John Clay: 'What are you doing?' It's been a rough start for former Titans quarterback Will Levis.

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Two weeks into the season, former Kentucky quarterback Will Levis is among the early NFL storylines. Just not for the reasons he might have hoped.

Perhaps you’ve seen the Tennessee Titans’ second-year quarterback on the highlight reel. More like the lowlight reel. The Titans are off to an 0-2 start thanks in part to plays where Levis tried to make something happen. And did. For the other team.

“He’s a grown-up,” said Titans coach Brian Callahan this week. “He knows better.”

Week 1: Under pressure from a Chicago pass rush in the fourth quarter with the game tied, Levis tried to flip the ball underhanded to a Titans receiver on the left sideline. Instead, the forward flip went right to Bears defensive back Tyrique Stevenson, who returned the interception 43 yards for what turned out to be the winning touchdown in Chicago’s 24-17 victory at home.

Meanwhile, as Stevenson was racing down the sideline, Levis was still on his knees, with his hands behind his head, a picture of disbelief.

Week 2: In the Titans’ home opener, Tennessee had the ball at the New York Jets’ 6-yard line in the second quarter when, again, Levis tried to make something out of nothing. In an attempt to avoid a sack, Levis tried to lateral the ball toward running back Tyjae Spears. Instead, the Jets’ Quincy Williams recovered the ball at the New York 12, killing a Tennessee scoring opportunity in a 24-17 win by the visitors.

As a dejected Levis came off the field, an angry Callahan greeted his quarterback with one question: “Hey, what the f--- are you doing?”

Perhaps you’ve seen the clip. First, it was caught by the cameras on the CBS broadcast. (And you didn’t need to be a skilled lip reader to figure out what Callahan was saying.) Then it went viral on social media.

Afterward, Callahan said he regretted that his reaction was seen and heard by the audience at home. But, he said, he did not regret the emotion at the time.

“I was upset. It was dumb,” said Callahan, in his first year as the Titans’ head coach after serving as Zac Taylor’s offensive coordinator with the Bengals. “It was the same exact thing he did last week, and he cost us points in the red zone and that is what it is.”

In Sunday’s postgame, Levis vowed to do better.

“I’m going to do everything I can to rewire my brain to make sure that when I’m in those situations, I’m not making those decisions,” he said.

And in his first season as the established starter, Levis has not played all that poorly. Silly turnovers aside. He was 19-of-28 passing for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception for an 84.2 rating against the Jets. Overall, he has completed 38-of-60 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. His pass completion percentage sits at 63.3. His passer rating is 67.3.

Still, there’s the “hero ball” or “Superman” complex to eliminate. As a second-round draft pick who unexpectedly fell out of the first, maybe Levis is trying too hard to prove himself. Elite NFL quarterbacks thrive at making second-reaction plays, or off-schedule throws. Think Patrick Mahomes or Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen. There’s a fine line between making a great play and a bonehead play.

On his ESPN show, Pat McAfee asked Bill Belichick about the Levis turnover in the Bears game. “Tom Brady and I have talked about this a million times: If you complete this pass, what’s the upside? You gain 1 yard, 2 yards? What’s the downside? You lose the game,” the six-time Super Bowl winning coach said.

Starting at quarterback in the NFL is no piece of cake. Ask Bryce Young, the former Alabama star who was the No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023 and has already been benched by the Carolina Panthers after just 19 games as a professional.

Levis has the traits NFL teams covet. He has the arm. He has the body. He has the leadership skills. He’s no longer a rookie, having started nine games last season, when Tennessee went 3-6. There’s more to the position than just physical skills, however.

“It’s tough, but everything’s tough about this sport and this position,” said Levis, according to the Tennessean. “I just can’t let that happen.”

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