‘MNF’ takeaways: The Titans have their QB of the future
from Eric Smithling, with YardBarker.com/www.yardbarker.com
The Titans pulled off a Monday night stunner. Trailing 27-13 with less than three minutes remaining, Tennessee did the improbable. Here are our takeaways from its 28-27 win over Miami.
Will Levis is the future in Tennessee: The Titans got a steal in the 2023 NFL Draft when Levis dropped into their lap in the second round. The polarizing prospect made several outstanding plays on Monday night, including this second-quarter deep ball to wideout DeAndre Hopkins.
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He had another excellent pass in the third when on a 30-yarder to running back Tyjae Spears during a drive that resulted in a field goal and a 13-10 lead for Tennessee.
Levis bounced back from an early pick-six and steadied the team following a calamitous fourth-quarter sequence when the Titans lost two fumbles inside their own red zone, leading to two Dolphins touchdowns and a 27-13 deficit.
Levis finished the game 23-of-38 for 327 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The season hasn’t gone according to plan for the Titans (5-8), but at least they found their quarterback.
Tyreek Hill’s importance: Miami’s outstanding wide receiver fought through a lower leg injury but was clearly not 100% after a horse-collar tackle that went uncalled in the first half. Miami’s offense was led by its rushing attack, although Hill still had a role in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s best pass of the night on a perfectly placed ball along the sideline.
The Dolphins weren’t as explosive offensively as we’ve grown accustomed to them being this season, a direct link to Hill’s limitations. As crucial as big plays are to Miami’s offense, it’s never been more obvious how much the Dolphins (9-4) need Hill healthy to win a Super Bowl.
Dolphins defense: The lesser of the two units in Miami, the Dolphins defense came away with a couple of big turnovers, but its late collapse against a rookie quarterback is concerning.
The competition will be much tougher down the stretch, with Miami ending the regular season with games against the Cowboys, Ravens and Bills.