Falcon Report

Atlanta Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Doesn't Care Who Tennessee Titans Start at QB

The Tennessee Titans could start Ryan Tannehill, Malik Willis or Will Levis at quarterback this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons.

Jeremy Brener

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The Atlanta Falcons are a few days away from visiting the Tennessee Titans in Nashville, and there isn't a guarantee as to who will start under center for the home team this weekend.

With Ryan Tannehill nursing an ankle injury, there's potential for either second-year pro Malik Willis or rookie Will Levis to start under center. While there are reports that Levis will make his NFL debut with his first career start, Falcons coach Arthur Smith isn't focused on the Titans' carousel of quarterback options.

“Sure, you have to have plans," Smith said. "It can happen any week. You can have a whole game plan, and the starting quarterback may not feel like himself, and the coach decides to play the other guy, which he’s allowed to do, and you have to plan for the backup quarterback. That’s the way it goes, so I promise you this. They will be ready to go. If we don’t play our best game and if we’re not prepared, we’ll get embarrassed.”

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith
Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith / © Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons want to be well-prepared for this matchup with the Titans, and there may not be a team that coach Smith is better equipped to game plan against. 

As an assistant under coach Mike Vrabel for three seasons with the Titans, Smith knows his opponent very well and that could prove to be a massive advantage come Sunday.

The Falcons and Titans are set to kickoff at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday inside Nissan Stadium. The game can be watched on CBS.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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