In his first NFL start — albeit in the preseason — Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Malik Willis completed six of 11 passes for 107 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 88.1. Willis did come up with an amazing rushing touchdown in Tennessee’s 23-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but there was at least one person on the field at Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium who wished Willis would have thrown the ball more.
And that person is Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
That was indeed what Vrabel said. “Logan” is backup quarterback Logan Woodside, who, on his first play from scrimmage, ran for five yards up the middle.
Ah, well. You can’t always get what you want. Woodside, for his part, completed 14 of 24 passes for 102 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 33.7. So, he was more apt to throw than Willis was, but hardly to great effect.
The Willis play that got him bounced from the game happened with 8:23 left in the third quarter, and the Titans down 17-10. Tennessee had second-and-4 at their own 37-yard line, and Willis, after scanning the field and apparently seeing nothing to his liking, decided to take off. This was an issue for Willis in college, and perhaps Vrabel and his staff are trying to get Willis to think differently.
Overall, Vrabel had a lot to say about his rookie quarterback, and the timing of certain plays that just didn’t look right to the coach.
It’s a learning process. And for all Willis did to impress, there’s still obviously miles to go in the eyes of the one guy whose opinion matters above all.
Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire