What Malik Willis did well in his debut, and where he can improve

The long-awaited debut of rookie quarterback Malik Willis finally came on Thursday night.

Willis got the start in the Tennessee Titans’ first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the night by completing 6 of 11 passes for 107 yards, and rushing for 38 yards and a touchdown on 5 rushing attempts.

He was also pulled from the game a little earlier than expected because, according to head coach Mike Vrabel, he was not throwing the ball when he should.

We will get to that and more with this look at what he did well on Thursday night, and where he can improve.

Athleticism and talent from the pocket

(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

After watching Willis’ outing against the Ravens, two plays stand out where he showed exactly what he can be in the NFL, both from the pocket, and outside of it.

The first was the scramble touchdown from the first half. These are the kinds of plays that many pointed to during his days at Liberty, to make the case that Willis was the type of quarterback teams need in today’s NFL. With the athleticism and secondary-reaction skills to turn potential negative plays into big plays for the offense.

Facing a 2nd and goal from the 7-yard line, the Titans move the pocket. They call for a sprint-out design with Willis rolling to the right, with a switch release concept that gives him a pair of receivers to choose from.

However, the Ravens generate multiple points of pressure as the play unfolds, and Willis has to navigate threats on the right edge, the  backside and even through the interior.

He does so with the athleticism he displayed during his college days, spinning away from the pressure and finding a way into the end zone:

These are the kinds of plays that the Titans and their fans want to see from him, and he delivered in a big way on this snap.

A play with something for everyone

(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

Willis’ biggest completion of the night was a 48-yard deep shot to wide receiver Racey McMath, which was his only target of the night.

That play also has something for everyone.

Facing a 1st and 10 in their own territory, the Titans align Willis under center and condense the formation, using two tight ends. However, they look to attack downfield on a Burner concept, to borrow Kyle Shanahan’s terminology. This is a play-action design that starts out looking like the Yankee or post-over concept you see so many teams run, but the deeper route drifts towards the middle of the field before breaking back to the outside on a deep corner route.

It sets up an eventual three-level read on the left side, with the corner route, the deep over, and then the back releasing to the flat.

Here, Willis evades pressure off the edge, before uncorking a huge throw on the corner route to McMath:

Now, the good on this play? How Willis evades the pressure of the edge, calmly climbing the pocket before uncorking an impressive throw downfield for the huge gain.

What might the coaches focus on? Watch the play again, and pay particular attention to the crossing route from Josh Malone. That route is wide open. When Willis releases this ball, in essence McMath is covered, with the cornerback on his low hip and the post-safety working in his direction. After Willis lets this fly, the cornerback suddenly peels off to jump the crossing route, and he ends up awkwardly in the middle between two receivers. McMath is able to haul in this throw for the huge gain.

Could Willis have still gotten this throw over the corner had he stayed on McMath? Probably. This is still a throw that carries 50+ yards on the fly, made after climbing away from pressure. But given the next bit of discussion, something tells me Willis will here both sides of this story when the Titans have their next film review session.

The good and bad of being an athletic quarterback

(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)

Something I have talked about in the past is the double-edged sword that is athleticism at the quarterback position. For athletic quarterbacks, that ability to create with your legs can be a blessing, and a curse. Prior to getting to the NFL, every time you stepped on a field you were one of — if not the most — athletic people in the game. If you wanted to pull the ball down and create, odds are you were going to be successful.

But once you got to the next level, the playing field leveled off a bit. Sure, players like Lamar Jackson and Kyler Murray can still stand out, but it is not as easy. Plus, when you factor in the rules, and how as Coach O’Hara mentions in this clip discussing Willis, how you are less protected when you break the pocket, finding ways to hang in there and make throws becomes more of a priority:

Now, there are some moments when the decision to pull it down and create is the right one, and Willis had some of those Thursday night in Baltimore. Take this scramble on a 3rd and 14:

Willis wants to work that two-man concept to the right, but with the safety dropping down and playing the flat route with outside leverage, and the corner running stride-for-stride with the go route, neither option is available. By that point, the pressure is getting home, so he takes off and gains six yards, turning 2nd and 13 into 3rd and 7.

Plays like these two, along with the touchdown run highlighted earlier, showcase the good parts of being an athletic quarterback. The problem becomes when the athleticism is a crutch. When, not liking things with your eyes, you rely on the ability to create with your legs. Finding that balance is something Willis will need to do as he adjusts to life in the NFL.

The play that led to him being pulled? This one from the third quarter:

After the game, Willis reflected on plays like his last one, and touched on the double-edged nature of athleticism as a quarterback: “We have a lot to learn from, a lot to look at on film, but it was good to get out there again and play football,” Willis said, via Jim Wyatt of Titans Online. (via Titans Wire). “I missed some things probably, and I just made up for it with my legs. I can’t continue to rely on that, but that is what the preseason is for.”

There was a lot to like from his debut, and as expected, there are areas where he can still improve.

Still, from my viewing, Titans fans should be happy about what they saw.

1

1

Story originally appeared on Touchdown Wire