Should the Titans stick with Will Levis at quarterback?
Will Levis's extra effort to get a first down for the Tennessee Titans led to his first-quarter exit on Monday Night Football. Levis didn't return to Tennessee's first win of the season, a 31-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins, due to a shoulder injury. After that, Mason Rudolph took over at quarterback for Tennessee and managed the offense as well as it's been run all season, with the Titans turning in seven scoring drives, though Rudolph only threw for 85 yards on 9-of-17 passing. After the game, Titans head coach Brian Callahan said Levis would undergo an MRI for what is believed to be an AC joint issue, and the coach added Levis was 100 percent his starting quarterback going forward.
“If Will is healthy, he's our quarterback,” Callahan said. “It was not a decision based on anything other than his health and protecting him, particularly with the bye week. The shoulder didn't feel great. I didn't want to put him back out there, and I knew I was going to run the ball quite a bit, so that was really what factored in. But he's our starter when he's healthy, and we're ready to roll with him.”
In his brief time on Monday, Levis completed 3 of 4 passes for 25 yards with an interception. It was Levis' sixth INT of the season, tied for the most in the NFL.
Should the Titans stick with Will Levis at quarterback?
Although Rudolph won't take much credit for the win, he still played an essential part for Tennessee. He managed to protect the football, unlike Levis, who again struggled in that department by throwing an interception on the first drive. Rudolph's caution led to the Titans scoring 31 points through two touchdown runs, five field goals, and a safety while accumulating only 244 total yards. It also helps that the Titans’ defense delivered an outstanding performance on Monday night, restricting the Dolphins to only 13 first downs and 184 total yards. They limited Miami to just 2-of-12 on third downs (16.7 percent) and 1-of-3 on fourth downs (33.3 percent).
But even with the balance between a stout defense and Rudolph's careful play, Tennessee won't give up on Levis yet. While Levis has struggled with mistakes early in the season, his upside is still high. If anything, Tennessee must see what it has before moving on from Levis. Regardless, it's fair to wonder, with how shaky Levis, who has nine giveaways this year, has been playing, coupled with his injury, if Callahan wouldn't decide to stick with Rudolph going forward, regardless of Levis' status. But, for now, it won't be that way.
