Starting Will Levis Worth It?
Will Levis is back in the starting lineup at quarterback. Is it worth it for the Tennessee Titans to dip back in to the mayo jar?
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Let me ask you a question.
Based on the way Will Levis has played this season, how long Levis has been out of action due to injury and how Mason Rudolph has performed in replacement duty over the last three games and some change, who would you pick to start at quarterback this weekend against the Chargers?
Barring a healthy Levis of course.
Think hard about it…now yell out your answer.
If you said Rudolph, I don’t blame you.
If you said Levis…I don’t blame you either….sort of?
Why even go back to Levis?
Let me explain why I feel this way. We all saw how Levis looked during the first three weeks of the season.
He was inaccurate, had a nasty turnover problem, had too many mental lapses on the field, and generally looked lost more times than not.
Did I mention he had a nasty turnover problem?
At times, it felt like even the most basic things looked difficult for Levis, which in turn handicapped the offense and made it look like a slop of unidentified fecal matter.
Supporting weapons that were brought in to help Levis, looked mediocre at best, mostly because Levis’ inaccuracy and hesitation stagnated the entire unit. Offensive line play looked worrisome, with some of that being attributed to Levis and his inability to sense pressure in the pocket.
And to make matters worse, Brian Callahan’s entire reputation was being roasted over an open fire like a pig, threatening the progress the organization had made over the last decade plus and putting its own reputation in a realm no organization wants to even be near.
Does that sound a little dramatic? Maybe, but the damage done by Levis and the domino effect it had was very much real.
So when Mason Rudolph took Levis’ place due to a shoulder injury sustained by Levis — during a play he once again tried to play hero ball — and seemingly installed more control within the offense, it’s easy to understand why some had an urge to snap the thread of connection to Levis for good.
Before things get hectic, it’s smart to mention that Rudolph’s entrance into the lineup hasn’t brought any sizable differences offensively. Rudolph is a backup for a reason, he doesn’t elevate anything around him and even he has some boneheaded moments that make you want to hurl yourself off a cliff.
Plus he’s made poor throws as well.
But what Rudolph brings to the table is a basic understanding and execution of the basics. He doesn’t turn the ball over often and he isn’t a chicken with its head cut off.
Compared to the Levis experience, that sounds like heaven.
That isn’t where the standard needs to be of course, no one wants their best option at quarterback to be a bland, boring carcass that can’t fill up seats. But with where the Titans are, that’s exactly what they have to live with.
Which makes the idea of going back to Levis feel wrong somehow.
I get it, you need to give Levis as much run as possible and live or die by the hand Levis gives you. Don’t forget, you still have to give the guy a chance to see if he’s the guy or not.
We know he isn’t and probably won’t show anything throughout the rest of the season to prove otherwise, but you still have to give him that chance.
Who knows, he might have his eureka moment and unlock the very potential that had scouts predicting him to be a potential top five draft selection. It’s unlikely, but you still have to ride with that chance.
But on the other hand, if you risk Levis playing and him still being bad, you risk losing the locker room and risk putting your young, first time head coach in a position he can’t really worm himself out of.
For Ran Carthon, that isn’t something he truly wants to do. Callahan is his guy, the Titans are his team now, and the pathway towards success is in his possession now. Why risk all of that on a young quarterback that has shown he simply doesn’t have it?
It doesn’t make sense right?
Which is why it would feel irresponsible and somewhat unethical to give Levis the starting job back immediately, all in hopes of finding an ounce of gold in a lake that’s 200 feet deep.
Yes, starting Rudolph could put the Titans in a position where they play themselves out of a top five draft pick. That’s a disastrous proposition and one the Titans have to avoid at all costs.
But starting Levis could crack the very foundation the Titans have set themselves. And that’s ten times worse than losing out on a top five draft pick.
That isn’t an answer you want to hear, but it’s the one you need to understand.
For all it’s worth, this season isn’t the most pressing concern for the Titans right now. They’re fully out of the playoff race no matter what the numbers say, they’ve traded away pieces to replenish draft capital, and injuries are really starting to pile up.
But this season still has some use and it’s very important to the psyche, the mental fragility of this organization that’s going through some tough times right now.
Levis isn’t useful for the cause right now and the Titans have to not only recognize that, but act on it as well.
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