Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis made his NFL preseason debut on Saturday against the Chicago Bears, with the showing having mixed results.
Levis, who displayed good pocket presence at times while also flashing his mobility and arm talent, was able to lead the Titans on a touchdown drive during the second quarter.
Of course, Levis, who finished 9-of-14 for 85 yards, had his issues, also.
He was lacking accuracy on some throws, and even on those he completed. His pass protection wasn’t good, but there were a few times when he needed to speed up his internal clock. And, he threw an ugly pick on the Titans’ last drive, thwarting an opportunity for a game-winning score.
“I think we did a pretty good job operationally, just getting out of the huddle, making sure we’ve got the right ID’s and looks,” Levis said, per Terry McCormick of Titans Insider.
“Decision-making wise, I thought I did a decent job, but at the end, I’ve got to make a throw to win the game there, and it’s a shame that didn’t happen. But I’m going to learn from it and get better.”
Will Levis said he didn't get it on the last throw where he was picked off. Was waiting for a WR to come open across the middle but they weren't on the same page.
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 12, 2023
Will Levis said if he could have gotten the ball to Gavin Holmes on the play before the INT that would have been a TD. Good play design by Tim Kelly. Mason Kinsey cleared it out from the slot and Holmes slipped underneath on the deep cross. Kevin Rader's curl route held the LB. pic.twitter.com/z4j9VXKeig
— TURRON DAVENPORT (@TDavenport_NFL) August 12, 2023
Despite the negatives, Levis never looked overwhelmed at all, which is a great early sign for the rookie signal-caller.
Willis looked better overall, but that’s what we should expect from a second-year signal-caller when compared to a rookie quarterback. Adding to that, the gap between the two certainly isn’t huge, which means Levis remains right in the thick of things for the backup job.
