If Levis Becomes Tannehill, Is That The Worst Thing?

Comparisons of Will Levis to Ryan Tannehill are becoming more frequent, but is that bad?

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE - Comparisons of new Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback Will Levis to the man he will likely soon replace, Ryan Tannehill, are becoming more commonplace by the day, as both media and fans are finding the similarities between the two hard to overlook. 

As I read multiple reports comparing the two quarterbacks, the thought occurred to me that if Levis can duplicate what Tannehill has done as a Titan, would that be the worst thing possible? 

While Tannehill came to Nashville after a failed tenure as a first-round draft pick of the Dolphins, his time here has been anything but a failure, despite his fateful performance against Cincinnati in the 2021 playoffs. 

That day aside, as a Titan, Tannehill has been a dependable, productive quarterback that stepped in to replace Marcus Mariota and kept the Titans relevant and in the playoff picture each year before last season. 

Tannehill has produced top-ten numbers in yards per attempt, passer rating, completion rate, and in touchdown to interception ratio since being traded to the Titans in 2019.   

As a Titans, the former Texas A&M receiver has completed 1,198 of his 1,623 passes for 12,831 yards, 89 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions. His completion percentage is 67.05%, and his record as the team's starter is 39-23. 

Of course, the biggest knock, and the one sin fans of the franchise have been unable or unwilling to forgive him for, were those three interceptions that played a large part in the Titans missing out on advancing toward another potential Super Bowl appearance.    

As for Levis, I'd venture to say that if it were a guarantee that his first four seasons as the Titans starter produced those same numbers, those people unwilling to forgive Tannehill would be excited about the prospects of the coming season with Levis at the helm. 

It's the nature of the beast to be a sports fan. 

The Titans aren't getting a lot of love nationally, according to the Fanduel gambling website. Fanduel has set their over/under wins totals for the season, and they have Tennessee at just 7.5. Remember, we're into the new 17-game NFL schedule now.

Ultimately, it would be good for this franchise if Levis can come close to what Tannehill has produced; the Titans will have won games and made the playoffs. More specifically, if he can avoid his three-interception day in the playoffs, the fans who have hated his selection might just have to admit they were wrong.

That wouldn't be a bad thing, and here's to hoping that these comparisons are accurate. 

 

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