Patriots Legend Bill Belichick Slams Titans' Will Levis

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis earned some criticism from former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Nov 28, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Tennessee Titans in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Nov 28, 2021; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick watches from the sideline as they take on the Tennessee Titans in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
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Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis wishes he had one throw in particular back after the team's 24-17 loss against the Chicago Bears.

With 7:35 left in the fourth quarter, Levis was smothered by a few Bears defenders, and he flipped the ball towards the sidelines either trying to throw it away or find receiver Tyler Boyd. Instead, the ball was caught by Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who took it back to the house for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown.

After the game, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who now appears as an analyst on "The Pat McAfee Show," spoke about the play.

"The biggest thing for the quarterback is decision making," Belichick said on The Pat McAfee Show about Levis. "There's no upside to that play. There's only downside. That's just terrible decision-making."

Had Levis taken a sack on that play, the Titans would have had to punt the ball back to the Bears with just a few minutes left in the game up 17-16. However, that is a far better scenario than being down 24-17, which is what ended up happening.

It's a play that someone like Ryan Tannehill, last year's starting quarterback in Week 1, likely doesn't make. Therefore, the Titans may have won the football game if Levis wasn't under center.

That being said, Levis has a lot of upside that still hasn't been fully realized and that's why the Titans have turned over the keys to him. The Titans need to see how he will respond to being named the starter, and the Week 1 loss (this play in particular) was not a good start. Perhaps Levis will turn things around, but plays like this can make or break a career if it turns into a pattern.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER