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About the Author: Adam Slivon
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When looking at the Titans’ offense in recent weeks, it is becoming clear that it is being led by a triumvirate of offensive leaders. While this term is most popularly associated with ancient Rome and the leadership of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, I’ll save that history lesson for another time.
Instead, the three most powerful players leading the Titans are quarterback Will Levis, running back Derrick Henry, and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If the Bucs have any chance at winning Sunday afternoon, it starts by limiting each of them from exerting their control over the game. It is a tall task, and it is a challenge that both Bucs players and coaches have been preparing for.
“Don’t Underestimate Anybody,” Including Titans QB Will Levis
There are only two games of NFL tape on Will Levis, but from what can be gathered it is little surprise that the Titans have decided to keep him as the starting quarterback over Ryan Tannehill. After absolutely lighting it up in his debut against the Falcons (in their awesome throwback uniforms, I might add), Levis hung in there facing the always-tough Steelers’ defense and did enough to keep it close throughout. Former NFL quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan, now host of The QB School, did a great job analyzing Will Levis’ play from that game.
Titans QB Will Levis – Photo by: USA Today
But the Bucs have already looked at Levis plenty, going back to the offseason. They were one of the teams that hosted him on a Top 30 visit and head coach Todd Bowles spoke this week on what he remembers from meeting him back in April.
“He’s a smart guy,” Bowles said. “He’s a good quarterback, he’s very smart, he’s aware, he has a very strong arm, he’s very athletic. He had all of the intangibles.”
After allowing C.J. Stroud, another rookie quarterback, to torch the defense last week, Bowles and the rest of the defense won’t be taking Levis lightly. Especially as he, like Stroud, does not look play a rookie.
“Twenty years ago, when you see a rookie quarterback, you’re licking your chops,” Bucs co-defensive coordinator Larry Foote said Thursday. “I think from little league, seven-on-seven, high school – these quarterbacks can pass the ball. It [was] not like that 20 years ago.
“There’s so much passing – we [saw] that last week, that guy did not look like a rookie. It’s the same way with [Levis] watching him on tape – he knows what to do with the ball. He’s got a strong arm and he lit a little fire since becoming the starter with the Titans. It’s going to be a big challenge. Those days are long gone. If you’re a quarterback in this league, starting, you’re dangerous.”
After the secondary gave up 470 passing yards and five touchdowns last week, the Bucs have learned their lesson in not underestimating any quarterback. Bucs cornerback Zyon McCollum shared that while he respects Will Levis, he will have to show up against a group that should be fired up to return to their old ways.
“He has a really strong arm and he can roll out one way and throw it all the way back the other way,” McCollum said. “It seems like they trust him to make a lot of those deep throws and just let him get the ball loose. We learned from last week – don’t underestimate anybody – whether they’re a rookie or a vet, an old guy. We’re just respecting him, have tremendous respect for him, and he’s going to have to show us.”
King Henry Still Reigns In Tennessee
Another player is worth respecting, and he needs no introduction. While there may be a big three on the Titans’ offense, running back Derrick Henry has long shown that he can run the show himself. The 6-3, 247-pound workhorse is often coined as “King Henry” and at age 29, he still reigns strong. Through eight games this season, Henry has 601 rushing yards and four touchdowns while maintaining a 4.4 yards per carry average. He may no longer be at his 2019 or 2020 level – a 31-game stretch where he amassed 3,567 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns – but he is still a menace that defenses prepare for on game day and then recover from after facing him.
Titans RB Derrick Henry – Photo by: USA Today
“First and foremost, I’m glad me and you [aren’t] out there playing for the Buccaneers, I’ll tell you that,” Larry Foote said. “Good luck to those guys. That type of challenge – more hats to the ball. The guys are going to embrace it, they’re going to love it. Those guys are excited. That’s a big challenge, a big man – they should be geeked up for it. We need some Epsom salt and ice baths after the game, but that’s what makes football fun. It’s a big challenge for us.”
To take down Henry, the Bucs’ defense will have to be hungry. He remains one of the league’s top running backs and there is no question the Titans will look to get the ball in his hands often. He has led the league in carries in three of the past four seasons and would have done so in all four if it weren’t for a season-ending injury in 2021.
“Just bring your lunch,” inside linebacker Devin White said. “You’ve got to be hungry; you’ve got to be attacking him. Get him before he gets you – that’s the mentality you’ve got to have. You want to make every tackle, you want to pad your stats, so that is a great opportunity to do it. You know he is getting the ball so go get him.”
DeAndre Hopkins Remains A Lethal Weapon For The Titans
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is the last key playmaker the Bucs will look to neutralize. Since being drafted back in 2013, Hopkins has long had a track record of being one of the best receivers in the past decade. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and five Pro Bowl selections to his name. If you thought that he might be declining at 31 years old, think again.
Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins – Photo by: USA Today
Hopkins is on his way to adding to those categories, and it already looks like he and Will Levis are a lethal pairing. In Week 8 against the Falcons, they connected for three touchdowns, and limiting them from getting into a rhythm will be a top priority for cornerback Carlton Davis III along with the rest of the secondary.
“Him and the young quarterback, they have a good rapport together,” Foote said. “He’s one of the best wide receivers of the last decade in this league. [It is] a big challenge. He’s savvy, he’s a big guy. He’s getting a lot of targets. It’s going to be a big challenge for our guys and those guys are up for it. You want those matchups.”
When talking to Zyon McCollum, savvy was again the word used to describe DeAndre Hopkins’ play style.
“I’ve been watching him since I was in high school,” McCollum said. “He’s a tremendous athlete, a really savvy guy who likes to talk and gets in DB’s heads. I see that on film too, he’s chirping a lot. Just because he’s getting older doesn’t mean he’s losing necessarily a step. It’s good to see him on tape, it’ll be even more fun going up against him on Sunday.”
The trio of Will Levis, Derrick Henry, and DeAndre Hopkins is one with a mix of youth and established star power. To limit them from shining, the Bucs’ defense will have to correct its issues in a big way. Otherwise, it will be a brutal conquest at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.
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