Worst nightmare unlocked...
The Tennessee Titans got the doors blown off of them by the Green Bay Packers. It's one thing for the Titans to get embarrassed but it's another thing for them to get embarrassed by a player who they once drafted and hoped to be their quarterback of the future.
That's exactly what played out on Sunday when Malik Willis helped lead the Packers to a 30-14 win that dropped Tennessee to 0-3 on the year. Yikes.
The Titans spent a third-round pick on Willis in the 2022 NFL Draft and he ended up starting three games as a rookie and making eight total appearances. Willis threw three picks and zero touchdowns in his eight appearances in 2022. He made three appearances in 2023 and didn't fare much better, but he only attempted five passes the whole season.
Well, after it was clear that Willis wouldn't be the answer in Nashville, the Titans traded him to Green Bay and he was thrust into action just two games into the season. Willis and the Packers rushing attack ran the ball down the Colts' throats last week and then did the same thing to the Titans in Week 3. Willis led the Packers in rushing yards, tallying 73 on the ground while throwing for 202 yards and a touchdown in the blowout Packers win.
With Willis playing well and leading the Packers to back-to-back victories, people have pointed to the Titans as being the problem. Willis never looked like a serviceable quarterback during his time in Tennessee yet as soon as he landed in Green Bay, he's not only winning games but he looks like a dependable quarterback.
Titans deservedly have fingers pointed at them after Malik Willis has played well elsewhere
As Andrew Brandt shared in the graphic above, Willis only had a 51 completion percentage while throwing for 234 yards, zero touchdowns, and three picks and a measly 39.0 quarterback rating. Since joining the Packers, he's completing 83% of his passes and has thrown for 324 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions on his résumé. He also has a 131.7 quarterback rating, far better than what he did in Nashville.
This is disappointing for the Titans and it's not looking any better considering the mistakes Will Levis has been making in his first three starts of the 2024 season. The Titans might not have made a mistake in trading Willis since he wasn't going to become the answer there but they have to figure out how to develop a quarterback if they want to start winning games again.