The Tennessee Titans entered the 2023 NFL season with hopes to win the AFC South title. These hopes stemmed from the Titans acquiring wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins during the offseason. This free-agent signing was supposed to ensure the passing offense would be effective and allow star running back Derrick Henry to find some open lanes in the running game. However, the Titans had inconsistent quarterback play from all three quarterbacks on their roster, making the Hopkins signing nearly irrelevant. In fairness, the receiver room had minimal talent apart from Hopkins, which did not help the already struggling quarterbacks. Many fans expected wide receiver Treylon Burks to progress into a decent receiving threat for the Titans quarterbacks in 2023. He had a promising rookie campaign in 2022 but had an abysmal 2023 season that worries fans about his future.
A Review of the Tennessee Titans Quarterback Play This Year
Analyzing the Performances of Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis
Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill was named the week one starter of the Tennessee Titans for the fourth straight season. Nearly everyone expected this, despite the Titans drafting quarterback Will Levis in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Things did not go as expected for very long, as the opening game against the New Orleans Saints sparked controversy over the quarterback position. Tannehill played one of his worst games in recent memory. He threw three interceptions and did not find the endzone a single time. He also completed fewer than 50% of his passes, making it a horrible start to the year. The Titans narrowly lost the game, and many fans wanted to bench Tannehill for Levis or second-year quarterback Malik Willis.
The veteran quarterback continued to start for five more games. However, he got injured during the week six game against the Baltimore Ravens. This injury forced Willis into action during the final quarter of a one-score game, where he got sacked four times and struggled to move the ball. Although the offensive line is notably atrocious, Willis took twice as many sacks as Tannehill in less game time. Due to Tannehill’s injury and Willis’s mediocre performance, the Titans started Levis after losing to the Ravens. Luckily for Levis, he had two weeks to prepare for his first start because the team had a bye week.
Reviewing the Performance of Will Levis
Many fans experienced hope for the Titans season after seeing Levis throw four touchdowns in a win during his first start. This win put the Titans at a 3-4 record and still within reach of first place in the AFC South. Despite the outstanding performance in his rookie debut, Levis struggled during the next two games. He threw two interceptions and zero touchdowns, and the offense could not score many points. His fourth start was a better statistical performance, but the Titans failed to score any points until they were down by 27. These three losses sent the Titans record to 3-7, and many fans started to look forward to next season. Although the Titans won against the 1-9 Carolina Panthers, the offense failed to score any points during the second half. Levis had a decent performance in week 13, reaching over 200 passing yards and a touchdown. However, the Indianapolis Colts blocked two punts that completely changed the game’s outcome and handed the Titans their eighth loss.
Another bright spot for Levis came in week 14 against the Miami Dolphins, as he led the Titans to a one-point victory. Levis had a career-high 327 passing yards and helped the Titans recover from a 14-point deficit late in the 4th quarter. Levis followed that performance with a pedestrian game against the Houston Texans, throwing one interception and running for one touchdown. In fairness, Henry only had nine rushing yards on 16 attempts, making Levis singlehandedly carry the offense. Sadly, Levis could not play much in the final three games due to a couple of ankle injuries he sustained from getting sacked. This led Tannehill to get nearly all the remaining snaps, and he guided the Titans to one win in the final three games.
Rating the Performances of Titans Quarterbacks
Tannehill has constantly shown Titans fans he cannot lead a team to the Super Bowl. Tannehill’s 2023 campaign reminded Titans fans that they need a different quarterback. While Tannehill can string some good games together, he is inconsistent during clutch moments. Since this season was Tannehill’s final year in his contract, the Titans will likely not re-sign the veteran quarterback and stick with their youthful draft picks.
Willis never had a complete opportunity to show his talents at the NFL level. Every opportunity for Willis felt like a last resort, and not many players can be productive behind such a poor offensive line. However, he has consistently struggled to move the ball during games and tends to take numerous sacks. So, Willis will likely not get many starting opportunities with the Titans.
Levis showed some streaks of brilliance throughout his rookie season, but those were limited to a few games. Apart from his stellar debut in his first start, he threw four touchdowns and four interceptions. The main concern with Levis heading into the NFL Draft was his inconsistencies in throwing the football and poor decision-making. These concerns are similar to Tannehill, as both quarterbacks made horrible decisions throwing the football this season. Since Levis is much younger than Tannehill, Levis should start for an entire season. This opportunity will give Levis time to work on his flaws. Although 2024 looks like a rebuilding year for the Titans, many fans hope to see Levis improve this offseason.
Main Photo: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
