NASHVILLE — After Ryan Tannehill went down with an ankle injury against the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans fans got their first look of 2023 at second-year quarterback Malik Willis in London.

Willis took over to play the fourth quarter and finished the game 4-for-5 on pass attempts with 74 passing yards and 17 yards on the ground. Willis was also sacked four times on just 15 offensive plays.

Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said he saw improvement from Willis in London when he reflected on his young quarterback's performance later in the week.

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"I think that there was some improvement. I think that's a tough spot. We hit it down there on the goal line and just the operation of where we were; down two scores, not having the timeouts and just needing to know not taking a sack and not having to hold onto that ball. The time is critical. I think that's tough to evaluate," said Vrabel in Monday's press conference. "I think he could have probably gotten rid of the football or tried to find somebody a little quicker. But, I think that it was good to see him get us off to a good start with the keeper and then obviously finding Tyjae (Spears) and getting the ball out of his hand. So not a whole lot of work outside of just that situation."

Given the situation, Willis was definitely difficult to evaluate on Sunday. Vrabel is absolutely right about that. But I was a bit surprised to hear Vrabel be so optimistic about Willis‘ performance.

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Not getting rid of the football is a problem. It has been a problem for Willis since last season, and we did not see much growth in that area this past week. Willis has now been sacked on 17.5 percent of his career drop backs. That’s the second highest rate in the last 30 years among quarterbacks who have at least 50 career pass attempts. You get sacked that often and it's not just an offensive line issue.

I have my concerns about whether or not Willis is equipped to run the Titans' offense in a way that pushes the ball down the field and incorporates a passing game from the pocket. For me, Will Levis is the more talented passer that gives the Titans the best chance to win if he starts against Atlanta.

But by the sound of things, Vrabel and the Titans coaching staff might be a bit higher on Willis than I would have thought. I’m starting to think it’s a real possibility that Willis gets another starting nod if Ryan Tannehill cannot play against Atlanta.

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