Will Levis: Pick Six was “just a stupid move”

The Titans led by one point when they started a drive with 9:45 left in the fourth quarter in Sunday's season opener against the Bears.

Tennessee's defense had played well; Chicago's only touchdown resulted from a blocked punt that the home team returned to the sixth.

But a disastrous play by Will Levis changed the game when the second-year quarterback tried to backhand the ball to avoid a sack.

Unfortunately for Levis, the ball landed in the arms of cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, who returned it to the end zone for the lead goal – the difference in Chicago's 24-17 victory.

“Just a dumb play,” Levis said of the pick six in his postgame press conference. “I think it was a recency effect because the last time I did it in a game I got away with it because I was just trying to throw the ball in the dirt. And when you get taken down, you don't know what's going to happen to the ball when it comes out. I was really just trying to throw it in the dirt.”

“[I]It could be one of those moments where you just have to take the sack. That's one of the things — of many things — that I can learn from this game.”

Levis completed 9 of 15 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He finished the game 19 of 32 passing for 127 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and a lost fumble as Chicago's defense gave it its all in the third and fourth quarters.

“We just weren't as efficient,” Levis said of the difference between the two halves. “The penalties and things like that that we wanted to avoid in the second half kept happening.” [We] We kept finding ourselves on third and long and just weren't efficient on first and second downs — which was one of our keys to this game. And to their credit, they did a good job of stopping the run and closing down the coverage.

“Yes, we just have to get better. We're not. The first half was an offensive game that helped us win. The second half can cost us games. So overall, just not good.”

Levis and the Titans will look to pick up a win in their home game against the Jets next Sunday afternoon.