MIAMI GARDENS — If you watched the Tennessee Titans (5-8) pull off the biggest upset of the NFL season against the Miami Dolphins (9-4) on Monday night, then you know how many times I've had to rewrite this column. Tennessee did that in their first road win since November 17, 2022 by besting Miami 28-27.

A sentence like that is made even more insane based on the idea that the Titans trailed by 14 points with three minutes to go in the game.

"It doesn't have to be that hard," coach Mike Vrabel said."But I'm proud of the character of this football team competing and then having to go in a different direction real quick and then coming back and getting stops late. Being able to move the football late in the game, score, and I was really proud of these guys."

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Per ESPN Stats and Info, teams in such a situation were 0-767 since 2016 until Tennessee's triumph on Monday Night. 

You read that correctly. The football gods seemed determined to make this Titans team the 768th. Tennessee muffed a punt and fumbled a toss play to running back Derrick Henry which allowed a Dolphins offense that had languished uncharacteristically on the day a couple of short fields to cash in on.

The football gods had not yet dealt with Will Levis, it seems. 

The rookie made plenty of mistakes in his primetime debut that had to be overcome. Levis threw an interception that went for a Miami touchdown to defensive tackle Zach Sieler backed up at the Titans 5-yard line in the first quarter for the game's first score. In the fourth quarter returner Eric Garror muffed a punt on the Tennessee 7 that the Dolphins recovered and turned into a 20-13 lead. 

Levis then made the botched pitch to Henry that Miami again recovered and turned it into points.

"That was a nightmare," said Levis.  "I didn't want to talk to anybody after that, I just wanted to move on and be ready just to attack that next two-minute drive that I knew we'd be able to get. I said we'd put it behind us and still have a chance, and we did. I'm proud of our guys for bringing it and executing in that situation."

He did just that and, in the process, showed off the kind of skill set that comprise a franchise quarterback.

Two touchdown drives in the final 4.5 minutes directed by Levis knocked the Dolphins right out of the top spot in the AFC. Levis finished the day completing 23 of his 38 attempts for 327 yards, a touchdown to DeAndre Hopkins and the Pick 6. Defensively, Tennessee put on a clinic in the red zone, holding Miami to 2-of-5 on trips inside the 20 on the day. 

Linebacker Harold Landry sacked quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on 4th-and-2 to end the Dolphins final possession and seal the first comeback win of Levis' young career. 

Where the Titans go from here with four games remaining overall and three within their division remains to be seen. With each passing week, though, there are signs of life around a franchise that has lacked a pulse for over a calendar year. 

With each passing week, Levis further entrenches himself as the future in Tennessee. 

Will Levis’ debut ends any Titans quarterback controvery

NASHVILLE — Will Levis led the Tennessee Titans (3-4) to a win over the Atlanta Falcons (4-4) by a score of 28-23 on Sunday. Decked out in Houston Oilers throwback uniforms, the rookie threw four touchdowns passes in his debut. It was the first time the Tennessee's offense had scored as many points since Week […]

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