NASHVILLE — Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis put the NFL world on notice with his effort on Monday Night Football against the Miami Dolphins and proved he has what it takes to be an elite franchise quarterback.

On the road, on the national stage, as 13.5 point underdogs, Levis remained calm while leading his Titans down the field for two touchdowns in the game's final three minutes. After a final defensive stand, Tennessee finished off the miraculous comeback and a 28-27 victory.

NFL teams down by 14 with under three minutes to go were 0-767 since 2016 before last night. 

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What Will Levis Proved

There are very few, maybe a handful, of quarterbacks in the National Football League that are built different than the rest. These are the QBs who are never out of a game, can create instant offense, and always seem to find a way.

These are the quarterbacks who can lead you down the field twice in the game's final minutes to steal a win on the road. Or let's say there's 1:10 on the clock and your team needs to go 80 yards with no timeouts. These are the quarterbacks who can take you there. If the run game's not working, they can put the offense on their back and throw for 350 on any given Sunday.

It's the difference in having a quality long-term starter like a Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield, or Derek Carr and having an elite signal caller like Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, or Patrick Mahomes. Very few quarterbacks separate themselves into that elite category, but when you're assessing a young quarterback, it's worth considering whether or no he has the capacity to go to that level.

We already know C.J. Stroud has it in him. He has already led enough drives in crunch time to give the Houston Texans total trust in him. Will Levis let the world know on Monday that he also belongs in that conversation.

For me, it's the constant grit that he plays with. Levis is not afraid to get dirty or put his body on the line. Sure, that's a dangerous game to play when you're the most important player on the field, but I'm absolutely sure that it makes his teammate love him. 

It's the patience and poise Levis show, never getting rattled. After a botched pitch to Derrick Henry resulted in the Titans' third turnover of the night, it would have been really easy for Levis to get down and wave the white flag. Hope felt completely lost at that point. But just as we have known him to do all season, Levis stayed calm, cool, and collected. He was not afraid to take a hit while delivering a throw from the pocket or lower his shoulder on the run. He pushed the ball down the field with purpose and tempo and willed his team back into the game.

The moment is never too big for Will Levis. The 24-year-old quarterback is a freak competitor…and I mean that as a massive compliment. 

It's no secret that Tennessee's current roster is not the most talented. It's probably among the bottom 10 NFL rosters when it comes to talent alone. But this Titans team plays with an undeniable grit, passion, and hunger. That's kind of what Titans football is all about after all, and they have a rookie quarterback who is the embodiment of those principles.

Win or lose the rest of the way, Will Levis is proving to be a franchise quarterback, He's got the "it factor" in spades.

Projected stats for Will Levis in his rookie year for Titans

ESPN predicts the stat line for Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis in his rookie season.