Will Levis' 98-yard touchdown to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine the latest sign of his growth

11/17/2024 03:39 PM

We have enjoyed our fair share of fun at Will Levis' expense this season.

We have poked fun at his mayonnaise-scented cologne and highlighted his poor turnovers from early in the season that led to hilarious reactions on the field, and on the Tennessee Titans' sideline. We even posited that his getting an MVP vote at midseason was the true election interference.

But since returning from a shoulder injury Levis has been ... good? Decent? Showing signs of improvement? After all, he was one of Doug Farrar's selections as a "Secret Superstar" from Week 10, and his 98-yard touchdown pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine against the Minnesota Vikings might be the latest sign yet of his development as a quarterback.

Here is the play from the broadcast angle, as the Titans run a go/out combination to the right side. Levis targets Westbrook-Ikhine on the go route along the sideline, and he gets over the top of the Minnesota defense for the score:

Now thanks to this replay angle, you can see just why this was an impressive throw:

The Vikings are in a two-deep zone coverage here, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore is the boundary defender to that side of the field. The Vikings are expecting this route combination, and Gilmore will "trap" the out route from the slot receiver. The hope is that the Vikings can bait Levis into throwing the out route, and Gilmore can break on the ball.

But Levis reads it perfectly, and instead of falling for the trap as it were, he goes to the vertical route. The safety does not get over in time, and the Titans have a 98-yard touchdown.

We might still poke fun at Levis for the mayonnaise-scented cologne, but this read — and throw — is no joke.