was a good situation to say, okay, 'Here's the process of it. It's going to start on the 'ready.' But the 'ready' includes the referee walking in, spotting the ball, getting past you, and then Clay (Martin) or whoever the referee is blowing the whistle. Me explaining that like, we can't do that when refs aren't here. So, Corey (Levin) just snapped the ball. Ready-for-play means that the officials are going to pass you. And then they're going to blow the whistle. Then we have to snap it and have a play ready. So that was good that that came up. I'm sure the next time that the clock's going to start on the ready-for-play and not the snap, that Corey will be better, Brew (Aaron Brewer) will be better. Malik (Willis) —Corey snapped the ball. So, in that instance, it was a really cool situation just to be able to say, 'Guys, if there's a review and it goes to a running clock or there's a ten-second runoff, this is how it operates.' Instead of just continue to show them, these guys feeling it and saying, 'Okay, the umpire is going to come in, he's going to spot it. They're still going to give them time to back away and then they're going to blow.'"

Vrabel indicated that he did not anticipate having to add a quarterback to Tennessee's roster this week, meaning that Levis' injury situation is short-term.

The rookie's lost time was to Willis' gain.

Featured Image: USA Today Sports.