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Titans rookie quarterback Malik Willis played his first game for the team Thursday night, and head coach Mike Vrabel’s review of the third-round pick’s performance could be boiled down to three words.
After the Titans lost to the Ravens, Vrabel said in a press conference that Willis needed to rock it more often. Willis was 6-of-11 for 107 yards, and Vrabel said in a postgame press conference that he felt the quarterback was too hesitant to pull the trigger on passes.
“He has to try to throw the ball when the guys are open, be more determined,” said Vrabel. “We’ll evaluate that, see if there’s a timing issue or what’s going on. Wanted to get him out, see how he reacts. There have been some good games and obviously for some games we need to look at the timing of the release and if we are making the right decisions.
Vrabel said Willis’s hesitancy caused him to make a quarterback change earlier than expected in the third quarter. The rookie rushed for 38 yards and one touchdown five times, but said after the game he “can’t rely on it anymore” to play with his legs instead of his arm. On August 20, he gets another chance to lead the offensive against the Buccaneers.