BBNFL Week 10: Will Levis and Josh Paschal play great in their return to action

It was a rough first half of the season for Will Levis. The Tennessee Titans handed over the keys to the franchise to their second-round draft pick this year and although he had some good moments, he has also caused several fender benders from behind the wheel. After three weeks on the inactive list, Levis returned to action in Week 10 and had the best game of the year.

The Titans publically announced the reason for his time away with a shoulder injury, but Titan fans wondered if it was less ailment-related and more a result of his poor play. One way or the other, Levis came back after a few meddling Mason Rudolph starts.

Against the Chargers on Sunday, Levis completed 22/33 of his pass attempts for 175 yards and two touchdowns, the most of the season. He also nearly led Tennessee in rushing yards, scrambling five times for 41 yards. It was also the first game of the season he did not throw an interception. Sure, the Titans lost 27-17 as they normally do, but this game should at least give everyone involved a little more confidence moving forward.

Will Levis is all the way BACK. pic.twitter.com/32ql1Jm3kl

— KSR (@KSRonX) November 10, 2024

This game also featured at least two instances of ‘Cat-on-‘Cat crime, as Bud Dupree sacked Will Levis twice on the same drive, as he continues to have a solid year in what might be his last as a professional football player.

Josh Paschal records a sack in first game back from health scare

Will Levis wasn’t the only former Kentucky player to return for a couple-week hiatus on Sunday. Josh Paschal missed the last two weeks with what was initially reported as an illness, but it has since come out that it was quite a health scare.

Paschal has been getting yearly skin checks after being diagnosed with lentiginous melanoma in 2018 when he was a sophomore at Kentucky. Doctors discovered a potentially problematic mass in his shoulder during his most recent checkup, but thankfully, it was benign and not cancerous. Doctors removed it and after a couple of weeks of rehab to regain strength, Paschal returned to on-the-field action in Week 10 against the Houston Texans.

Paschal had a team-high 5 QB pressures and recorded a sack in the prime time slot of Sunday Night Football. He also had three tackles and an assist to help the Lions win 26-23 over Houston on a last-minute field goal.

With their star pass rusher, Aiden Hutchinson, out with injury, Paschal is one of their top options for getting to the quarterback. Well, he and fellow former edge rusher Za’Darius Smith, who just came over to Detroit from Cleveland right before the trade deadline. Smith didn’t play, having only been with the team for a couple of days, but I look forward to him bolstering the defense on what is possibly the best team in the NFL.

Other BBNFL Notes:

• Wan’Dale Robinson led the Giants in receiving with 51 yards in New York’s overtime loss to the lowly Carolina Panthers in Germany. Daniel Jones (who might officially now be, “ain’t it,” missed Robinson on at least one route where the former ‘Cat was running wide open down the field. Seems about right from a former Blue Devil. #BeatDuke

• Robinson’s teammate, rookie Dru Phillips, continues to emerge as a 3rd-round steal. He played lockdown defense in the secondary and forced his second fumble of the season. The Giants may be bad, but Dru Phillips is not.

• Speaking of good players on bad teams, Josh Hines-Allen led the Jaguars in QB pressures and his defense did not allow a touchdown, but Jacksonville still managed to take the L, falling to the Vikings 12-7.

BBNFL snap counts and stats for Week 10

(ST): Special Teams snaps; player did not play on offense or defense.

Player	POS	Snaps	Stats
Josh Hines-Allen (JAX)	LB	62	6 QB Pressures, 1 tackle, 1 assist
Josh Pascal (DET)	DL	61	5 QB pressures, 1 sack, 3 tackles, 1 assist
Will Levis (TEN)	QB	55	23/33 passing, 175 yards, 2 TD, 5 rushes, 41 yards
Trevin Wallace (CAR)	LB	52	1 QB pressure, 6 tackles, 1 assist
Dru Phillips (NYG)	DB	50	4 tackles, 1 QB pressure, 1 forced fumble
Wan’Dale Robinson (NYG)	WR	49	8 targets, 5 rec, 51 yards
Bud Dupree (LAC)	LB	46	7 QB pressures, 2 sacks, 1 tackle, 2 assists
Ray Davis (BUF)	RB	11	3 rushes, 6 yards
Chris Rodriguez (WAS)	RB	5	2 rushes, 4 yards
Lonnie Johnson Jr. (CAR)	DB	26 (ST)	2 tackles
Brandin Echols (NYJ)	DB	7 (ST)	no stats
Landon Young (NO)	OL	4 (ST)	no stats
Luke Fortner (JAX)	C	1 (ST)	no stats
Carrington Valentine (GB)	DB		Bye week
Za’Darius Smith (DET)	LB		Inactive
Keidron Smith (DEN)	DB		Inactive
Darian Kinnard (PHI)	OL		Inactive
Mike Edwards (TEN)	DB		Inactive