Rookies have reported to camp, officially turning the page to the 2024 season. There is one team, that I believe in the 2024 season, will either boom or bust. Over the past few seasons, this team has built up their roster around their quarterback. However, their quarterback is a massive question mark. This quarterback is a wildcard. Therefore, if he delivers, the team will smash all expectations. If he doesn’t, the team will spiral and will be forced into a rebuild. This quarterback and team is Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans.
THE SUPPORTING CAST:
After a great 2021 season, the Titans tried to run it back with the same core in 2022. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out. The aging Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry couldn’t carry the load anymore and Tennesse went 7W-10L. In the 2022 draft, the Titans had attempted to bring in the new guard. They did so by drafting players with high ceilings who need a lot of development. The two biggest names were receiver Trylon Burks and quarterback Malik Willis. Since the old guard failed to hold down the fort in 2022, these players were prematurely forced into action and their development was derailed. The only pick Tennesse hit on was Chigoziem Okonkwo, a tight end out of Maryland.
After 2022, the Titans hired Ran Carthon as their new General Manager. His task was to put out the dumpster fire that was the Tennesse Titans. Carthon signed veteran receiver, Deandre Hopkins, to a 2-year 54.5-million-dollar deal and drafted three major pieces to rebuild the offense. These pieces were offensive lineman Peter Skoronski, running back Tyjae Spears, and quarterback Will Levis. These pieces were intended to sit and develop in 2023. Their defense ranked 14th in points allowed in 2022, so there was less urgency to work on that side of the ball. Between, the AFC South being a very division and the Titans running back the same failed offense, it was undecided if they were going to tank or try to win the division.
After getting off to a poor 2W-4L start, pulling the plug and electing to tank seemed inevitable. Heading into their week 7 bye, with Ryan Tannehill banged up, Tennesse decided to see what they have in their youngster and start Will Levis in week 8. There’s simultaneously a lot to love and a lot to worry about regarding Levis, we’ll get into that in a bit. Nevertheless, the Falcons’ defensive scheme played right into Will’s strengths and he torched their secondary for 4 touchdowns in his debut. The Titans hoped to get hot and ride Levis to the playoffs. However, one good game doesn’t mean much in the NFL. Sure enough, under Levis, the Titans lost 4 of their next 5 games. They limped to the finish line and eventually finished 6W-11L. The only positive takeaways from the season were that Hopkins, Spears, and Okonkwo were legit, and Levis might have some potential.
After the season, Tennesse faced a major decision. Their leader is scrimmage yards and touchdowns, Derrick Henry, was a free agent. Carthon decided not to spend big money on a 30-year-old running back. After Henry signed a 2-year 16-million-dollar deal with the Baltimore Ravens, the Titans replaced him by signing Tony Pollard to a 3-year 24-million-dollar contract. I loved this move because Pollard is younger than Henry, a better pass catcher, and more elusive. While he might not be a big bruising back like Henry, I believe that Pollard is a better fit for the Titans. In addition, the Titans signed Calvin Ridley to a 4-year 92-million-dollar deal. Both Hopkins and Ridley were once top-tier receivers, who have been held back by poor quarterback play in recent years. Between the two of them, the addition of Pollard to a backfield that already had Tyjae Spears, with Okonkwo coming along nicely at tight end, the Titans have put together a great group of position players. If the offensive line does its job, these weapons give Levis a chance to be elite. Tennesse’s line was arguably a bottom-5 unit in the NFL in 2023. Therefore, Cathon went out and signed Lloyd Cushenberry to a 4-year 50-million-dollar contract. Per PFF, with only 5 penalties committed and 1 sack allowed, with a 73.2 grade, Cushenberry was one of the best centers in the NFL in 2023. Furthermore, the Titans drafted an offensive tackle in the first round. With the 7th overall pick, they selected JC Latham out of Alabama. Between adding Peter Skoronski last year, and these two this year, their offensive front should be at least middle of the pack. That leaves it up to Will Levis to decide if this offense will ball out or fall out.
THE WILDCARD - WILL LEVIS:
Entering the 2023 draft, Will Levis was viewed as one of four elite quarterback prospects and a potential top-10 pick. Nevertheless, the teams in immediate need of quarterbacks got their guys at picks, 1 (Bryce Young), 2 (CJ Stroud), and 4 (Anthony Richardson). After the first 4 picks, every team had more urgent needs than quarterback, and Levis began to slide. In an attempt to explain why nobody wanted Levis, the analysts pointed to his inability to read a sophisticated defense. The Tennessee Titans eventually selected him at the beginning of the second round. It was a puzzling pick, because they already had Ryan Tannehill and Malik Willis, making Levis 3rd on the depth chart. Nevertheless, Levis worked his way up the depth chart and found himself starting a week 8 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
Levis played an incredible game against the Falcons and earned himself the starting job for the remainder of the season. After the game, the football world was shocked, where did this come from? I did a deep analysis of the film and figured it out. Levis was originally viewed as a potential top pick because he has all the physical tools. He has the arm strength and athleticism, however he fell to the second round because he struggles to pick apart a defense. Therefore, if he can learn enough from Tannehill, a veteran game manager, Levis can be elite. If you watch his film against the Falcons, he was taking what the defense was giving him without picking it apart. Every throw was either a check-down under the defense or a bomb over the top, with nothing between the zones. Sure enough, the following opponents picked up on this and forced him to make reads. Levis struggled and in the next 10 games went 3W-7L, throwing for 1,570 yards, 4 touchdowns, and 4 picks, a total quarterback rating of 77.49. This was very disappointing after he threw for 238 yards and 4 touchdowns, with a rating of 130.5, in his debut.
What this tells me, is that Will Levis has all the tools but one. He can make every throw and make plays with his legs. He needs to be sitting all offseason with Tannehill and the coaches, working on understanding defenses. The Titans have the pass catchers, they have the running backs, they have the blockers. The only thing their offense needs is Will Levis to have the ability to pick apart an NFL defense. If Levis figures it out, good luck stopping this group. If not, Tennesse will have to restart.
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