Titans HC Mike Vrabel Assesses Rookie QBs Malik Willis, Will Levis Against Chicago Bears

Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was back in action on Sunday and he provided his assessment of the performance of the young quarterbacks, Malik Willis and Will Levis.

NASHVILLE — Mike Vrabel was back in the big chair on Sunday after assistant head coach Terrell Williams acted as the team's head coach for the weekend in Chicago. He spoke at a press conference about the performance of both his young quarterbacks.

Malik Willis and Will Levis both had their good and bad moments in the 23-17 loss to the Chicago Bears, but that is to be expected from two inexperienced players. Vrabel had this to say about Willis's day.

"I thought that there was some composure," Vrabel explained. "There were some opportunities for him to run, he ran. (He) was able to do that. Thought he did a nice job when he did get out of the pocket, keeping his eyes down the field. Was able to be a thrower when he felt like there was something there."

"Never going to restrict his ability to make plays with his feet. Just be smart with the football. You saw him convert down there in the red zone for a huge first down that allowed us to then eventually score with Malik, there at the end of that first drive."

Vrabel also talked about Levis and what he saw from the rookie.

"I think just letting the game come to him, just take what's there," Vrabel said while speaking on where Levis could improve. "Trying to make sure we are not overdoing it. That we're just playing one role, a large role, as a quarterback in the offense. Taking what they give and when there's opportunities to work the ball down the field, do that."

"(Levis) did some nice things, I thought did some really nice things. Would like to have some plays back from the game and being in a tough situation there, you're only going to get one chance to hit a chunk play, probably. It came back and we didn't hit it, so obviously it makes it even more difficult to come back and try to get it in there the next time."

One of the big talking points coming out of the game is the rotation in which the quarterbacks were used, alternating every few drives. Some say that prevents either of the quarterbacks from getting into a rhythm. Mike Vrabel talked about the rotation and why a lack of rhythm is good preparation.

"It was by design," Vrabel said about alternating the passers. "We were going to let Malik (Willis) start the game. Had a really good series, an effective series. Let Will (Levis) go and then make a decision and then give those guys two series, the best that we could, two series each for the remainder of the game."

"Just trying to get them all the situations, trying to get them work. When you start to look at it, backup quarterbacks, they're going to have to be able to go in there at a moment's notice. Sometimes you going to have a week to prepare and they're going to know, but I would say most of the time they're going to have to come in off the bench and be ready to execute. That's some of the things we're trying to recreate."

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