Will Levis received his loudest applause on Sunday when first-year Tennessee coach Brian Callahan decided to bench the second-year quarterback.
This moment reflected not only Levis’ poor performance in a 37-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, but also highlighted the tough spot the Titans are in right now.
The team needs to keep playing the 33rd overall pick from the 2023 draft to figure out what they have before what is expected to be their highest draft pick since 2017.
Levis had shown some progress. Coming into the game, he hadn’t thrown an interception in his last two games, though the team lost both.
“We’re not getting enough positive plays in a row from the quarterback position, and that, to me, is the hard part,” said Callahan about Levis. Levis had a tough game on Sunday.
He fumbled the ball when Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson came in unblocked. Then Levis threw three interceptions, one of which was returned 39 yards by Geno Stone for a pick-6. Levis now leads the NFL with four pick-6s this season. These turnovers led to 24 points for Cincinnati.
Callahan said Levis struggled, which is why he pulled him, hoping that backup Mason Rudolph would give the team a spark. Rudolph went 21 of 26 for 209 yards and two touchdown passes, but he also threw an interception inside the Cincinnati 20.
“Those things happen,” Callahan said, referencing his past coaching experience with Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. “I’ve been a part of them before. Just a bad half, a bad series that kind of spiraled on him, and you need to take a seat for a little bit and let somebody else do it.”
With three games remaining for the Titans (3-11), Levis has already matched the four pick-6s thrown by Sam Howell last season and Matthew Stafford in 2021. Levis is among a select group of quarterbacks who have thrown at least four pick-6s in a season over the last 10 years.
However, Levis is the first Tennessee quarterback since the team moved to the state in 1997 to throw four pick-6s in a season. Matt Hasselbeck (2011, 2012) and Steve McNair (2000, 2005) both had seasons with three pick-6s.
Levis understands that when a quarterback throws four turnovers, they will get benched. Now, he plans to watch the video and learn from his mistakes.
“I know what I’m capable of,” said Levis. “The ball was coming out of my hand well. There’s things we could do at all positions to help us out with a couple of those turnovers. There’s nothing discouraging about it. It was just one of those days, and I’m going to keep swinging, that’s for sure.”
Rudolph, who has been benched in his career, said it’s not easy, but a quarterback can grow from the experience.
“It hardens you as a man and as a human being,” said Rudolph. “It’s all about how you respond, and I know he’ll respond well.”
