Grading QB Will Levis' performance in return to Titans starting lineup against Chargers
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis made his return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers after missing three games with a shoulder injury. Tennessee's offense averaged just 14.7 points per game with Mason Rudolph in as the starter, but seemed to move the ball effectively. There was clear momentum being built […]
Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis made his return to the starting lineup on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers after missing three games with a shoulder injury.
Tennessee's offense averaged just 14.7 points per game with Mason Rudolph in as the starter, but seemed to move the ball effectively. There was clear momentum being built on offense, and a big question coming into the weekend was how Levis would do after being inserted back into the lineup.
The Titans lost to the Chargers by a score of 27-17 on Sunday. While it was Levis' most efficient game as a passer this season, he's also responsible for his own slice of the blame pie for the loss.
That said, I tend to believe Levis' performance on Sunday was better than most people seem to be giving him credit for.
Grade: B-
Levis finished the day completing 18-of-23 passes for 175 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also posted 41 rushing yards and did not turn the ball over for the first time this season.
The Titans had eight possessions in the football game. Levis put together two touchdown drives and had his team in position to kick a field goal twice. That's a respectable effort.
What are the main concerns we've had with Levis this season? Not efficient as a passer. Poor decision making. Questions about his accuracy. Brian Callahan has talked all year about wanting Levis to play simpler and play within the offense. Don't force anything or make any bad decisions. Levis did that on Sunday. He was efficient.
The biggest knock on Levis after the loss in LA is that he held on to the ball for too long. He was sacked seven times on the day, and according to Brian Callahan, "at least two of them" were created by Levis not getting rid of the football.
It's undoubtedly something he needs to improve. Tennessee's offensive line is a problem, but Mason Rudolph did not have the same issues when he was in at quarterback. Will Levis was sacked more times against the Chargers (7) than Mason Rudolph was over three starts (6). There is something to the idea that Levis is holding on to the ball for longer than normal and therefore being sacked for negative plays as a result.
Is it a hindrance to Tennessee's offense? Yes. Is it something that can be corrected? Also yes, in my opinion.
I'd much rather have the version of Will Levis that was saw today – Holds the ball for too long sometimes, but makes smart, accurate throws and doesn't put the ball in harms way – than the reckless version of Levis we saw at the beginning of the 2024 season.
"I thought Will [Levis] was good at times. A couple times it felt like he was trying to find a bigger player later in the game, and once he started getting the ball out and just trying to play faster, that was good," said Titans head coach Brian Callahan after the game. "I thought he did some good things today. There was definitely some things that are encouraging and things to teach off of."
Will Levis did not lose the Titans this game against the Chargers. LA got whatever they wanted offensively, ultimately causing the Titans' death by a thousand cuts. In the second half, Levis hardly had any opportunity to make something happen.
The Titans put together an 11-play, 62-yard drive to open the second half that resulted in a field goal and made it a 13-10 game. But when the Chargers responded with two touchdown drives that burned over 11 minutes of clock combined, Tennessee was quickly running out of rope.
Ultimately, the Titans got just four possessions in the second half. Two scoring drives that Levis looked very sharp on. One drive that was killed by poor offensive line play (false starts and blown up screen passes). And one drive that ended after Levis was sacked and didn't get rid of the ball.
Not perfect. Nothing to write home about or celebrate. But as Brian Callahan said, some positives today for Levis and a lot to build on. I think Titans fans and media members who are coming away from this game overly critical of the second-year quarterback are just looking for reasons to knock him.
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