Will Levis turns in best performance yet at Titans training camp
On Monday, Will Levis started to make his move in the race for backup quarterback in Nashville. The former Kentucky quarterback turned Tennessee Titans rookie threw five touchdowns in what was easily his best performance of training camp so far, and one that Levis admitted he didn’t see coming.
“I think even in just warming up or the [individual] period, you can tell when the ball’s really coming out of your hands well. Today, I didn’t actually think it was one of those days and I ended up having a decent day throwing.”
That’s an understatement. Today was not only the first day the Titans wore pads at practice, it was the first time they focused on red zone routes. During those periods, Levis was almost perfect, completing three straight touchdowns during 7-on-7s, all from 20-plus yards out in tight windows. The first was to his former Kentucky teammate Justin Rigg, who signed a reserve/future contract with the Titans in January.
“It felt good,” Levis told KSR of throwing the touchdown to Rigg. “We connected for the first time here back in 7-on-7s the other day, so it was good to keep the streak going. I love Justin as a dude and as a player and had some flashbacks of my junior year at Kentucky.”
“Just like at Kentucky, it feels awesome,” Rigg agreed. “Having him here, it’s awesome because we have that chemistry we had at Kentucky. Seeing him, he’s a great player, he’s competing. Just to catch that ball from him, it’s a good feeling.”
Levis had two additional touchdowns in the 11-on-11 period, the latter straight down the middle to Reggie Roberson. The play drew one of the biggest cheers of the day from the team and fans. Levis’ accuracy on short throws has been one of his weaknesses, but he put the perfect amount of zip on the ball to deliver it in traffic.
“I felt there were some good balls,” Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel said of Levis’ performance. “I thought there were some good decisions down in the red zone. I thought he delivered the ball with some accuracy. He tried to push it down the field and worked the concepts that we had going into today in the red zone. So, take it day by day. There’s going to be some good days, some bad days, learn from them and keep progressing.”
“A little bit,” Levis said of whether he feels he’s improved since the start of training camp last week. “Just across the board, I think just confidence, recognition, and progressions, and making the right reads, I think that’s probably part of it as well as just a bunch of other things with my physical game. I’ve still got a lot to improve on.”
Will Levis, Malik Willis still battling for backup quarterback
Today was the Titans’ fourth practice of training camp. They have six more before the first preseason game vs. the Chicago Bears on August 12. Who will back up Ryan Tannehill in that game, Levis or second-year Titan Malik Willis, is still undecided, but Mike Vrabel said both will have opportunities with the second string this week. Willis has mostly performed better than Levis at OTAs and training camp and had some nice moments today, but not as many as Levis.
“I think it’s been great,” Vrabel said of the battle between Levis and Willis. “I think that they all push each other and again, you see them get excited for each other and they’re allowed to do that and still compete and still want to try to win the competition, so I think they both have done some really good things. There are some plays that both of them would like to have back.
“Again, one day isn’t going to make or break anything but hopefully, we come back tomorrow without a script and put the ball down and see how they function and operate and move through different situations tomorrow and see how they lead their unit, whether it’s the second group or the third group and they’ll both have opportunities with each of those different groups. I like where both of them are at.”
When the Titans drafted Levis, one of the directives Mike Vrabel gave him was to keep his head down and stay humble. Thus far, Levis has done so, earning praise from his coaches and teammates for his attitude. He likened the experience to the one he had at Penn State as a backup to Sean Clifford.
“When you’re the backup, there’s a certain way of going about yourself to still be a leader but not step on the toes of the guy that’s got the job, which is Ryan [Tannehill], obviously. I’m just finding ways to do it the right way. Just be someone in the locker room who can bring the team along and just do what’s asked of me at the position with a good attitude.”
That said, when asked if he can afford to be patient in his new role, Levis bristled a bit.
“I’m not patient. I’m coming in here to work every day and to compete. If you’re not doing that, regardless of your position, you’re not only doing yourself, you’re doing the team a disservice, so that’s the mentality we all have right now. Regardless of what string you are, we’re working every day as though we’re all a starter, with the same level of intensity. That’s how you have to carry yourself regardless of the position you’re in.”
That mindset extends off the field. Levis has said many times he’s his own worst critic and told reporters that he watched the film of one of his misses from last week’s practice “a dozen times” to figure out what went wrong and how to correct it. Similarly, he said he’ll likely review the tape from today to try to build momentum.
“You do have those days where you’ve got a little more control over the ball, at least personally, and those are the days that you really focus on, okay, what am I doing with my mechanics, what am I doing with my throwing motion today, what do I feel myself doing so that when I come out here tomorrow, I can do that again. So when you do have those good days, it’s important to watch that film and see why it was a good day.”
Levis embracing Titans fans, adjusting to Tennessee humidity
Titans fans were allowed to watch today’s practice from the sidelines and many stuck around to get autographs from the players afterward. Levis spent almost 30 minutes signing shirts, footballs, and helmets, taking pictures, and chatting with fans young and old. Aside from Derrick Henry (who graciously returned to the autograph line when a group of young fans started chanting his name), he stayed with the fans the longest.
“It’s cool,” Levis told KSR. “Getting to sign and meet the fans and talk to these kids on the sideline, reminds us of what we’re doing this for. I remember when I was little going to training camp practices and how excited I was to try to get autographs and watch the guys from a distance and watch them work. It’s kind of funny. They’re just watching us at work but it’s a lot of fun and anytime we get some fans, it changes the environment.”
Thankfully, the brutal heat wave is finally gone, but it was still a very warm and humid morning in Nashville. When Levis approached a young girl in the autograph line, she gave him one look and said, “You’re really sweaty,” drawing a laugh from Levis and those around him.
“I definitely have a sweating problem,” Levis quipped. “I’m kind of getting used to the heat here finally.”
When asked how much hotter it is in Nashville than in Lexington, Levis said something I often tell my friends back in Kentucky.
“[The University of] Kentucky is only three hours north but I swear, even that three hours makes a difference.”
Preach. Enjoy some photos and videos of Levis — and Rigg — meeting fans after today’s practice. Next time, we need some more Kentucky Blue to get in.
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