NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans kicked off the preseason on Saturday against the Chicago Bears and all eyes were on second-year quarterback Malik Willis. Willis was expected to need a season of development, but with that time past, it is time for Willis to take some big steps.
He appears to be on his way to doing so. We saw some nice moments from Willis that showed how far he has come from the start of his NFL career, but that doesn't mean it was all good.
Willis made his fair share of mistakes as well and there is plenty of development still needed. Take a look at the film breakdown below as we focus on four categories: Quick Throws, Special Flashes, Late Throws and Bad Throws.
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Starting with the quick throws. Willis does a good job on these of reading the defense quickly and getting the ball out was decisiveness. Using his talented arm to make strong throws when needed and some easy ones as well. These may not be the flashiest throws of all time, but they are ones Willis needs to ace.
If you want flash, that was available too. Willis made an incredible throw on the sideline to Reggie Roberson Jr. and showed his "escapability" to be able to do so. He also showcased his mobility to get the Titans a big first down in the red zone on a scramble.
Of course, there was the bad. Willis is still working on his timing, so we saw a few throws that were a tad late. You would like to see a decision reached quicker, a lot of them are pressured decisions, but hey, that's life in the NFL.
Finally, we have the bad throws. Just poor accuracy on these. The high throw to Josh Whyle has been debated, but the truth is that is a bad throw and Willis would admit it, even if Whyle should have caught it. It was bad process.
Willis has another opportunity this week against the Minnesota Vikings, not only in the game, but in joint practices this week. As he battles for the backup role with Will Levis, he will need to improve upon the good and bad as soon as possible.
Titans v Bears Stories
- OL Issues v Bears: Tennessee Titans' backup offensive linemen allowed eight sacks in a loss to the Chicago Bears. It's not all their fault, coaches say, but it's still a legitimate area of concern. CLICK HERE
- QBs Battle in Loss: Young Tennessee Titans quarterbacks Malik Willis and Will Levis played well in their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, but a pair of last-minute drives fell short in a 23-17 loss to the Bears. CLICK HERE
- Tyjae Spears Impresses: The Titans lost their first preseason game, but rookie running back Tyjae Spears was a bright spot on the day. CLICK HERE
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